Hi, I've been away a few days on a vacation, or I'd have jumped in. The reason I don't give specific advice, and I urge others not to as well, is that people are so different and we don't get enough info here. And more than that, some people are more fragile than others, and have already been mightily betrayed in life, and we don't want to add to that burden.

Anybody who gets worse doing EMDR shouldn't do EMDR until they have been strengthened by any number of procedures. Even safe place is too much for some people. Sometimes blocking beliefs interfere with feeling anything good, including safe. For example (may not apply), some people feel that they are so bad that if they don't deserve to feel safe, others feel that it isn't safe to feel safe, that if they let their guard down all is lost. So for those people, there are some knots to untangle before doing EMDR.

Doing EMDR is like pushing water through a hose. If the volume and pressure of the water is greater than the capacity and strength of the hose, the hose can blow a hole in it. So, we have to reduce the pressure of the water going through OR increase the strength of the hose, or both. In therapy, there are ways to strengthen the person and ways to break the disturbing material into pieces so it can be processed.

Any time the EMDR is making some one worse we should stop it. The therapist is responsible to screen each and every person for degree of dissociation and not proceed with EMDR if the person is dissociative. (This may not apply to you, I'm just saying it in general). EMDR can remove defenses, and the person has to be ready to lose those defenses. So doing EMDR for the wrong person or at the wrong time can make someone worse.

There are many ways to strengthen a person. The therapist is responsible to evaluate all these factors and make the right recommendation, and to get consultation if need be.