Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
If something traumatic has happened to you (whether it be a car accident, abuse or something seemingly less significant like being humiliated), the memory of your experience may come crashing back into your mind, forcing you to relive the original event with the same intensity of feeling - like it is taking place in the present moment.
These experiences that pop into your awareness may present themselves as either flashbacks or nightmares, and are thought to occur because the mind was simply too overwhelmed during the event to process what was going on.
As a result, these unprocessed memories and the accompanying sights, sounds, thoughts and feelings are stored in the brain in 'raw' form, where they can be accessed each time we experience something that triggers a recollection of the original event.
While it isn't possible to erase these memories, the process of Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) can alter the way these traumatic memories are stored within the brain - making them easier to manage and causing you less distress.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (more commonly known as EMDR), is a form of psychotherapy developed in the 1980s by American psychologist Francine Shapiro.
During a stroll in the park, Shapiro made a chance observation that certain eye movements appeared to reduce the negative emotion associated with her own traumatic memories. When she experimented, she found that others also exhibited a similar response to eye movements, and so she set about conducting controlled studies before developing a multiphase approach to trauma reduction.
Today, the therapy is used to treat a wide range of psychological difficulties that typically originate in trauma, such as direct or indirect experiences of violence, accidents or natural disaster. EMDR therapy is also used to treat more prolonged, low-grade distress that originates in shock or loss in adult life and/or issues experienced during childhood. The experiences outlined above often lead to a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, for which EMDR has been recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Other issues helped
Increasingly, EMDR therapy is also being used for the treatment of other issues including:
- depression
- performance anxiety
- phobias and fears
- anxiety
- low self-esteem
Benefits
Reported benefits of EMDR include:
- A reduction in re-experiencing trauma memories.
- Feeling more able to cope with and manage trauma memories without needing to avoid potential triggers.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me to arrange an initial consultation. There is no commitment at this stage. If you decide you'd like to work with me, we can discuss how the work can be structured , we could contract for a brief period or for open-ended therapy.
I am also happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
I am a Registered health provider counsellor and psychotherapist with the main insurances including AXA, AVIVA and BUPA.