About EMDR
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychological therapy that helps people process and recover from past experiences that are continuing to affect their mental health and wellbeing. It helps you process the negative images, emotions, beliefs and body sensations associated with traumatic or distressing memories that seem to be stuck and, in doing so, relieves the symptoms you are continuing to experience.
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EMDR is recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a successful treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It has been found to have positive results for people who have:
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A history of childhood or adult trauma
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Medical trauma
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Complex and single event trauma
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Birth trauma
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Phobias
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Anxiety and panic
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Relationship issues
​EMDR can be done in-person or online.
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What happens in EMDR sessions?
EMDR has a set structure and involves working through specific stages. It can be used with alongside other talking therapies and integrated into counselling sessions.
As a first step, we will work together to assess your current symptoms and your readiness for EMDR, and to explore how your past has shaped your present.​ As part of this we will talk about how trauma and overwhelming experiences affect the brain and body and why ​you may feel stuck in the past, unable to move forward with your life. We would also focus on helping you to feel safe and able to be present in the room, rather than being swept away by past memories or fears about the future.
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When you feel ready, we will access the distressing or traumatic memories and start bi-lateral stimulation. Bi-lateral stimulation involves stimulating either side of your brain in an alternating left-right fashion to help you access your subconscious mind and process what is stored in there and how it affects you. This is a natural healing process, similar to what happens when your brain goes into Rapid Eye Movement (REM) during sleep, when your brain naturally processes memories and emotions from your day.
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EMDR uses one of two ways to process the memory:
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Moving your eyes from side to side
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Tapping from side to side
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It is not hypnosis and you can stop at any time.
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After EMDR people say that the memory is still there but it is less difficult or painful. EMDR can also shift self-beliefs at a 'gut' level, changing how people feel about themselves.
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Sometimes people only need around six sessions of EMDR therapy for it to make a transformative difference, although some clients with more complex issues will require more. ​​​