What is EMDR? EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) therapy is an internationally recognised and well researched therapy that helps you recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences such as a painful memory, upstting experience, disturbing image, a person who scares you (real or make-believe), an troublesome event or circumstance that you've found yourself in. Any of these things can either be from your past, in the present, or projected in to the future. It is perhaps best known for being the treatment of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
When someone has experienced something that has been traumatic, painful or negatively emotionally charged, quite often the intensity of the experience fades and people are generally ok. There are times, however, when one (or sometimes more than one) memory keeps popping back up and brings with it all that painful, unwanted emotional distress. This happens when a memory has not been fully processed.
It is natural to avoid thinking about an experience because it is has been too upsetting, but if it remains unprocessed in the brain, it can be easily 'triggered' by certain images, smells, sounds or even tastes, causing flashbacks and panic attacks.
This is where EMDR therapy comes in.
How it works: It is believed that during REM sleep, we are processing memories and experiences. During EMDR therapy, you have the same REM sleep eye movements but you will be awake. You simply track my moving finger from left to right, as I guide you in safely re-accessing your traumatic/distressing experience. Although eye movements are involved, EMDR is NOT a form of hypnosis.
Benefits: You are likely to experience a significant reduction in distress associated with your traumatic experience, reduced anxiety that can accompany the distress and an improvement in your self-esteem and perception of the past experience. Results gained from EMDR are long lasting.
Things to consider: You may experience vivid dreaming for a week or more after EMDR and you may feel exhausted after a session. You must be prepared to attend regular sessions, and budget for at least 4-6 sessions.
Contact me if you'd like to know more about EMDR.
Coming soon: EMDR therapy
Helping you heal from trauma.
Watch this space!