What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched psychotherapy initially designed to treat traumatic memories. Research has now demonstrated greater effectiveness and efficiency of EMDR in resolving trauma than any other treatments. EMDR is now considered a first-choice treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with growing evidence for its effectiveness with a range of other mental health issues.

How does it work?
After a thorough assessment, preparation for and consent to begin EMDR treatment, you will be asked specific questions about a disturbing memory. EMDR utilises bilaterial stimulation - eye movements, tapping or auditory tones whilst deliberately bringing into conscious awareness the sensory memory of concern - the thoughts and accompanying emotions and bodily sensations. Eye movements, similar to those during REM sleep, are recreated by asking you to watch the therapist’s finger moving backwards and forwards across your visual field. Sometimes alternate bilateral stimulation is used in place of eye movements. Generally, the eye movements last for a short period and then stop. You will then be asked to report back on the experiences you have had during each of these sets of eye movements. Experiences during a session may include changes in thoughts, images and feelings. With repeated sets of eye movements, the memory tends to change in such a way that it loses its intensity, distress or pain, and becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past. Other associated memories may also heal at the same time, which can lead to rapid improvements in many aspects of your life.

Whilst EMDR can accelerate therapy progress by resolving the impact of past traumas, it is not appropriate for everyone. The process is generally quite fast, and any disturbing experiences, if they occur at all, are generally relatively short. Clients need to be aware and willing to experience strong feelings and disturbing thoughts which sometimes occur during sessions.

FAQs

  • EMDR can be brief focused treatment or part of a longer psychotherapy programme. EMDR sessions can be for 60 to 90 minutes. Evidence indicates that more frequent sessions of EMDR processing results in better clinical outcomes, however this is not necessary for progress to be made.

  • During EMDR, you will remain in control, fully alert and wide awake. This is not a form of hypnosis and you can stop the process at any time. It is important that you feel comfortable and safe throughout the session, which Rosie will help you with through constant support and assurance throughout each processing session.

  • Initially developed for treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, EMDR has growing evidence for its effectiveness in treating anxiety and panic, depression, stress, phobias, sleep issues, grief, addictions, pain relief, self esteem and performance anxiety.

  • Most of the time, your body and brain manage new information and experiences without you being aware of it. However, when you are traumatised by an overwhelming event (single incident eg. a car accident) or are repeatedly subjected to distress (eg. abuse or neglect) your natural coping mechanism can become overloaded. This can result in disturbing experiences remaining ‘frozen’ in your brain, or being ‘unprocessed’. These unprocessed memories and feelings are stored in the limbic system of your brain in a raw or emotional form. This limbic system maintains traumatic memories in an isolated memory network, disconnected from the brain’s cortex where we use language to store memories. The limbic system’s traumatic memories can be continually triggered when you experience events similar to the difficult experiences you have been through. When this occurs, the painful feelings, like anxiety, panic or anger, are continually triggered in the present, your ability to live in the present and learn from new experiences can be inhibited. EMDR helps create the connections between your brain’s memory networks, enabling your brain to process past traumatic memories in a natural way.

  • Resolution of a traumatic memory involves changes in sensory memory, emotional memory, and the meaning made from the memory. Generally people describe memories having less intensity, colour, or vibrancy and rather is recalled like any other memory you have. Your memory will be ‘just a memory’ rather than one that is experienced and relived over and over. Recalling or discussing the event will no longer evoke strong emotional responses, and you will find you have a more useful or balanced perspective on the event.

  • 1 - History Taking (it is important to have a clear understanding of why you’re coming in for treatment, how trauma is currently affecting you and what your goals are for a successful outcome)

    2 - Resourcing (Education and skill development ahead of processing)

    3 - Target Assessment (preparing the memory to be worked on)

    4 - Reprocessing (eye movements or another bilateral stimulation)

    5 - Installation (reinforcing new positive thoughts or beliefs about the memory)

    6 - Body Scan (used to identify any leftover tension in the body)

    7 - Closure (this occurs at the end of each session, even if a memory is not yet processed, so you can leave the session feeling calm and grounded)

    8 - Reevaluation (at the beginning of each session, so we can see what has continued processing in between sessions, and identify our next starting point)