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EMDR therapy - what is it?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.

EMDR therapy is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy treatment designed to help individuals process traumatic memories and reduce the emotional distress associated with them.

EMDR is best known for treating PTSD but can be helpful wherever there are difficulties that are associated with past experiences or when a person feels "stuck" in their experiences. This includes:

trauma & abuse
phobias & fears
anxiety & panic
complicated or unresolved grief / losses / life transitions
negative self-image & performance anxiety
relationship / attachment issues

Benefits of EMDR Therapy:

Trauma Healing: EMDR is especially effective for individuals dealing with PTSD, complex trauma, or anxiety related to past trauma.

Rapid Processing: Many clients find that EMDR helps process distressing memories more quickly than other forms of therapy.

Long-Term Relief: EMDR can provide long-lasting relief from traumatic memories and emotional suffering, even after the therapy ends.

EMDR Association UK describes EMDR as follows (see https://emdrassociation.org.uk):

“EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a unique, powerful therapy that helps people recover from problems triggered by traumatic events in their lives. It stops difficult memories causing so much distress by helping the brain to reprocess them properly, working with memory to heal the legacy of past pain.

EMDR therapy is best known for treating PTSD but can help with a range of mental health conditions in people of all ages including depression and anxiety.

Internationally recognised, EMDR therapy is endorsed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; the World Health Organisation; The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies; the NHS (in the UK); and many other bodies.”

“EMDR is recognised by the World Health Organisation (2013) as an effective therapy for children and adolescents who have experienced traumatic events. It also has the highest recommendation for Children and Adolescents with PTSD from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS, 2018).”

Animation to explain EMDR therapy and trauma to adults - from EMDR Association UK:

Animation to explain EMDR therapy and trauma to children and young people - from EMDR Association UK:

Is EMDR therapy suitable for me?

Many people will recover from difficult experiences given the necessary time and care, and can benefit from traditional talk therapy / counselling.

EMDR can be helpful when symptoms and difficulties are severely impacting your daily life or are persistent or ‘stuck’ in some way.

Your therapist will assess and discuss with you if/when/how EMDR might be helpful.

Your therapist will first work with you to gather the necessary personal history and assessment of the issue that you would like to work on and its connections to other parts of your life, and also assess with you how you respond to using some EMDR techniques to develop positive resources.
Based on this assessment and consultation with an EMDR supervisor, your therapist will give an indication of whether and in what form EMDR therapy may be a suitable option for you. You can then decide if you would like to engage with EMDR therapy.

EMDR - what to expect?

The therapist will guide you through:

Identifying and building positive resources.
Locating memories or incidents that feed into the current difficulties (these do not have to be talked about in detail).
Working with the negative beliefs, emotions and body experiences associated with these memories.
Using bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or self-tapping) while recalling the memory, which helps the brain to to desensitise and reprocess the information, reducing its emotional charge.
Linking difficult experiences with more adaptive beliefs and emotional responses.

Follow up:

After each session, you may feel tired or experience changes in how you view the traumatic event. This is normal. Your therapist will check in with you about your progress, any challenges you're facing, and any new insights that may arise.

Emotional Experience:

Emotional Release - You might experience strong or surprising emotions and thoughts during or after the session (such as crying, sadness, or relief). This is part of the healing process and your therapist will plan for this with you.
Distress Reduction - Many people report a significant reduction in the emotional charge of the targeted memories as treatment progresses.
Positive Shifts - It’s common to experience changes in self-perception or improved resilience and emotional regulation.

Duration of Treatment:

The number of sessions needed can vary greatly depending on the individual, the complexity of the experiences, and the goals of therapy. Some people may feel significant improvement after just a few sessions, while others may benefit from more time. EMDR can be used to address a single traumatic event or a series of related events.

Things to Consider:

EMDR can be quite tiring at times, so it is worth considering this when scheduling EMDR sessions. You may experience difficult emotions or memories coming up, but the therapist will support you through them. When working through challenging material, some people prefer to arrange double sessions in order to get through more of the processing in one - your therapist will discuss this with you.

For clients under the age of 18 years, we assess the young person’s capacity to work in this way and then consult with a parent/carer to agree a plan so that the young person’s needs are supported during the process.

In summary, EMDR therapy helps you reprocess painful or traumatic memories by using bilateral stimulation to facilitate healing. It can be an effective tool for reducing the emotional impact of trauma, improving emotional regulation, and fostering healthier thoughts and beliefs.

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