Therapy of any kind is a way for an individual to begin to reclaim control of past experiences and learn to process pain in a healthy way.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) is an integrative approach to therapy that has been extensively researched and proven to be effective. To date, EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress and recover from past trauma.
What can EMDR be used for?
In addition to its use for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), EMDR has been successfully used to treat:
- Complicated grief
- Anxiety and depression
- Stress
- Phobias
- Addictions
- Pain relief and phantom limb pain
- Self esteem and performance anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Sleep problems
How does EMDR work?
When a person has suffered trauma or other psychological stress, their brain can often not process information in the same way it normally would. This can cause one moment to feel as if it is ‘frozen in time’, and revisiting memories can sometimes be as intense and vivid as experiencing something for the first time. Often, this can have a lasting negative impact on a person’s view of the world and the way they relate to other people.
EMDR works by helping the brain to successfully re-process problematic memories and stress. Memories are retained, but remembering what happened becomes less upsetting. It’s believed that this effect may be similar to what occurs naturally during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, when your eyes move rapidly from side to side as the brain processes the events of the day.
My EMDR Practise
A typical EMDR session lasts from 60 to 90 minutes. The type of problem, life circumstances and the amount of previous traumas will determine how many treatment sessions are necessary.
I would be very happy to answer any questions you might have about EMDR therapy and how it could help you.
- I am an accredited EMDR Practitioner with the EMDR Association UK and Ireland
- I have previously used EMDR within the NHS and am now working privately
- I have extended my experience of EMDR by additional training to work with children and adolescents
- I am often able to offer EMDR therapy through healthcare providers