Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing | LONDON | SOMERSET | ONLINE

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a method to help individuals process traumatic memories. Initially designed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is now used more widely to treat other aspects of trauma and reduce symptoms related to painful experiences.

EMDR Therapy consists of the following key components:

Assessment:

In the initial stages you complete an assessment to understand your specific trauma history and identify the target issues to address

Desensitization and Reprocessing:

During the following stages you will bring to mind the traumatic memories while focusing on external stimuli, such as bilateral eye movements. You do not need to go into extensive detail about the trauma itself. We work together through a series of steps to integrate and process the experiences you’ve had so they feel more manageable, overall reducing the distress they cause you in day to day life. The processing gradually desensitises the emotional charge attached to the memory.

Research

The side to side eye movements are thought to replicate the REM part of sleep where the brain processes memories. Current neurological research shows that the bilateral eye movements reduce activity in the brain’s fear circuits, which is thought to allow natural healing to occur.

There is some mystery attached to EMDR and debate around its use. As with other brain processes such as dreaming, how and why it works is not fully understood. Randomised, controlled studies globally have found EMDR to be effective and it is therefore endorsed by NICE, the World Health Organisation and other health organisations.