WHAT IS EMDR THERAPY

Oh deep mind

you hold my secrets

The bestower and healer

of my distress

DO YOU KNOW THAT EMDR CAN RESOLVE EMOTIONAL TRAUMA

It’s a gentle therapy recommended by the World Health Organisation and many other institutions for the treatment for the symptoms of PTSD and emotional trauma

EMDR is an acronym of ‘Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing’ which means using eye movements and/or other bilateral stimulation to desensitise the emotional part of the mind which is triggered by past trauma.  It is a therapy discovered and developed by Francine Shapiro in 1988.  She discovered that just moving the eyes from side to side eased the distress when thinking about a traumatic event.  

For example, you may know someone who was attacked by a dog, and every time they see any dog they become acutely frightened.  They know the original dog attack is long over, and they probably consciously know that the majority of dogs will not attack them, but the subconscious mind is reading every dog as ‘dangerous’, and triggering the flight, fight, freeze responses.  I have known people triggered into a panic response just by seeing a picture of a dog. 

EMDR therapy will process the original trauma so just a distant memory remains.  It removes the intense illogical fear which previously surrounded even a thought of the incident.

Bilateral stimulation is an activity which alternatively engages both sides of the body. Examples include tapping each on the left then right sides of the body - watching the side to side movements of a finger or a beam of light - or hearing tones in alternate ears usually via a head set.  In fact any alternate side-to-side tracking seems to enable the mind to file distressing memories in the part of the brain that de-activates emotions associated with trauma. 

During a session the therapist follows several steps - initially ensuring the client has the resources to calm themselves if they become distressed during the therapy.  Although it isn’t necessary to talk about the trauma in detail, understanding strategies for moving out of distressing emotions is always a priority - knowing how to establish a ‘safe space’. 

Shorts rounds of BLS gently peel back layers of emotions related to the event until the traumatic incident can be recalled without distress or discomfort, and the negative self-beliefs attached to the event have been transformed into more beneficial self beliefs.

Just one session can completely clear a single trauma experienced by someone who has an otherwise fairly trauma-free background - however several sessions may be required for those who have experienced multiple past traumas. 

CONTACT ME FOR A CHAT IF YOU BELIEVE EMDR WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

 LOVE AND PEACE.