EMDR

EMDR is an acronym for ‘Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing’.

EMDR is an innovative clinical treatment for trauma including sexual abuse, domestic violence, combat, crime, and those suffering from a number of other complaints including anxiety, depressions, addictions, phobias and a variety of self-esteem issues.

Fourteen controlled studies support the evidence base of EMDR, making EMDR the most thoroughly researched method ever used in the treatment of trauma. The most recent 5 studies with individuals suffering from events such as rape, combat, loss of a loved one, accidents, natural disasters, etc. have found that 84-90% no longer had post-traumatic stress disorder after only three EMDR treatment sessions.

EMDR involves the bi-lateral stimulation of both hemispheres of the brain and thereby allows for rapid information processing. Therefore, trauma can be alleviated swiftly, depending on the level of severity of the complaint, but usually within 6-9 sessions.

How does EMDR work?

EMDR stimulates the left and right hemispheres of the brain consecutively either though rapid eye movement or through tapping of hands or knees or the use of auditory equipment. EMDR allows for the rapid ability to process information. Initially the client is desensitized to the dysfunctional belief system and then a positive functional belief is installed.

When a person is involved in a distressing event, they may feel overwhelmed and their brain may be unable to process the information like a normal memory. The distressing memory seems to become frozen on a neurological level. When a person recalls the distressing memory, the person can re-experience what they saw, heard, smelt, tasted or felt, and this can be quite intense. At times, the memories can cause so much emotional distress such that the person tries to avoid thinking about the distressing event to avoid experiencing the distressing feelings. Some find that the distressing memories come to mind when something reminds them of the distressing event, or sometimes the memories just seem to just pop into mind.

Through the use of the desensitization phase of a traumatic memory, the entire traumatic memory can even be removed from the memory networks of the brain entirely or at the very least cause no emotional distress when the past event is recalled to mind.

What does EMDR therapy feel like?

EMDR can produce some powerful emotional reactions, but every person is different and will react differently. The client remains in control of every stage of the therapeutic process and the results are rapid and effective. Memory networks are explored and processed, some of which might have become blocked and as such can cause distress. EMDR helps a person to desensitize to events in the past and to overcome the difficulties these past events have caused.

Information provided by Samantha Quantock