EYE MOvement desensitization and reprocessing

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy that can help people recover from distressing events and the impact of those events on mental health. It is an evidence based therapy recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).  It is proven to be effective to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and there is growing evidence of its effectiveness to treat Depression and Anxiety.  

EMDR is really useful for anyone who has faced trauma in their lives such as a violent crime, sexual or emotional abuse, a social humiliation, bullying/harassment, a car accident and other life events which you are struggling to process. 

Following a traumatic life event the brain may struggle to process what has happened. The memory appears to be 'stuck' with people reporting flashbacks, intense and vivid memories, intrusive images and thoughts. EMDR helps to reprocess the memory meaning that the emotional impact is no longer as intense and you are desensitised to it. 

There are 8 phases of treatment within EMDR

1) History Taking and treatment planning

2) Preparation 

3) Assessment

4) Desensitization

5) Installation 

6) Body Scan

7) Closure

8) Re-evaluation 

Once phase 1 - 3 are completed and you feel safe and prepared to do so, with the support of your therapist, you would be asked to recall the memory of the event whilst also doing bi lateral stimulation in the form of eye movements, sounds in the ears or  bilateral taps.  During the processing EMDR can help you see things from a  different perspective and relieve the symptoms your suffering. There is evidence to suggest it is like REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep when your eyes move from side to side to process events of the day or by tasking the brain with other tasks whilst also thinking about this event it can process the memory allowing it to become less vivid. 

In time EMDR allows the person to distance themselves from the trauma and allow it to be processed and filled in a healthy way.  

The only difference between Face to Face EMDR and online EMDR is that we would be in the same room virtually rather than physically and therefore use knee tap/shoulder taps rather than eye movement . The treatment can be more convenient as it can be done from a safe location of your choice via a video link. Many people prefer being in a place where they feel safe and comfortable whilst accessing this past memories. 

We would aim to have online therapy sessions weekly, but can have more regular therapy if required. Typically a course of treatment will be between 6 and 12 sessions, but like any treatment each person is different. EMDR can be a very quick and effective treatment for people with one off traumas but depending upon the severity or the condition your therapist may advise more. 

Price: £70 per hour