What is EMDR therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful therapy designed to help people recover from traumatic events in their lives.

EMDR is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help. Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create feelings of overwhelm, of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume.  The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.”

https://www.emdria.org/page/what_is_emdr_therapy

What happens during an EMDR therapy session?

For the first sessions we meet and talk about the issue the patient wants to work on. I need a general understanding of the patient history before proceeding with the EMDR therapy. It is also important to establish a relationship of trust.

We then make a treatment plan and meet for about 6 sessions. More sessions might be needed depending on the situation.

EMDR involves the therapist making some movement with their hands and the patient following the therapist’s hand with their eyes. The patient is fully conscious and in control during the session. Particular images may come to the mind of the patient and the therapist will ask about them.