What is EMDR?

If you have experienced something traumatic, and the memories still feel fresh long after the event, you are not alone. Many people feel stuck in those moments, and that’s where EMDR therapy can make a real difference.

So, what is EMDR therapy?

EMDR or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy is an effective, evidence-based treatment approach for clients experiencing distress related to traumatic life events.

EMDR therapy has been shown to help many clients experiencing:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder

• Anxiety disorders (e.g., generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder)

• Depressive disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder)

• Dissociative disorders (e.g., dissociative identity disorder)

• Personality disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder)

• Eating disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa)

EMDR therapy is based on the theory that traumatic experiences can overwhelm our brain’s processing capacity, resulting in unprocessed, fragmented memories. The brain stores whatever we see, hear, feel, or think in those moments. As a result, traumatic memories are often recalled vividly, as if they are being experienced in the present.

EMDR therapy helps clients to heal from traumatic life events by reprocessing these memories and reducing the emotional impact of these experiences. EMDR therapy involves bilateral stimulation (e.g., moving your eyes from left to right) while you recall a traumatic event (i.e., images, sounds, physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, beliefs). This helps to move the memory from the emotional part of your brain to allow effective processing.

EMDR therapy begins with a discussion of your reasons for attending therapy and relevant history. Your therapist will assess the appropriateness of EMDR therapy for addressing your current concerns. If appropriate, preparation for EMDR sessions will begin. Your therapist will provide information about EMDR, collaboratively develop goals for therapy, and discuss emotion regulation strategies to help you stay grounded when experiencing strong emotions. You will then choose a traumatic memory to be processed and identify any negative beliefs or symptoms associated with the memory. Your therapist will guide you through bilateral stimulation to reprocess the memory. Your therapist will also support the development of more helpful beliefs associated with the memory.

After EMDR therapy, most clients report experiencing significantly less emotional distress regarding traumatic memories. Clients also report that these memories lose their vividness and are no longer experienced as if in the present moment.

If you have any questions about EMDR or are interested in booking with one of our EMDR therapists, please feel welcome to contact our lovely Client Experience Officers by phone or email.