EMDR

EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing
Traumatic Events – Stressful Experiences – Tension and Anxiety

The method of EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing was formulated by Dr Pauline Schapiro in 2001 is now used worldwide with millions of people having been treated for traumatic and stressful experiences, using this system of eye movements.

So what happens when the client is asked to follow the therapists fingers with their eyes from side to side and at the same time focussing on a stressful event in their lives or an event that is coming up that they perceive as being potential stressful, thus stimulating old experiences?

The mind focusses on the stressful experience, a trauma, and because it has had an influence on the person over a period of time, there will be also a physiological effect as well, such as feeling anxious in the stomach or tightening in the throat etc. This suggests that that trauma has not been fully processed by the mind: in essence it is blocked and stuck in that thought. During EMDR the bilateral stimulus of the eyes moving from side to side is an external stimulus and whilst the mind is focussed on the bilateral movement of the eyes, this allows the mind to fully process the trauma. New associations are thought to complete the information thus allowing the blocked or stuck emotion to start healing.

In some studies and there have been many on EMDR, they have shown that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after three – 90 minute sessions. In another study 77% of combat veterans were relieved of post traumatic stress disorder in 12 sessions. (1).

After a great deal of research is has been established that EMDR therapy is an effective form of treating trauma and stressful events.

If you would like more information on EMDR and how I use it in my clinic please contact me : Tel: 07464202715

(1) EMDR Institute, Inc emdr.com/whatisemdr/ 2022