What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR Therapy is a powerful psychological therapy that enables people to heal from previous trauma.
EMDR Therapy stands for eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy and was developed by a psychologist called Francine Shapiro.
Sometimes when an individual experiences a trauma or difficult life event, the memory can become ‘stuck’. This means that the memory can become difficult to process and can lead to many challenging symptoms that can start to have an impact on day to day life.
EMDR Therapy works by changing the way traumatic memories are stored in your brain by assisting you to process the memory. This is done via a technique called bilateral stimulation which can be completed via a range of methods including eye movements and self-tapping.
Once a memory is fully processed you should be able to recall the trauma without the emotional intensity and associated symptoms.
The Process
Symptoms can include some or all of the following:
Flashbacks of the memory, these can be auditory, visual, sensory or olfactory (smell)
Nightmares
Increased anxiety
Hypervigilance (a heightened state of alertness, finding it difficult to relax)
Low mood
Intrusive thoughts
Panic attacks
Dissociation - feeling detached from yourself and the world around you
Avoidance – this could be related to avoiding a situation or task. For example, social situations, driving, busy environments
Feeling easily emotionally overwhelmed
Memory loss
Negative cycles of thought
Reduced confidence and self-esteem
Self-isolation
Reduced motivation and drive
Reduced energy levels
Anger or irritability
Reduced interest in meaningful activity
Reduced engagement in self-care
Difficulty focusing or concentrating
Struggling with sleep
Experiencing guilt or shame
Physical pain
Physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, shortness of breath feeling dizzy etc
Maladaptive coping strategies
Loss of personal identity