What if someone told you that you don’t have to speak about the details of your trauma to heal?
My own experience of EMDR was life-changing, and it is why I offer EMDR in Sheffield.
EMDR is the shorthand name for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy.
EMDR therapy is a highly researched, internationally recommended therapy (1) for treating trauma, anxiety, social phobias, OCD, and many other mental health challenges that have roots in past difficult experiences.
EMDR is likely a bit different to therapy you’ve had before.
EMDR is a collaborative therapy where you and the therapist work together to reprocess your trauma or intense emotional experiences. You don’t have to speak about the details of trauma or emotionally charged events.
EMDR is not a cognitive therapy like CBT where you work mainly with thoughts. Although I am trained in CBT too, EMDR is a somatic body-based therapy.
EMDR uses eye movements (alternating bilateral stimulation) that mimic the eye movements of REM sleep. This helps you to process the emotional response to the trauma while staying in the here and now.
In EMDR, you'll set goals and prioritize particular memories which are unsettling for you and driving your current difficulties. Your therapist will also help you to have the internal resources you need to begin confronting those difficult memories.
During the reprocessing sessions, emotions and sensations may come up. You will be prepared for this by the work done before this phase of therapy, and your therapist will help you safely manage them.
You are always awake and aware in the process. You’re not suggestible or yielding internal control to the therapist. In fact, the therapist says far less than in traditional talking therapies and instead operates as your guide through the reprocessing.
In EMDR, as with all counselling/psychotherapy approaches, the length of time that it takes is dependent upon the complexity of your problems. Many people notice a significant change in their response to the traumatic experience within 8-12 sessions. Frequently, EMDR is only one of several treatment approaches that will be used to help you reach your goals.
After EMDR, you’ll still have your memories but your relationship to them will change. It won’t feel as intense or overwhelming when they come to mind. And many of the ways you’ve been relating to other people and yourself may change as your trauma responses are no longer driving you.
If you are considering EMDR therapy and want to know more, you can find links to research and videos explaining EMDR here.
If you are interested in learning more about trauma, consider reading my other posts about trauma including the What is Trauma?, trauma-related book recommendations, and The Best Recipe for Recovery.
(1) EMDR is recommended for use in treating trauma by the NHS, NICE, WHO, APA, DoD and many others. It’s been researched for efficacy and positive results published in Cochran and Nature.
NOTE:
EMDR is a specialist therapy that’s only offered by qualified therapists who have gone through an accredited training in the modality by EMDR Europe or EMDR UK, etc.