Eye- movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy for the treatment of single incident and complex trauma. It is often preferred by patients who have already tried many traditional talking therapies. Unlike other trauma therapies, EMDR does not require a person to talk through the traumatic indicent repetitively or in great detail. EMDR allows the brain to process the memory and heal itself.
EMDR is recognitzed by the World Health Organisaton as the gold standard for treatment of Post-traumatic Stress DIsorder (PTSD).
How does it work?
When a distressing event occurs that causes severe emotional pain, there are a number fo things that can act as a block to normal trauma processing. When this occurs, the memory of the event can feel stuck along with the images, emotions, physical sensations and the beliefs about the self that may have been experienced at the time. EMDR allows the brain to access that memory. It uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements) to help the brain begin to reprocess what occured, and release the emotional pain that is stuck. The brain will also process related memories that can sometimes feed into the emotional pain that has been experienced.
The brain will then naturallly heal itself and adaptive information that is learned over the years can then be accessed. This can change how we think about and relate to that memory.
Clients will typically experience change very quickly. For a single incident trauma, it can be as little as 1-2 sessions.
The brains information processing system naturally moves towards mental health
EMDR for complex trauma
A person who has experienced more complex trauma will require multiple EMDR sessions often as an adjunct to talking therapy.
Complex trauma may include, developmental trauma/childhood trauma, relationship abuse, trauma experienced in war zones or refugee camps, medical trauma from multiple proceedures etc.
EMDR for traumatic birth
1 in 3 women report their birth to have been traumatic.
Birth trauma can greatly affect a womens experience of parenting and early attachment to her children. It increases the risk of post-natal depression and anxiety and can impact a families plans for more children. EMDR can be used to process difficulties in pregancy, post-partum and during the childbirth experience.
It is important to note that psychological trauma and medical trauma do not need to co-occur for there to be a traumatic birth experience. Your birth may have been safe, but you can still experience high psychological distress.
Other difficulties where EMDR can help
Obsessive compulsive disorders
Depression
Anxiety
Somatic disorderss
Addiction
Grief and loss
