EMDR Therapy
What is EMDR - and could it help you?
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing - EMDR - is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps people process and recover from distressing memories and traumatic experiences. It is recommended by the NHS and the World Health Organisation as a first-line treatment for trauma and PTSD.
How is EMDR different from talking therapy?
Unlike traditional talking therapies, EMDR does not require you to describe your experiences in detail or complete homework between sessions. Instead, it works by helping your brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional intensity.
Many people find that memories which once felt overwhelming become much less distressing after EMDR - not forgotten, but no longer intrusive or destabilising.
Evidence based: EMDR is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the NHS, and the World Health Organisation for the treatment of PTSD and trauma.
What happens in an EMDR session?
Your therapist will first work with you to identify target memories and understand your history. When processing begins, you will be asked to hold a distressing memory in mind while following a set of bilateral stimulation - typically the therapist's moving finger, or taps on alternating hands.
This bilateral stimulation activates both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, which appears to help the brain process stuck memories in the same way it processes ordinary experiences during REM sleep.
Sessions typically last 50-90 minutes. The number of sessions varies depending on the complexity of your history, but many people notice significant changes within 6-12 sessions.
How EMDR works - the eight phases
EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol developed by Dr Francine Shapiro. Your therapist will move through these phases at a pace that suits you.
History and preparation
Your therapist takes a full history, explains the process, and teaches you stabilisation techniques to use between sessions.
Assessment
Together you identify the specific memories to target, the negative beliefs attached to them, and what you would prefer to believe instead.
Processing
Using bilateral stimulation, the therapist helps your brain reprocess the targeted memory until its emotional charge reduces significantly.
Closure and review
Each session ends with stabilisation. At the next session your therapist reviews progress and checks how you have been between appointments.
What can EMDR help with?
EMDR was originally developed for PTSD but research now supports its use for a much wider range of difficulties. If a distressing experience - whether recent or from childhood - is affecting your daily life, sleep, relationships or sense of self, EMDR may help.
Is EMDR right for you?
EMDR is suitable for most adults, including those who have found talking therapy difficult or insufficient. It is particularly helpful if you feel that past experiences are still affecting you in the present - even if you cannot always identify why.
Our EMDR therapists will always begin with a thorough assessment to make sure the approach is right for your situation. If you are unsure whether EMDR is the right fit, call us and we will help you think it through.
Call us for guidance