EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

Some people come to therapy, having already read or heard about EMDR and being clear right from the start that they would like to try this therapy. For others, they have never heard of it, and I might suggest it as a possibility.

EMDR is a therapy that was originally developed to help people process and heal from traumatic memories, in particular Post Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, EMDR has since been found to also be helpful in general anxiety, depression, phobias, grief, and other forms of emotional suffering.

Traumatic experiences can lead to some memories not being ‘processed’ in the brain in the usual way, which can result in emotional distress. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (typically in the form of guided eye movements) to help facilitate the processing of distressing memories. Because it is quite a different therapy from normal talking therapies, it can also be a useful therapy to consider if other ‘talking’ therapies have not worked so well or when people find it hard to talk about their problems.