What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence based intervention recommended in the NICE guidelines for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and has also been shown to be effective in treating a range of anxiety disorders such as phobias and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD). Due to the level of distress we are likely to be experiencing during a trauma, the brain goes into survival mode, and as a result the memories of these events are not processed or stored in the same way as our usual memories. This means that we can experience a range of difficult symptoms. Reprocessing these memories using eye movements can help to change how they are processed and stored in the brain resulting in a reduction in these symptoms. Further information about EMDR can be found through the EMDR Association.

A free 15 minute telephone consultation is offered to discuss your main difficulties and what you are looking for from therapy to check whether the therapy is right for you.

How does an EMDR Session Work?

Your session will take place in my private and confidential therapy room or can be online via teams.

Once we have completed our assessment session, EMDR therapy usual involves less talking than traditional therapy. We know that the change happens during the processing phase, so once we have done our preparatory work, we want to spend our session time reprocessing the memories. In EMDR the detail of trauma does not need to be shared with your therapist, however I will be there alongside you, supporting and guiding as we let our brain to the work.

The number of sessions needed depends on the individual, however it is designed to be a short term intervention (up to approximately 20 sessions) and we always review after about 6 sessions.