EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy tool used to treat PTSD and Trauma. It has been used extensively with returned soldiers and can be successfully used for any trauma such as bullying, violence, psychological trauma, rape or death of a loved one.

EMDR is fast working and simple. It removes the the emotional sting from the memory, so you can talk or think about the event without the big flood of emotions. Evidence shows that 100% of single trauma victims no longer have PTSD after six EMDR sessions.

During EMDR you are asked to recall the memory that disturbs you. We then use a repetitive eye movement from left to right brain. You will find the more we do this simple exercise the less you feel the trauma. So while the trauma memory may start as a ten out of ten in strength, it is likely to reduce down to a two or zero after several sessions.

Not everyone is aware they have PTSD or that trauma is very 'active' in them. I had one middle-aged client who found it impossible to walk down the street without looking over her shoulder for a possible attacker and who was in a constant state of anxiety. It emerged that when she was twenty five she and her boyfriend had been attacked in a park and he had been stabbed. All these years later she was still in a state of PTSD. It stopped her living a normal life such as camping with the kids (not safe enough) or being able to relax enough to sleep through the night. Over four sessions we worked with EMDR for the trauma and hypnotherapy with suggestions for safety and relaxation as her nervous system was in looping fight or flight. We did psychotherapy, going into the body to help calm the system, using imaginative exercises to assist with feelings of safety and gaining control over her responses and NLP to build different neural pathways over the original trauma memory. I also gave her exercises to do at home, including a trigger point on her hand for relaxation, a meditation type exercise to increase here awareness of her bodies responses and breathing exercises for anxiety. The combination of therapies was dramatic and she recovered fully after four sessions. She is now able to live her life without fear of attack.

Talk therapy, while useful, can take years and sometimes telling the story can re-traumatise you. EMDR takes a more physiological approach and can achieve amazing results quickly. If you have interest in knowing more please give me a call.

Diana Joy

0414486707