EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) which was devised by Francine Shapiro in 1987, is a psychotherapy that is best known for treating trauma, including PTSD, abuse, accidents, and grief but it can also be effective for anxiety, low self-esteem, phobias and other emotional blocks linked to past experiences.
EMDR is a powerful therapy approach that can help a person to process and heal from trauma. It reduces the impact of distressing memories and overwhelming experiences by processing the emotions attached to these.
When something traumatic happens, the brain can often struggle to process the emotions and you may continue reliving the it by triggered reminders long after the event. EMDR helps your brain to do what it could not do at the time of the trauma, which is to make sense of the experience and file it away so that it is no longer causing distress.
EMDR is best known for treating trauma, including PTSD, abuse, accidents, and grief but it can also be effective for anxiety, low self-esteem, phobias, and other emotional blocks linked to past experiences. Treating anxiety alone is beneficial as sometimes anxiety that is left untreated results in a person becoming depressed.
How does it work?
EMDR uses a series of guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation (like tapping or sounds) while you focus on parts of the memory. This helps your brain to process the emotions and memory in a safe and controlled way without needed to talk endlessly about the specific detail, although for some people this is part of their healing process.
An important part of preparing for EMDR is helping a person to build on the resources that they may already have, to help them to cope with emotions inside and outside of sessions.
Is it right for me?
If you are feeling stuck, triggered or weighted down by something that has happened to you, EMDR might be a good modality to help you.
It is important to build trust and understanding of your needs and go at a pace that feels right for you.