In this Article we will explore EMDR an Effective Trauma Based Therapy. If After reading the article you have any more questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on 07843 813 537 or fill in the form on the Contact Page.
- What Does EMDR Stand For?
EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
- What is EMDR?
EMDR is a form of psychotherapy developed by Francine Shapiro starting in 1988. A Client is asked to recall a disturbing event and as they do the counsellor moves their hand in front of the client’s eyes or uses a light bar with alternating pulsing lights. As the client tracks the movement of the counsellor’s hand or the light the image of the traumatic event being held in their brain becomes less disturbing. EMDR does not take the memory away but the client feels less traumatised after this therapy. The International EMDR Association has a useful Introduction Video Here.
- How does EMDR Work?
When a person experiences something traumatic, often they may feel overwhelmed. When our brain’s are overwhelmed by our circumstances they don’t fully process what is going on. This can mean that the memory of an event may get “stuck” in a person’s mind this memory can stay very vivid and intense. The person feels like they are reliving the experience and the distress they felt at the time, over and over again. It’s like a person has become stuck reading the same page in book over and over and they aren’t able to turn the page.
EMDR helps the person to turn the page, unstick the memory and reprocess what happened so it isn’t as intense. It also helps the person to reduce the emotional impact of the memory, so that when they do think about it the feelings are not as intense and strong.
In a session of EMDR the client will be asked to think about the traumatic thing that has happened to them. While they do this they are asked to move their eyes from side-to side, hear a sound in each ear alternately or feel a tap on each had alternately.
It is thought that the effect is similar to what occurs when we are sleeping in the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep. In this stage we move our eyes rapidly from side to side as our brain processes what happened in the day. For more information about the research that has been carried out into EMDR how it works and its effectiveness please take a look here.
- Is EMDR Recognised by any Professional Bodies?
EMDR is recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which also recognises it as an effective treatment for children.
EMDR is a recognised IAPT Treatment and is recommended by the NHS for clients with PTSD or who have experienced trauma. It is also recommended and used by the Ministry of Defence to help service personnel with PTSD.
- What kinds of issues does EMDR Help?
- Trauma
- Abuse – sexual or emotional
- Bullying or Social Humiliation
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- If a client has witnessed or experienced something traumatic such as a car accident, violent crime.
- Sudden loss of a loved one
- Can EMDR help Children?
EMDR is suitable for adults, young people and children. You can read more about how EMDR an help younger people and children here. For some children EMDR can be a much easier form of therapy particularly if they find talking therapy difficult.
- How Long is a Session of EMDR?
A Session of EMDR is 60 minutes Long. It is possible to have sessions that are longer
- How much does EMDR cost?
A session of EMDR with Paul Carter costs £60 for an hour.
- How Many Sessions will I need?
The number of sessions of EMDR you might need can vary. For some it might be only one or two sessions and for others it may be more. You can discuss this with your therapist when you make contact.
- Can EMDR be done Online?
Yes – EMDR can be done in person or online. At the moment due to COVID Paul is only working online.
- Can EMDR be incorporated into traditional counselling or psychotherapy?
Absolutely yes! Often Paul will offer a number of traditional counselling or psychotherapy sessions in order to understand your background and then do a separate session or sessions of EMDR.
- Where did Paul Train?
Paul is training with the EMDR Association. He will be an Accredited EMDR Practitioner/Psychotherapist. Paul is currently in training and is not yet Accredited.
- How do I book a session of EMDR or Counselling with Paul Carter?
At the moment and I am only working online or the telephone due to COVID to find out how this works and some things to think about if you are considering Online Support, please take a read of my blog here. To make an appointment please call me on 07843 813 537 or fill in the form on the Contact Page, if I don’t answer I am probably in a session, please leave me a message and I will call you back as soon as I can. I look forward to hearing from you.
