my therapy services
EMDR Therapy
I am trained in EMDR therapy certified by EMDR UK & Ireland and I integrate this into the work we do together.
EMDR is an integrative therapy that fits well with my approach to processing the residue of past experiences, your psychological blind spots and emotional blocks.
What is EMDR
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing.
It is an 8-stage process that navigates you through a distinct approach to work on re-processing or re configuring past memories.
You get to unlock the disturbing memories and get to the root of the unhelpful information stored alongside them.
The memory material goes into the correct area of your brain so you can process them deeply and alleviate the distress felt in the here and now.
The memory may not go away completely but will reduce to a level that you no longer feel a deep level of distress or an enduring level of discomfort.
Something people find helpful about the EMDR process is that if you have a distressing memory, which you find too difficult to say out loud then you don’t have to. Providing you are able to follow the steps then you can process the memory without telling your therapist.
How long does EMDR take?
EMDR has been considered a ‘quick fix’ therapy, but this is not entirely accurate, and it would be misleading to suggest the entire 8-stage protocol is always quick.
Things to bear in mind would be the type of presenting problem, your life circumstances, the amount of previous support and current support systems you have. These factors all help to determine how many sessions might be necessary.
Between 10 - 20 sessions for is a good enough guide but for enduring long-term trauma (e.g. childhood harm, neglect and abuse) it can take longer.
What can EMDR do for me?
EMDR is a somatic approach. It tends to the way your memories and the unhelpful beliefs have been stored in your body. It can you help you identify, understand and re-process current triggers and lifelong behaviour patterns that are holding you back. It can help you gain clarity and make sense of the past.
It isn’t just for working with significant or ‘one-off’ trauma. Although it started as a treatment for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), scientific research has also been successfully applied in the treatment of a variety of anxiety disorders including performance anxiety, complicated grief and disturbing memories.