EMDR Therapy London- An Effective Therapy
What is EMDR
EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) was discovered by an American psychologist, Francine Shapiro. She discovered something simple. Bilateral eye movements are helpful in analysing the disturbed thoughts and memories her patients carried. In coming years she and her group designed an eight-phase protocol to maximise the benefit of the therapy, and she also wrote a book on it. That book, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures, was published in 1995 (Shapiro, 2018).
Much research has followed since. Therapy’s now recommended across the world, in the guidelines of the WHO, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the American Psychiatric Association and the UK Psychological Trauma Society.
EMDR is a standalone therapy and is enough in most of the cases. However, for the treatment of trauma and anxiety it’s integrated with CBT. EMDR is used to treat
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Phobia
- Addiction
- Eating Disorder
- PTSD
How to become EMDR Therapists
Mental health professionals are allowed to train and practise EMDR, and the EMDR Association UK & Ireland supervises that training.
How does Eye Movement Therapy works
The therapy engages the brain with sensory stimulation. At the same time, the patient talks about past events that are difficult for them and that still affect the brain and the way it holds on to them.
The negative memories stay stuck in the brain. Stimulation activities help loosen those thoughts.
There’s less effort required here. People don’t need to talk about the past events for it to work.
Duration of Therapy
EMDR can be a brief, focused treatment, or it can work as an alternative therapy alongside Schema therapy. A session usually lasts 50 to 90 minutes.
Side Effects of EMDR Therapy
It’s a safe therapy with no side effects. You may feel a little exhausted and drained afterwards, much as you would after sharing a long secret with a friend. For that reason it stays a safe experience.
Sessions with EMDR therapist
Therapy begins with an assessment. That assessment helps the therapist decide the best way to help, and the early sessions usually cover safety work, psycho-education and stabilisation. Only then does the treatment move towards the techniques of EMDR.
There are several phases in an EMDR session, and it involves inquiring about the history of the patient. The history of the patient helps to identify the negative memories which need to be worked upon, and those memories are revisited by the client alongside bilateral stimulation. That work leads to emotional healing and desensitisation. Positive thinking is instilled in order to remove the negative thoughts. Any discomfort in the body is assessed by the client. The therapist closes the session after ensuring the stability of the client.
Counselling Sessions
Counselling sessions vary from client to client. Every case is different from another, and people might have different types of traumatic experiences and their therapeutic needs differ as well. Most people feel better after a few sessions, whereas people with PTSD need more sessions along with other therapies.
Key benefits of Therapy
EMDR brings various benefits.
- The therapy helps to heal, reduce the negative effects of trauma and the client’s able to take control of their lives.
- It helps to reduce the symptoms of PTSD and the client feels connected to his life again.
- EMDR helps the client to recover from anxiety and depression and he’s able to think in a positive direction.
- The therapy helps to face the challenges with resilience.
- EMDR is helpful in boosting self worth, self esteem and self compassion.
Effectiveness of EMDR
Research has established the validity of EMDR, and it’s now recommended by the NIH for the treatment of PTSD. Effectiveness of EMDR can be enhanced with the help of Bilateral Stimulation Exercise between the therapy sessions, and it’s recommended to rest after a session as that helps to maximise the effects of the therapy. It’s been observed that during the treatment some people might have more dreams, which is normal as strong memories are reorganising.
Book Recommendation
Author: Francine Shapiro
The book’s been translated into ten languages. It provides a guide to the therapy and was first written to give details about the treatment of PTSD.
The book states the eight phases of EMDR treatment, and it has a guide for training the therapists and counsellors.
