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EMDR
The proven process for resolving trauma
What is EMDR?
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, scientifically proven psychotherapeutic tool to help people recover from traumatic events in their lives which have led to poor mental health. 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).
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Often, when something traumatic happens, it seems to get locked in the nervous system with the original picture, sounds, thoughts, feelings, and so on. Since the experience is locked there, it continues to be triggered whenever a reminder comes up. It can be the basis for a lot of discomfort and sometimes a lot of negative emotions, such as fear and helplessness that we can’t seem to control. In reality, these are the emotions that are connected with the old experience being triggered.
"The effect may be similar to what occurs naturally during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, when your eyes move rapidly from side to side as the brain processes the events of the day. Some research suggests that EMDR is effective because concentrating on another task whilst processing a distressing memory gives the brain more work to do. When the brain is not giving its full attention to processing the memory, it starts to become less vivid. This allows you to distance yourself from it and begin to remember the event in a more helpful and manageable way." (EMDR Association UK)
The important thing to remember is that you are the one in control - it is your own brain that will be doing the healing in EMDR, just like REM sleep. Once the process begins, you are in the driving seat. The material you need to resolve will naturally emerge at a pace and in a form that is sufficient to re-process the experience without overwhelming you.