Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
What is EMDR
As an EMDR therapist in Sheffield, I offer EMDR for people experiencing trauma, PTSD and other distressing experiences.
EMDR was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro. It is a psychological therapy designed to help people process distressing or traumatic experiences and is particularly well established in the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as side to side eye movements, whilst working with memories, thoughts, emotions and physical sensations. This can help the brain process experiences that have remained emotionally "stuck", so that although the memory remains, it becomes less distressing and feels more firmly in the past.
Unlike some other therapies, EMDR does not require you to describe every detail of a traumatic experience or routinely complete homework between sessions. The focus is on helping the brain resume its natural processing and recovery.
What Can EMDR Help With?
Trauma & PTSD
EMDR is particularly well established for PTSD and can help with traumatic or distressing experiences, including events from childhood or adulthood.
Difficult Memories
Sometimes an experience may be over, but the memories of it continue to feel very present. EMDR can help those memories become less emotionally intense and feel more firmly in the past.
Anxiety & Fears
EMDR may help with anxiety linked to distressing experiences, including specific fears, phobias and situations that continue to trigger a strong emotional response.
Other Difficulties
EMDR may also be used as part of treatment for a range of other psychological difficulties, depending on the individual and what is maintaining their distress.
What Happens During EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy begins with taking time to understand what has brought you to therapy, what you would like help with a whether EMDR is an appropriate approach for you. We will also spend time preparing for the processing work, so that you understand what to expect, have the tools to remain calm and feel ready to begin.
When there are several distressing memories or experiences, as there often are, we create a timeline together. We will usually begin by working with the earliest relevant memory, rather like repairing the foundations before working on what has been built upon them.
During processing, we focus on the memory alongside the thoughts, emotions and physical sensations associated with it, using short sets of bilateral stimulation, most commonly side to side eye movements. You do not need to force anything to happen or work out what you are "supposed" to be thinking. Your brain is allowed to make its own connections as processing takes place. It is like sitting on a train and watching the scenery pass, you allow your brain to process what it needs to process and you just observe.
The aim is for the memory to lose its emotional intensity so that it no longer causes distress in the way it once did. People often describe the memory as seeming further away or less vivid. Occasionally, they notice that aspects of the memory seem to have shifted or changed slightly. Importantly, the memory itself is not erased; it is the emotional connection to it that changes.
You remain awake, aware and in control throughout, and we work together at a pace that is manageable for you.
