Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing
EMDR is an acronym for 'Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing'. EMDR is a powerful psychological treatment method that was developed by an American clinical psychologist, Dr Francine Shapiro, in the 1980s.
EMDR is used for individuals who have experienced trauma that remains unresolved. According to Shapiro, when a traumatic or distressing experience occurs, it may overwhelm normal cognitive and neurological coping mechanisms. The memory and associated stimuli are inadequately processed and stored in an isolated memory network. The goal of EMDR therapy is to process these distressing memories, reducing their lingering effects and allowing clients to develop more adaptive coping mechanisms. This is done in an eight-phase approach that includes having clients recall distressing images while receiving one of several types of bilateral sensory input. Although the use of EMDR was originally developed to treat adults suffering from PTSD, it is also used to treat other conditions such as:
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Loss of a loved one
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Natural disaster
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Childhood trauma
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Injury of a loved one
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Injury
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Physical abuse
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Car accident
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Illness
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Sexual abuse
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Fire
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Depression
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Post traumatic stress
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Work accident
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Anxiety
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Bad temper
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Assault
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Panic
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Low self esteem
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Robbery
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Phobias
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Childhood abuse
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Rape
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Fears
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Trouble sleeping
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If at any point you have any questions on counselling and psychotherapy, do ask me and I will do my best to answer them for you.