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How does EMDR work?
Autonomy Therapy offers EMDR therapy at all of its locations in London.
EMDR is an acronym for 'Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing'.
EEMDR is an innovative clinical treatment for trauma including sexual abuse, domestic violence, combat, crime, and those suffering from a number of other complaints including anxiety, depressions, addictions, phobias and a variety of self-esteem issues.
Fourteen controlled studies support the evidence base of EMDR, making EMDR the most thoroughly researched method ever used in the treatment of trauma. The most recent 5 studies with individuals suffering from events such as rape, combat, loss of a loved one, accidents, natural disasters, etc. have found that 84-90% no longer had post-traumatic stress disorder after only three EMDR treatment sessions.
For information on research articles on EMDR please go to the Francine Shapiro Library
here.
According to NICE guidelines EMDR is seen as the therapy of choice for PTSD and trauma, but does not recommend EMDR for other disorders. Please click here. for detailed NICE guidelines.
Dr. Francine Shapiro is the creator of EMDR. She is a licensed psychologist and a senior research fellow at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto. She is the Executive Director of the EMDR Institute, which trains clinicians in the EMDR method. She is the recipient of the 1994 Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award presented by the California Psychological Association.
What Happens in EMDR therapy?
EMDR involves the bi-lateral stimulation of both hemispheres of the brain and thereby allows for rapid information processing. Therefore, trauma can be alleviated swiftly, depending on the level of severity of the complaint, but usually within 6 sessions.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR stimulates the left and right hemispheres of the brain consecutively either though rapid eye movement or through tapping of hands or knees or the auditory equipment. EMDR allows for the rapid ability to process information. Initially the client is desensitized to the dysfunctional belief system and then a positive functional belief is installed.
When a person is involved in a distressing event, they may feel overwhelmed and their brain may be unable to process the information like a normal memory. The distressing memory seems to become frozen on a neurological level. When a person recalls the distressing memory, the person can re-experience what they saw, heard, smelt, tasted or felt, and this can be quite intense. At times, the memories can cause so much emotional distress such that the person tries to avoid thinking about the distressing event to avoid experiencing the distressing feelings. Some find that the distressing memories come to mind when something reminds them of the distressing event, or sometimes the memories just seem to just pop into mind.
How will EMDR feel?
EMDR can produce some powerful emotional reactions, but every person is different and will react differently. The client remains in control of every stage of the therapeutic process and the results are rapid and effective. Memory networks are explored and processed, some of which might have become blocked and as such can cause distress. EMDR helps a person to desensitize to events in the past.
