EMDR Therapy – Innovative treatment for PTSD and trauma.
Try EMDR at Equinox Therapy
Equinox Therapy is pleased to offer this innovative treatment EMDR Therapy along with our other services at our farm in East Sussex. EMDR can be used along with other forms of therapy like Equine Therapy and CBT.
To find out more about EMDR and what it can do for you get in touch here.
What is EMDR Therapy ?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an internationally recognised therapy that was first developed in the 1987 by the American psychologist, Francine Shapiro. She observed that her eye movements, during a walk through a park, appeared to reduce negative emotions. It has since been used to treat a variety of mental health problems such as anxiety, fear, depression, anger, low self-esteem, grief, sleep problems, eating disorders and PTSD.
How does EMDR Work ?
Your body and brain manages new information and new experiences automatically. Most of the time this happens without you being aware and this information is processed and filed away. However, when a traumatic event or a repeating distressing event occurs, this can overwhelm your system and instead of being processed these experiences are stored in a more “raw” and emotional way. This means these experiences can be triggered by unconnected external events in the future causing you to experience symptoms such as anxiety, fear, panic and despair. It can be very difficult to try to rationalise and overcome it on your own as your brain is “stuck” with these unprocessed events.
EMDR uses the minds natural healing mechanism. The patient will be guided to remember aspects of a trauma or event and in conjunction with Rapid Eye Movement this assists the brain to self-heal. The use of eye movement causes the brain to engage both the right (emotional) and left (rational) side of the brain and it is in the rational side that you can unblock the unprocessed event and begin to help heal the trauma.
Can EMDR Therapy help me ?
It has been shown to be very helpful at treating PTSD, anxiety, fear, depression, anger, low self-esteem, grief, sleep problems and eating disorders. Clinical studies like EMDR Beyond PTSD have established the beneficial effects of EMDR Therapy. EMDR has been approved for use by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and is recognised by The APA (American Psychiatric Association).
EMDR has been shown to produce benefits more rapidly than some other therapies. This is not to say that speed is the only goal. Some patients may take longer due to the different symptoms and traumas that they are experiencing.
Are there any side effects ?
As is common with any form of therapy, when dealing with past traumas some negative feelings and memories may emerge during treatment. In my therapy, safety practices will be established before starting the treatment and the client will be given tools for self-regulation.
What Is An EMDR Session Like ?
EMDR does not require the patient to discuss distressing or disturbing feelings in any great detail as the therapist just needs enough information to target the specific event. EMDR is either done through eye-movements, tapping on your knees, or palms. You decide which method is more comfortable. A session usually lasts for 50-60 mins. In this time you will process a traumatic event and may start to feel less emotionally attached to the event.
How Many Sessions Are Required ?
This will of course depend on the depth of the trauma and how complex the original trauma was, however research has shown that a single traumatic event can be processed and treated within 3 sessions for 80-90% of patients. We will need to establish a treatment plan and discuss how your treatment should proceed. Depending on the outcome of the assessment, we might spend longer on safety practices and providing you with tools for self-regulation.
Is EMDR Related To Hypnosis ?
No EMDR is a very distinct type of therapy different from hypnotherapy.
