Eye Movement Desensitisation and Processing

EMDR works on the principle that the mind can often heal itself naturally in the same way as the body does. Much of the information we take in during each day is processed whilst we are asleep but sometimes, in certain situations such as when we are under a lot of stress or when we feel under physical or emotional threat, this information does not get processed in the normal way.

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When this happens memories and feelings are stored in a different part of the memory system of the brain in a ‘raw emotional form’ and are not ‘filed away’ and put in the past. Because of this, painful or emotional feelings that relate to these memories are easily triggered by situations that remind us of what happened and evoke the same feelings, as though it is happening all over again.

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EMDR therapy helps to reprocess painful memories which have been properly stored by recreating the natural process of REM sleep. This is done by bilaterally stimulating the brain using eye movements, sounds or pulses. The bilateral stimulation lasts for about a minute (called a ‘set’)  after which there is a pause when the therapist asks about any experiences that have been noticed during this time. These experiences may include changes in thoughts, images, emotions, and body sensations.

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Repeated sets of bilateral stimulation during a therapy session updates old memories according to new perspectives and beliefs. For instance, a traumatic or distressing incident experienced as a child may have created a negative belief from a child’s perspective which can be seen very differently as an adult if the incident is reprocessed using EMDR. People report that memories feel different, that they are in the past now and that they no longer have the emotional charge they carried before.

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During a session of EMDR the patient remains alert, awake and in control at all times. It is NOT like being hypnotised. It is not a talking therapy like most traditional psychological treatment and tends to be quicker than many other forms of therapy.