EMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
EMDR is a structured, evidence-based therapy first created to help people recover from traumatic experiences, such as road traffic accidents, abuse or neglect in childhood, assault, combat, or natural disasters. As the research base has grown, so has its reach. EMDR is now used to support people with depression, anxiety, phobias, difficulties in relationships, and a wide range of other concerns.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a structured therapy that helps people work through distressing memories and move past trauma. Sometimes an overwhelming experience gets “stuck” in the mind and body. The memory isn’t stored in the usual way, so it can keep triggering painful emotions, unhelpful beliefs about yourself and physical sensations long after the event has passed. Our brains are naturally wired to heal, much as the body recovers from a physical injury, but when an experience is too much to process, that natural healing can stall and the wound stays raw rather than resolving.
EMDR works through a series of carefully paced stages. While you recall a difficult memory, you follow guided bilateral stimulation, such as side-to-side eye movements, and we gently revisit the beliefs and feelings attached to it in a safe, contained way. This helps your brain make sense of the memory so it feels less overwhelming, allowing what was stuck to move through and settle. Over time, the distress often eases, and many people find they feel calmer, lighter and more present in their day-to-day lives.
