Trauma, Anxiety and Phobias

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a very effective psychological treatment developed in the US during the 1980s by Dr Francine Shapiro. Its first use was in treating Vietnam war veterans who had suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). EMDR is now probably the most extensively researched treatment for trauma and anxiety and has been recommended by The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) since 1995 as a treatment of choice in the NHS.

Although originally used to treat post traumatic stress disorder, it is now widely used to help people overcome phobias, anxiety (and panic attacks), bereavement, loss and pain as well as memories and past experiences which have a negative impact on a person's day to day life.

EMDR is based on the theory that traumatic events — which Dr Shapiro describes as either Big "T" traumas (e.g. a serious car accident) or Little "t" traumas (e.g. a negative comment made by a teacher at school) — are stored in isolation in the brain where they cannot be made sense of. They are, in effect, frozen in time. EMDR uses eye movements and other simple methods to stimulate both sides of the brain alternately, a process which appears to release the trapped memories of experiences, physical feelings, images, emotions and even smells and sounds, so that they can be processed as ordinary memories.

The process tends to produce positive results more quickly than other treatments and is effective even with traumas or negative experiences which have taken place many years in the past.

EMDR treatment can only be used by professional clinicians who have been specifically trained in its use and it isn't suitable for everyone. As with other types of therapy, there are no guarantees, but in general, results are achieved in a shorter time than conventional counselling.

During the first few sessions we explore the history of the difficulties you are having, the events which gave rise to them (if these are known), when the problems began, what triggers them and so on. I explain how EMDR works and assess whether or not it will suit you. The next stage is to provide you with resources, such as focussed breathing, to help you relax. By the time EMDR begins, you will be fully briefed, be able to give informed consent to treatment and will feel relaxed and therefore able to engage with the process.

See and print out my leaflet — Introduction to EMDR.