What is EMDR
EMDR is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. A bit of a mouthful, but it’s simply a psychotherapeutic tool for working with distressing memories.
Is it an approved treatment?
It is approved by NICE here in the UK (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) and the American Psychological Association who both recommend EMDR for working with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD (it was found to be particularly effective in the 1980s onwards for working with military personnel returning from active duty).
Does that mean EMDR is only useful for “huge” events like a car crash or an assault?
No - though it is certainly highly effective for those experiences. Psychologically we differentiate shock trauma from developmental trauma. Developmental trauma refers to repeated, almost casual moments in our development when we were, for example, misunderstood by those who cared for us, bullied or humiliated. When we only occasionally experience events like that, they may not cause us lasting problems. But if they happen repeatedly, these ‘small t’s’ can be hugely damaging - imagine the erosion caused by a tap dripping constantly for years. We might not realise their effect because, viewed in isolation, they appear minor. But, as in the case of shock trauma, they may be affecting our lives out of awareness. To an extent, we may all have experienced trauma in our lives, but developmental trauma is often dismissed as trivial or part of the normal parenting style of a particular generation.
How does it work?
EMDR is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. A bit of a mouthful, but it’s simply a psychotherapeutic tool for working with distressing memories.
Is it an approved treatment?
It is approved by NICE here in the UK (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) and the American Psychological Association who both recommend EMDR for working with post-
Does that mean EMDR is only useful for “huge” events like a car crash or an assault?
No -
How does it work?
If someone asks us what we did yesterday, we might talk about going to work or meeting someone for a coffee and, provided nothing overtly shocking happened, we remember it easily; it is readily available to us and doesn’t come with any uncomfortable feelings. But in the case of a difficult experience, we might not want to recall it. It becomes locked away in its raw, unprocessed state along with the feelings experienced at the time. In fact, it’s stored in a completely different part of the brain, the part more associated with our primitive animal selves. This means we never get the opportunity to process the memory, or adapt it from the perspective of where we are today. It remains locked in time along with any difficult feelings associated with it. These traumatic memories may need some help to become processed, and EMDR is one way to do this because, even though locked away, they still influence our everyday lives and the decisions we take. The eye movements we use in EMDR seem to help unlock the nervous system and allow our brains to do the processing. It’s been suggested that it’s similar to the process of REM sleep.
Does it work online?
Yes. More often these days we talk about BLS or bilateral stimulation. As long there is a left and right movement or stimulation, it is still effective. For example you may follow me on the screen tapping right and left or we can even use sound. The most important thing for us to remember is that we are simply allowing the brain the opportunity of healing itself. We’re just creating the right environment. You will always be the one in control.
Useful links:
Why and how EMDR works
A fun animated explanation of EMDR
The EMDR Association
My training organisation
Yes. More often these days we talk about BLS or bilateral stimulation. As long there is a left and right movement or stimulation, it is still effective. For example you may follow me on the screen tapping right and left or we can even use sound. The most important thing for us to remember is that we are simply allowing the brain the opportunity of healing itself. We’re just creating the right environment. You will always be the one in control.
Useful links:
Why and how EMDR works
A fun animated explanation of EMDR
The EMDR Association
My training organisation
