EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. EMDR is a type of psychotherapy that is designed to help people process and overcome traumatic experiences.
What is EMDR?
EMDR was first developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro. She discovered that certain eye movements could reduce the intensity of disturbing thoughts and feelings associated with traumatic memories. Since then, EMDR has become widely recognized as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related conditions.
EMDR is based on the idea that traumatic memories can become "stuck" in the brain, making it difficult to move on from the experience. EMDR therapy aims to help the brain process these memories in a way that reduces their emotional impact.
How does EMDR therapy affect the brain?
Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyses and controls behaviour and emotion).
Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time". EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.
Who can benefit from EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy helps children and adults of all ages. EMDR therapy is used to address a wide range of challenges, including:
Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
Chronic Illness and medical issues
Depression and bipolar disorders
Dissociative disorders
Eating disorders
Grief and loss
Pain
Performance anxiety
PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues
Sexual assault
Sleep disturbance
Substance abuse and addiction
Violence and abuse
Our Principal Psychologist Melinda is a trained EMDR therapist for Children, Adolescents and Adults.