EMDR Therapy

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy) is a form of psychotherapy which was developed by Dr Francine Shapiro in 1987. It is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and accepted as one of the treatments of choices for Post Traumatic Stress in adults. Scientific research for EMDR with children and adolescents is constantly increasing as well.

When an individual experiences a traumatic event, the memory of that event can become frozen on a neurological level and the brain is not able to process the memory. Unprocessed memories can be easily triggered by everyday stimuli (for example sounds and smells) which remind the individual of the traumatic event and it can feel like the event is happening all over again. Nightmares and flashbacks can be common occurrences.

EMDR helps the brain to unblock the frozen memory so that it can be fully processed and no longer cause any distress. It works by stimulating the brain from left to right by using methods such as eye movements or tapping, in a similar way to the natural processing which occurs during the REM (rapid eye movement) state of sleep, when we mostly experience dreams.

Here are two animations which explain EMDR for adults and EMDR for children and adolescents: