WHAT IS EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an established, evidence based treatment for psychological trauma. There is an increasing body of work illustrating the role childhood and later traumatic experiences play in developing post traumatic stress disorders and complex post traumatic stress, the latter a consequences of ongoing abuse, neglect against the background of the absence of support, affection and and acceptance from the caregivers.

EMDR has been found to play a useful role in processing past trauma that plays a significant role in individuals’ current mental ill health.

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The originator of EMDR, Francine Shapiro, discovered in 1987 that bilateral movement of the eyes reduced distress.   A background of general incredulity also haunted the discovery initially but extensive research led to the establishment of EMDR so that it was subsequently recommended by NICE (The National Institute for Health Care) in 2005 and has long been used in the NHS and trained by some Universities.  EMDR is effective, somewhat shorter than other therapies such as trauma-focused CBT and specifically helpful for people that are unlikely to do homework in between sessions.

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To train in EMDR one has to be a registered mental health professional. Training duration is 7 days with a combination of theory and practice. Trainings can be quite exciting not only due to learning the therapy but also the process of learning the differences between EMDR and other therapies.