EMDR Information Leaflet for clients 

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, usually known as EMDR, is a powerful psychotherapy technique which has been successful in helping people who suffer from trauma, anxiety, panic, disturbing memories, post-traumatic stress and many other emotional problems.  EMDR is a relatively rapid type of therapy, which can provide lasting relief, and is one of the treatments of choice for PTSD in the NICE guidelines (2005).

When would we suggest EMDR for you? 

After a distressing or traumatic event, you may feel overwhelmed, which may lead to your memory network becomes ‘stuck’ or ‘frozen’ on a neurological level.  This can mean that when you recall the event or situation, you can feel as if you are re-experiencing what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted or felt, and these sensations can be very intense.  Sometimes people will do almost anything to avoid experiencing the painful memory, sometimes people are reminded or ‘triggered’ by something into remembering, and sometimes people are subjected to involuntary intrusive thoughts, in ‘flashbacks’ or dreams.  If any of these symptoms persist, they can cause significant emotional distress for you.

 What are the symptoms that can be helped by EMDR?

• High anxiety and lack of motivation
• Memories of a traumatic experience
• Fear of being alone
• Unrealistic feelings of guilt and shame
• Poor and disrupted sleep
• Difficulty in trusting others
• Relationship problems

How does EMDR work?

The psychotherapist will work gently with you, and ask you to revisit the traumatic moment or incident, recalling feelings surrounding the experience, as well as any negative thoughts, feelings and memories. This will be contained by the psychotherapist, and manageable for you: you will go at your own pace.

The therapist then holds their fingers/hand, depending on your preference, about eighteen inches from your face and begins to move them back and forth like a windscreen wiper. You track the movements as if watching ping pong. The more intensely you focus on the memory, the easier it becomes for the memory to come to life. As quick and vibrant images arise during the therapy session, they are processed by the eye movements, resulting in painful feelings being exchanged for more peaceful, loving and resolved feelings.  Some psychotherapists use other methods of bi-lateral stimulation such as tapping on alternate hands.

In the process the distressing memories seem to lose their intensity, so that the memories are less disturbing and seem more like ‘ordinary’ memories. The effect is believed to be similar to that which occurs naturally during REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) when your eyes rapidly move from side to side. EMDR helps reduce the distress of all the different kinds of memories, whether it was what you saw, heard, smelt, tasted, felt or thought.

EMDR therapy can help clients replace their anxiety and fear with positive images, emotions and thoughts.

 What can I expect from my EMDR sessions?

• EMDR is more than just the eye movements. It is a comprehensive therapeutic approach involving principles, protocols and procedures with the goal of reducing distress in the shortest amount of time
• Your psychotherapist will spend some time getting to know you and your history, both generally and about the traumatic event(s) itself. You are welcome to ask any questions you may have about your treatment
• Your psychotherapist will also spend some time doing some breathing and grounding exercises with you, and a guided visualisation called ‘a safe or pleasant place’. This will prepare you for the processing of the traumatic event, and you will be encouraged to practise these exercises regularly
• You will be asked to select an image that represents the distressing event. You will then be asked to think about negative and positive thoughts, your feelings, the amount of distress you feel and where you feel it in your body.
• Your therapist will then begin the eye movements while you hold the image in mind. After each set of eye movements you will be asked what came to mind or what you noticed during the eye movements. During the eye movements you may experience the distressing event quite intensely to start with, but this distress generally reduces as the memory is processed with EMDR.
• Your therapist will continue with the eye movements until your distress is reduced as much as possible. Your therapist will then ask you to think about your positive thought and also check whether there is any part of your body where you still feel distress. Before the end of the session, your therapist will give you time to feel calm again, using the safe-pleasant place exercise or relaxation techniques.
• EMDR is not a form of hypnotism. You will remain conscious and in control at all times.
• EMDR cannot be done against your will.

     What to expect after your session of EMDR

 Clients are often tired after an EMDR session. It’s a good idea to rest after a session, if this is possible

• The processing may or may not continue after the session. If new insights, thoughts, memories and dreams occur, you will be encouraged to make a note of them, and bring them to your next session
• You are encouraged to use your relaxation exercise daily during your course of EMDR
• Many clients feel better very quickly, and experience a reduction in their troubling post-traumatic symptoms

The EMDR Process

EMDR Association

When a person is involved in a distressing event, they may feel overwhelmed and their brain may be unable to process the information like a normal memory. The distressing memory seems to become frozen on a neurological level. When a person recalls the distressing memory, the person can re-experience what they saw, heard, smelt, tasted or felt, and this can be quite intense. Sometimes the memories are so distressing, the person tries to avoid thinking about the distressing event to avoid experiencing the distressing feelings.

Some find that the distressing memories come to mind when something reminds them of the distressing event, or sometimes the memories just seem to just pop into mind. The alternating left-right stimulation of the brain with eye movements, sounds or taps during EMDR, seems to stimulate the frozen or blocked information processing system.

In the process the distressing memories seem to lose their intensity, so that the memories are less distressing and seem more like ‘ordinary’ memories. The effect is believed to be similar to that which occurs naturally during REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) when your eyes rapidly move from side to side. EMDR helps reduce the distress of all the different kinds of memories, whether it was what you saw, heard, smelt, tasted, felt or thought.