What is EMDR therapy?
Welcome to my first blog post! I’ve never written a blog before, but I wanted to use part of my website to put helpful information out there for anyone and everyone to access, whether or not I am your chosen therapist. As well as being a qualified Clinical Psychologist, I am also a trained EMDR therapist and I have found EMDR to be extremely effective. But what is EMDR, who can it help, and why is it so effective? First, let’s look at a bit of background information.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy. It is a type of therapy most often used to help treat trauma. EMDR was developed by Dr Francine Shapiro in the late 1980’s, after she realised that moving her eyes side to side whilst thinking of a distressing event, worked to reduce the intensity of her distress. From this she began to investigate her experience and that of others, and found it was helpful for helping to process traumatic events. She developed her ideas into a standard protocol and model of therapy which is now regarded as well-researched and evidence-based treatment for a range of issues including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR therapy is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in their guidance for best practice in treatment for PTSD.
EMDR is designed to help individuals process distressing memories and overcome the emotional and psychological impact of traumatic experiences. But how is it different to other therapies you may have heard of and even tried and experienced yourself? Well, unlike traditional talk therapies, EMDR incorporates bilateral stimulation, typically in the form of guided eye movements or tapping, to facilitate the reprocessing of memories and alleviate associated symptoms. It’s a safe way of processing these very difficult traumatic experiences. To understand more about this process, it can be useful to know more about trauma and the impact traumatic events can have on us. But what makes an experience traumatic and what impact can these events have on us?
How do traumatic events affect us?
Trauma is a person’s emotional response to a distressing event or experience. When we face extreme or distressing events that are outside of our control, it can overwhelm our ability to cope, sometimes resulting in a lasting negative impact. Traumatic experiences can involve direct or indirect exposure to situations that threaten one’s life, safety, or sense of self, and they may result in intense feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. This can be a threat to our physical safety, but also our emotional and psychological safety.
The effects of psychological trauma are diverse and can manifest in various ways, influencing thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and overall functioning. Common reactions to trauma include intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares, heightened anxiety, avoidance of reminders of the event, and alterations in mood and thoughts. Trauma can disrupt our ability to trust, form healthy relationships, and navigate daily life, often leading to a profound sense of disconnection from ourself and others.
It is important to note that psychological trauma is subjective, and what may be traumatic for one person may not have the same impact on another. There are many factors which can influence this including support, early access to professional help, past trauma, coping skills, and the social/political/economic circumstances. It can be important to recognise that you do not have to have experienced a singular catastrophic event to be affected by trauma. Prolonged exposure to chronic stressors such as ongoing abuse, neglect, or adversity can also be traumatic and are valid reasons to seek professional help such as EMDR therapy.
Why can it be difficult to move on after a traumatic event?
One theory about why difficult experiences can feel ‘stuck’ or like we are re-experiencing them, is based on the idea that traumatic experiences are processed differently to everyday experiences. With everyday memories, for example, if you try to recall what happened on your birthday last year, you can probably recall an image or memory of what you were doing and who you were with. You will also be able to recognise that this experience happened on a particular day, month, and year, that is, there is a ‘time stamp’ associated with this memory. When you think about it, other clusters of memories that are related to this one, may also pop up, for example, birthdays on previous years, or connections with the people who you saw on that birthday.
When we experience a traumatic event and we are highly stressed, there is an impact on the brain which affects the way in which our memories are processed. The part of our brain that adds the ‘time stamp’, the hippocampus, is not able to do its job, and so a time stamp is not given to the memory it is processing. This means that when something triggers a reminder of the trauma, the trauma memory is recalled but without a time stamp. We are not able to recognise that the memory is in the past and so it can feel like we are re-living or re-experiencing it. This might feel like being back at the time of the trauma, or feeling strong emotions that were felt at the time e.g., terror, overwhelm, or helplessness.
Another difference is related to the role of the amygdala. Part of the amygdala’s role is to process sensory parts of a memory. This means that it processes and stores memories through fragments of visual images, smells, sounds, tastes, or touch. When stress increases, the amygdala gets even better at doing its job, and so there can be a high level of sensory and emotional content attached to trauma memories.
All of these processes are normal and natural, but they can lead to problems when we remain extremely fearful of the traumatic event or keep responding as though it is happening again and again. The natural fear we experience can leave us feeling stuck on ‘red alert’. Our brains work hard to keep us safe from danger, with a ‘act first, think later’ response, which can be helpful when we are in imminent danger, but not so helpful when the ‘danger’ is an unprocessed memory from the past.
How can EMDR help?
EMDR can help process memories so that the no longer feel like they are present, and can help to put them in the past where they belong. Your EMDR-trained therapist will guide you through the phases of EMDR therapy, helping you to safely process each disturbing memory. The therapy will begin with a thorough assessment of the issues, helping you to understand what is happening and learn some ways of strong emotions, before guiding you to process each traumatic memory. By helping your brain to add a ‘time stamp’ and understand the events are in the past, the sense of danger can reduce and your body begins to learn you are safe. The memories of the events will not disappear, but they will feel more like an ordinary bad memory.
How do I find an EMDR therapist?
There are several ways to find an EMDR therapist. The EMDR association website will give you a list of all fully accredited EMDR therapists local to you. It is important to note that a therapist can be trained in EMDR but not necessarily be fully accredited. When a therapist is accredited they have gone through some extra observations and practice after their initial training. Directory websites such as Psychology Today can help you to find a psychologist or therapist that offers EMDR. Sometimes you can access EMDR via local NHS mental health services. Your GP or local mental health team will be able to advise you on what is available in your area.
I am a trained EMDR therapist and if you would like to contact me to discuss EMDR and how it could help you, then please do get in contact with me via the Contact Me page of my website.
Living with trauma can be so difficult, but there are proven effective therapies that can help. Know that you don’t have to suffer any longer and that help is available.
Dr Hannah Barnes
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to get in touch.