What Life Challenges Can Be Explored via EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) came into being as a way to process traumatic life experiences & events & is most commonly known as being used to support those with a diagnosis of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). EMDR is now proven to provide the possibility for us to work through much more widespread experiences and trauma symptoms:

  • Surviving and healing from any form of abuse (whether in childhood or adulthood).

  • Addressing phobias.

  • Dealing with anxiety and panic attacks, helping you regain control.

  • Exploring low mood, depression & low self-esteem.

  • Working through any of our adverse responses outside of the natural bereavement process.

  • Managing any shame or stress when recovering from traumatic events.

  • Processing traumatic childbirth.

  • Working with any pain you experience including that which is chronic.

EMDR is a way of kickstarting your natural healing and recovery process... Your therapist is walking alongside you as you heal from the inside out. (Justin Havens, EMDR UK Board Member)

Want to know more about EMDR?

The animation below could be useful if you are considering EMDR therapy; wanting to find out more about EMDR as well as wondering whether you feel EMDR might be suitable for you.

I have also published an article on Counselling Directory about the Key Benefits of EMDR as well as a blog about EMDR here.

How does EMDR work?

Distressing memories stored in one part of brain

Sometimes distressing memories can be stored in our brains in isolation. These memories, along with their associated images, sounds, thoughts and feelings, can get locked into our nervous systems. When this is the case the memories can get triggered time and again and this prevents us from moving on from them.

Healing information stored in another part of brain

In another part of the brain you already have most of the information you need in order to process and move on from the distressing memories, however, the pieces of information are not connected.

EMDR enables the healing connection

One of EMDR’s aims is to connect the distressing memories to the healing information. It is thought that this is what happens during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep or dream sleep when eye movements help us process memories and experiences without our conscious desire to do so. In other words, our mind-body system is always aiming to process anything that disturbs or distresses us without us even trying. Sometimes our mind-body needs a little help and this is where EMDR comes in. EMDR kickstarts our natural healing process.

The animation below shares more information about how EMDR works.