EMDR is an effective therapy for helping people manage and overcome the symptoms of distressing or traumatic events including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These symptoms can include flashbacks, nightmares or avoiding places that remind you of the event.
It is thought that when a traumatic event happens to us memories can become ‘frozen in time’ and EMDR helps you to process these memories so they become ‘unstuck’ and filed away with your other memories.
The treatment involves thinking of the event while watching the therapist’s hand moving or listening to clicks through headphones. Therapy sessions last 60-90 minutes and while changes can be seen in a few sessions for a single traumatic event, if you have experienced many traumatic events more sessions will be needed.
Please see emdrassociation.org.uk for further information