-
We offer EMDR
training, consultation and therapy
-
in the United
Kingdom (UK) and Ireland.
What is EMDR?
The name,
EMDR, refers to a psychological therapy
known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
Its originator,
Dr Francine Shapiro, discovered by accident that disturbing thoughts she was having seemed to disappear
as she moved her eyes in rapid sideways movements. |
 |
The approach was developed initially as a treatment for
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and found great success with veterans of
the Vietnam War and survivors of rape. In
2000, EMDR was recognised by the
International
Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
as an effective treatment for |
|
PTSD. The
Northern Ireland Department of Health subgroup,
CREST, followed suit in
2003 and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK
in 2005. EMDR has also been
considered highly effective and supported by research in the practice
guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association and the
US Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
EMDR
integrates a range of psychological therapies within a
comprehensive framework to effect therapeutic change. Therapists
report recognising similarities to approaches they are familiar
with, but they also observe therapeutic changes not normally
achieved with their original approaches.
Today, tens of thousands of therapists worldwide have been trained in
EMDR. At
tmr
health professionals,
our therapists are skilled in its use and two of our Directors are EMDR
Europe Approved Consultants; one is also an Approved Trainer and the
other holds Facilitator honours from the EMDR Institute. We
regularly provide consultation for existing EMDR therapists and provide
quality training for new entrants through our series of workshops.
ooOoo
American Psychiatric Association (2004).
Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Acute
Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Arlington, VA:
American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines
Department of Veterans
Affairs & Department of Defense (2004).
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Post-Traumatic
Stress. Washington, DC.
What Happens in EMDR?
When we receive sensory information it passes through an emotional filter
(amygdala) in the right half of the brain. If there is nothing
emotionally-charged, the information then passes through another structure
(hippocampus) that processes the information for its time and space
properties and allows it to pass to the left hemisphere. This
experience is then stored normally in memory. |
|
However, when incoming sensory information is
emotionally-charged (e.g. traumatic), it gets stuck in the Central Nervous
System (CNS) in the right hemisphere of the brain. It does not get
processed in time and space so, when reminders occur, the stuck memory is
triggered and feels emotionally that it is happening in the present. This
accounts for flashbacks, intrusive thoughts and nightmares. |
 |
|
EMDR therapists help clients reprocess their traumatic
memories by using a process that involves repeated left-right (bilateral)
stimulation of the brain while noticing different aspects of the traumatic
memory. The bilateral stimulation is achieved through either rapid eye
movements across the field of vision, auditory tones or clicks, or
tactile stimulation of alternate sides of the body. It is believed that
the bilateral stimulation of EMDR creates biochemical changes in the brain
that aid processing of information. Theorists suggest that the mode of
action occurs in the Limbic System, where the amygdala and hippocampus are
located.
EMDR
frequently asked questions
EMDR Network
Home
Training
Consultation
Therapy
About Us
Contact Us
|
|
