What is EMDR and how does it work?
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation of the brain via horizontal eye movements or auditory or tactile stimuli. This has an effect on the way the brain processes information-a processing that is often interrupted or distorted or “stuck” during and after traumatic experience. After getting to know each other and building a trusting relationship, the first step in our trauma treatment is “resourcing”. This helps the client to calm down, stabilize and tolerate difficult feelings and memories. In EMDR, these will surface once processing gets underway. To begin EMDR processing, the client is asked to call up the trauma in the forms of disturbing images, sensations, emotions and beliefs about the self. Using the eye movements or other modes, the therapist helps the client to move through these initial disturbances toward less disturbing and intrusive memories and more positive beliefs, e.g. “I did the best I could under the circumstances.” Subjective ratings of disturbance and belief are elicited
