What is EMDR therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

The title of this talking therapy is a bit of a mouthful and can sound a little daunting, but don’t worry, it is non-invasive, not painful, and is not a medical procedure!

Side to side eye movements and talking are used as part of this therapy.

EMDR is great at helping you process previous traumatic events that you may be finding difficult to deal with. Through your sessions, you will be able to process what has happened and move on.

EMDR is particularly effective for people who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), though you don’t have to have a diagnosis of PTSD to access EMDR.

What does an EMDR session look like?

In a session, you will be asked to think about an upsetting event that has been affecting you. Your therapist will then begin by asking you to move your eyes from side to side, or to focus on tapping sounds.

Your therapist will ask what comes to your mind after each sound or feeling, until the memory of the event becomes less upsetting to you.

One of our partners, Everyturn Mental Health, recently released a podcast episode about EMDR therapy – you can watch the episode on YouTube, linked below.

What can EMDR help with?

• Processing traumatic or upsetting events
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Feeling anxious, low or depressed

Read more about EMDR here or find your nearest provider.