Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a technique that has been shown to stimulate the brain to ‘re-digest’ difficult or disturbing memories, so that it can ‘file’ the thoughts away, and hence reduce the associated distress.  The technique was discovered by Francine Shapiro in the 1980s, and I am fortunate to have been taught the skill by Sandi Richman, who was herself taught directly by Shapiro.

Whilst no one definitively knows how exactly EMDR works, it is thought that it creates a similar response as the stage of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) when we sleep.  It is during this time that the brain processes and stores a lot of the information it has received during the day, but if an individual has experienced something traumatic or overwhelming, this process can become disrupted and overloaded.  In such circumstances, the difficult memory seems to remain frozen and unprocessed, and is often re-stimulated - together with the associated overwhelming feelings.  EMDR helps to create connections in the memory networks, thus enabling the brain to process the memory in a more normal way.

EMDR is well known to be hugely valuable in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but it has also been shown, time and time again, to dramatically decrease the stress and discomfort caused by depression, anxiety, phobias, unwanted thoughts and memories, and even compulsive behaviours such as eating disorders and OCD.