What is EMDR?

​EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an extraordinarily powerful psychological tool used to support recovery from difficult life experiences and trauma.

 

Difficult life experiences and trauma can leave you with a distressing memory. When you recall a distressing memory, this will usually create physiological stress in your body. For example, your breath may get rapid and shallow, your heart rate may increase, you might feel tightness in the body, neck or head, possibly nausea or pain and sweat. These sensations are usually accompanied with uncomfortable feelings and thoughts, for example you may experience shame, stress, worry, anxiety, fear, anger, and possibly even panic and/or rage. These sensations, feelings and thoughts may be so awful you take great pains not to be reminded of that memory because of the stress on your mind and body it can create. You may unconsciously and automatically  suppress and avoid any internal or external reminders of this memory.

 

EMDR involves the client momentarily focusing on the distressing memory then using bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements, although other forms of bilateral stimulation can also be used) which reduces the intensity of the painful emotions and anxious sensations, allowing the client to reach an adaptive solution and to process what happened to them and move towards genuine healing. EMDR treatment is effective in reducing or even eliminating the stress response when remembering disturbing and traumatic events. This allows the client to move through life more freely and calmly. EMDR treatment greatly reduces the likelihood of being triggered when reminded of traumatic events.  

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Jade provides both face to face in Footscray, Victoria and telehealth appointments.

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