What is the cost of this service?

The therapy will take multiple sessions (depending on the number of and depth of the events/trauma(s)) and sessions are charged at £100 per 60 minute session. Should sessions require longer then the charge will be £150 for a 90 minute session. It is recommended that the initial assessment and preparation sessions are 60 minutes and then reprocessing sessions are 90 minutes.

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How does it work? 

EMDR is designed to use the brain's natural healing ability to remove the emotional charge connected to a troubling memory. This therapy does not ask you to retell your story in detail or sit with raw pain. It is a structured way of revisiting a memory while part of your attention stays anchored in the present, so the memory can be stored differently. You may remember the event but the fear and body sensations or negative beliefs connected to it begin to soften. The goal is not to remove the memory but to reduce the power it has over you.

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This bilateral stimulation used in EMDR mimics the what the brain does during REM sleep to process difficult experiences. This process helps your nervous system do what it could not do at the time of the event. The symptoms then linked to this lessen or dissipate altogether. 

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After a trauma, you may feel as though you are reliving the event or experience intense distress when triggered. For other issues, the focus is on removing the negative self belief to shift the thinking around it. The process makes the thoughts feel less disturbing.

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During the reprocessing phases, you will be asked to briefly recall a distressing memory while experiencing bilateral stimulation (a rhythmic left-to-right pattern). This usually takes the form of: 

• Tracking a therapist's hand/finger(s)/pen back and forth with your eyes

• Using rhythmic physical tapping either on your knees or, if working online, butterfly tapping on yourself whilst the therapist taps along with you

You will be asked to 'free associate' and allow your brain to work through the experience and you will be asked to report back intermittently. This process is repeated until the vividness and emotional intensity of the traumatic memory fades, allowing you to integrate the experience in a healthier way. It is not hypnotherapy, you will be conscious for the whole session. EMDR does not wipe the memory, it merely files it away as in the past without a strong emotion triggered by it.

What to Expect

EMDR is typically administered in a structured, 8-phase approach over 6 to 12 sessions, although this can vary depending on what the client brings: 

• Assessment and Preparation: You and your therapist will plan the treatment, target specific memories, and establish self-calming techniques. This part can take some time, whilst we establish a trusting relationship and your therapist ensures you have the resources t revisit the event. Sessions are recommended to be 60 mins long.

• Reprocessing: The therapist guides you through sets of bi-lateral stimulation (eye movements or other stimuli) while you focus on the distressing memories. Sessions are recommended to be 90 mins long.

• Body Scan and Re-evaluation: You will check in with how your body and mind react to the memory to ensure distress is significantly decreased. Sessions are recommended to be 60 mins long.

 

Who it Helps

While EMDR is best known for treating trauma, PTSD and Complex PTSD, it is also increasingly used to address a variety of other mental health challenges, including:

• Anxiety and panic disorders

• Phobias

• Grief and bereavement

• Depression

• Stress

• Addictions

• Chronic pain and addiction

• Perinatal trauma

• Eating disorders

• OCD - obsessive compulsive disorder

• Body dysmorphia

• Tinnitus

• Self esteem and performance anxiety

• Bullying, shame, humiliation

• Insomnia and sleep problems; where it relates to trauma, grief and loss, health crises, or significant life changes that create patterns of hyper-arousal or stress surrounding sleep, along with specific memories of difficulty sleeping​