Loretta Watt MSc

EMDR is a way of unblocking emotions and allowing the trauma to be processed naturally. EMDR can be fast, effective and provides therapeutic change in just a few sessions for conditions that may not have been shifted over many years. The process is particularly powerful because it involves changing negative and unhelpful beliefs about oneself and replacing them with more useful and empowering beliefs.

EMDR

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.

The process was discovered by Francine Shapiro, a scientist who noticed that when she moved her eyes from side to side, her own negative emotions seemed to be dispelled. It is thought that this mimics the rapid eye movement normally associated with dreaming. Rapid eye movement is also thought to provide a distraction sufficient to allow the mind to consider and process emotions and memories that might otherwise be too painful. Sometimes, our natural way of processing incidents gets blocked - such as after a traumatic experience.

What happens during the therapy?

The Therapy takes place in phases. The first phase is to take a detailed case history, noting those periods of your life about which you are still holding on to negative emotions. I guide you to think about what your life will be like when you no longer have these negative emotions. When I consider it appropriate to use the powerful therapy of EMDR I will explain the whole process to you. Essentially, you will be holding an image in mind, at the same time as being aware of the thoughts that go with the image also the feelings and sensations associated with it, while simultaneously watching my finger movements. I will have guided you to the most appropriate image and thoughts. This has the effect of quickly reducing the impact of the thought, as your brain begins to store the material in a different way. I then show you how to replace the previous thoughts with more empowering ones.

"...everything could be taken from a person but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's own way"

- Viktor E. Frankl

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EMDR

What happens during the therapy?