What is EMDR?

EMDR doesn’t take you back to the person you used to be – EMDR takes you through your experiences from your past and makes you a new person.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals process distressing memories and overcome psychological challenges. During EMDR sessions, clients recall distressing memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation, typically through guided eye movements. This process facilitates the reprocessing of traumatic experiences, reducing their emotional impact and promoting adaptive resolution.

EMDR is particularly effective for individuals dealing with post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and other emotional difficulties. By fostering cognitive and emotional healing, EMDR empowers individuals to move towards a healthier and more resilient state of mind, facilitating personal growth and well-being.

Scientific research has established EMDR as effective for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Clinicians have also successfully used EMDR as a treatment component in the management of:

Depression
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Personality disorders
Complicated grief
Dissociative disorders
Pain disorders

Body dysmorphic disorders
Eating disorders
Sexual or Physical abuse
Performance anxiety
Stress reduction
Disturbing memories
Phobias

How EMDR works.

Introduction to EMDR Therapy.

Why EMDR?

Often disturbing events happen in our lives that stay with us. The brain cannot process information as it ordinarily does. One moment can become ‘frozen in time’ and remembering the trauma may feel as bad as going through it for the first time. This is because the images, sounds, smells and feelings still seem to be there – they haven’t changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way that they relate to other people.

EMDR has a positive effect on how the brain processes information. Following an EMDR session, the person no longer relives the trauma. They still recall that an incident happened, but it no longer feels upsetting.

Is EMDR supported by empirical evidence?

EMDR is one of the most researched psychotherapeutic approaches for PTSD. Since 1989 over 20 controlled clinical studies have found EMDR to effectively decrease or eliminate the symptoms of PTSD for the majority of clients and it is more efficient.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has recently noted EMDR as a Level 1 treatment for PTSD in their recent published results for ‘Evidence-Based Psychological Interventions: A Literature Review’ (2010) for both young people and adults. This is the highest rating that can be applied to a specific therapeutic approach. Additional research has focussed on use of EMDR for Depression and Anxiety and numerous other issues with extremely good results.

For more information, please follow this link regarding EMDR research.

What are the advantages of EMDR over other treatment approaches?

There are many advantages of EMDR over other treatment approaches. Some of these include:

Treatment is focussed on the symptoms and conducted in session.
EMDR has comparable results to that of other trauma treatments such as exposure therapy, but over a much shorter timeframe.
Studies have shown that 77-90% of clients with PTSD were able to eliminate their symptoms after 3-7 sessions of EMDR (without homework).
Better tolerated by clients than exposure therapy. Clients do not have to talk in detail about their trauma.

Why does approved EMDR training matter?

EMDRAA, Association of Australia, exists to ensure and maintain high standards of practice in EMDR Therapy. In this we are primarily concerned with the safety and efficacy of EMDR therapy being undertaken with clients. There are many books on EMDR and training programmes available for therapists who have an interest in EMDR, but it is a complex therapy requiring a high level of skill and the learning of detailed knowledge and specific techniques in a systematic way. Only those training programmes that fulfil strict criteria from international guidelines are approved by EMDRAA.

Dagmar has received EMDRAA approved training and is an EMDRAA accredited consultant. You can
be sure that Dagmar has been trained in EMDR according to international guidelines. Dagmar is also an accredited EMDRIA (International Association) consultant in America.

In her book “Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy.
Basic principles, Procedures and Protocols. Third Edition” (2018), the originator of EMDR, Francine Shapiro, states:

“EMDR therapy training is best obtained through programs certified by the regional EMDR association in your area. The internationally standardised trainings consist of lecture, consultation, and supervised small-group practice.” (p 504)

What type of EMDR therapy are you looking for?

Individual EMDR Therapy for Clients

Individual therapy (sometimes called “psychotherapy” or “counselling”) is a process through which clients work one-on-one with a trained therapist — in a safe, caring, and confidential environment — to explore their feelings, beliefs, or behaviours, work through challenging or influential memories, identify aspects of their lives that they would like to change, better understand themselves and others, set personal goals, and work toward desired change.