Emdr therapy what does it stand for

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a comprehensive psychotherapy that helps you process and recover from past experiences that are affecting your mental health and wellbeing.

It involves using side to side eye movements combined with talk therapy in a specific and structured format. 

EMDR helps you process the negative images, emotions, beliefs and body sensations associated with traumatic memories that seem to be stuck. These can contribute to a range of mental health problems.

EMDR helps you to see things from a different perspective and relieves the symptoms that you were suffering.

Our member Dr Justin Havens, an EMDR consultant, says: “There can be a dramatic transformation from someone who is constantly reminded of a traumatic memory and all of the negative symptoms, to feeling like it is behind them and not of significance anymore.”

He adds: “EMDR is a way of kickstarting your natural healing and recovery process after your trauma. Your therapist is walking alongside you as you heal from the inside out.”

What can EMDR help with?

EMDR was developed – and is best known – as a therapy for treating trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It’s recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a treatment for PTSD.

But it can be used to help with a range of mental health difficulties including anxiety, depression, addictions, behavioural difficulties, relationship issues and more serious mental illnesses such as psychosis and personality disorders.

Justin says: “Many of these problems may actually be rooted in some kind of trauma, whether that’s someone being bullied, criticised or abused in some way, either during childhood or as an adult, and it isn’t always obvious that this is the case.”

How does EMDR work?

EMDR has a specific structure and a therapist will work through several stages with you. These include assessment of your current symptoms and your readiness for EMDR, as well as understanding how your past has shaped your present.

The therapist will also explain why you’re experiencing your current symptoms, and how trauma affects the mind and seems like it will never go away.

“One of the first stages is understanding how the person has got to be this way and what happened to them," says Justin. "What patterns have past events created, and what traumatic memories need to be processed to help them recover.

“We help prepare clients for the processing of traumatic memories. This can be a very powerful therapy and it's very important that client safety comes first.”

The next part of the therapy involves accessing the traumatic memories and starting bilateral stimulation. This involves stimulating either side of your brain in an alternating left-right fashion to help you access your subconscious mind and process what is stored in there and how it affects you.

This can be achieved by either making eye movements from side to side, listening to sounds in headphones that alternate from one ear to the other, or by tapping either side of your body. The eye movements may be similar to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which take place as we dream.

“Working in this way means we can reprocess the emotion-laden memories.

“The duel-attention focus means clients are anchored in the present, but also have one foot in the past.”

Your therapist helps kickstart your natural healing process which replaces the negative or traumatic images or memories. You can view them in a different way so they don’t feel distressing anymore.

Says Justin: “Someone can tell you that your negative belief about yourself is not true, but you need to know that for yourself. With EMDR, the change in perspective comes from within and the transformative changes feels true at a gut level. There can be a remarkable change in how people feel, from feelings of terror or shame to calmness and empowerment.”

Sometimes people only need around six sessions of EMDR therapy for it to make a dramatic difference, although some clients with more complex issues will require more. 

How to choose an EMDR therapist

EMDR requires specific training and specialist skills to deliver it safely and competently.

Justin is a member of the EMDR Association UK which accredits EMDR therapists. Therapists who wish to train in EMDR must already be accredited by professional bodies such as BACP.

You can see what specific EMDR training and qualifications a therapist has by checking their website, the EMDR Association UK website or our Therapist directory - or ask them when you make your initial enquiry.

A primer to EMDR therapy in Singapore

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing. Its original proponent, Francine Shapiro, developed the therapy after noticing that certain eye movements reduced the intensity of traumatic thoughts or memories. For patients suffering from panic, anxiety, troubling memories, trauma, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), EMDR can be a highly effective form of treatment. It is classified as a psychotherapy technique akin to the cognitive behavioral therapy often used for PTSD.

When a therapist uses EMDR with a patient, he or she hopes to soften the harsh effects of traumatic memories. Through EMDR, the therapist introduces new coping mechanisms and teaches the patient a different psychological response to those memories. Today, EMDR therapy is a widely accepted form of treatment. In fact, it is often one of the first treatments given to patients with psychological trauma.

How Does EMDR Work?

The various modalities for applying EMDR treatment can involve auditory or tactile stimulation, or right and left eye movements. All modalities are forms of bilateral stimulation, through which both hemispheres of the person’s brain are activated. The stimulation of the brain permits accesses to the traumatic experiences that are clogging the brain’s memory network and causing the patient’s disorder. EMDR usually proceeds in eight distinct phases— history and treatment planning, preparation, assessment, desensitisation, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation.

Which Conditions Can EMDR Treat?

EMDR therapy is now widely recognized as a first line treatment of trauma (e.g., American Psychiatric Association, 2004; Bisson & Andrew, 2007; Bleich et al., 2002; CREST, 2003; VA/DoD, 2004; Foa et al., 2009; INSERM, 2004;NICE, 2005)

If you suffer from a panic disorder, phobias, grief, anger, depression, low self-esteem, or performance anxiety, you may find relief with EMDR. The technique is also helpful for victims of crime, disasters, abuse, sexual addiction/deviation, accidents, fire, surgery, or trauma from a dysfunctional family. People with obsessive compulsive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, sleep trouble, dissociative disorder, pathological gambling, or negative body image have also found EMDR to be instrumental in their relief and recovery.

EMDR therapy can help with a wide range of conditions that include:

1. Phobias
2. Panic disorder
3. Obsessive compulsive disorder
4. Geneneralised anxiety disorder
5. Grief
6. Depression
7. Anger
8. Low self esteem
9. Childhood abuse
10. Performance and test anxiety
11. Physical/Sexual abuse
12. Marital relationship difficulties
13. Sleep disturbances, especially with nightmares
14. Sexual assault victims
15. Sexual addiction/deviation
16. Dissociative disorder or traits
17. Negative body image
18. Pathological gambling
19. Victims of crime
20. Victims of natural and manmade disasters
21. Victims of accident, surgery and burnt victims
22. Victims of family, marital and sexual dysfunction

What Is the EMDR Peak Performance Protocol?

EMDR therapy is not just limited to negative symptoms and memories. EMDR therapy can also be used to enhance performance at the workplace for high performing clients. The EMDR peak performance protocol is designed to help clients in business, performing and creative arts and sports using the full sensory experience of successful future responding which is rehearsed and integrated using bilateral stimulation. The peak performance protocol is typically undertaken over 4-6 sessions and gives individuals the extra edge in performance.

How Many Sessions Do I Need?

At one time, conditions like these took many intensive sessions to treat, with limited success. Using the breakthrough EMDR therapy, however, people suffering from emotional stress can find swift, long-lasting relief.

The number of sessions you will need depends on the extent and severity of your trauma or condition. For single-episode events or peak performance assistance, clients typically have 4-6 sessions. However, for a deep-seated disorder or a trauma that occurred over a number of years, more sessions may be necessary. When you first consult with an experienced EMDR therapist, you will be evaluated and advised on the best course of treatment for your specific situation.

Let Us Help You

Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic has a team of clinicians that include psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists in Singapore who work together to provide holistic care treatments, including EMDR, for various conditions. Services that you can expect from Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic will include pharmacotherapy, hypnotherapy as well as a wide range of therapy services including CBT, EMDR, Art Therapy and many others.

If you would like to find out more about EMDR therapy, contact us by filling in the form below.

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