I am a fully trained and accredited EMDR European practitioner registered with EMDR Association United Kingdom & Ireland and currently in training to be a Consultant.
http://www.emdrassociation.org.uk/
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a method of psychotherapy that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma and other psychological issues. To date, EMDR has helped more than two million people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress.
What Kind Of Problems Can EMDR Treat?
Scientific research has established EMDR as effective for post traumatic stress. However, clinicians also have reported success using EMDR in treatment of the following conditions:
panic attacks
complicated or enduring grief
dissociative disorders
disturbing memories
phobias
pain disorders
eating disorders
performance anxiety
stress reduction
addictions
sexual and/or physical abuse
body dysmorphic disorders
personality disorders
How Does EMDR Work?
No one knows how any form of psychotherapy exactly works neurobiologically in the brain. However, we do know that when a person is very upset, their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes "frozen in time," and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells, and feelings haven’t changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people.
EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain processes information. Normal information processing is resumed, so following a successful EMDR session, a person no longer relives the images, sounds, and feelings when the event is brought to mind. You still remember what happened, but it is less upsetting. Many types of therapy have similar goals. However, EMDR appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR can be thought of as a physiologically based therapy that helps a person see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way.
But Does EMDR Really Work?
Approximately 20 controlled studies have investigated the effects of EMDR. These studies have consistently found that EMDR effectively decreases/eliminates the symptoms of post traumatic stress for the majority of clients. Clients often report improvement in other associated symptoms such as anxiety. The current treatment guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association, the UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies designate EMDR as an effective and recommended treatment for post traumatic stress. Research has also shown that EMDR can be an efficient and rapid treatment.
How long does EMDR take to work?
For a single traumatic event such as a road accident EMDR is very quick and effective taking an average of six 90 minute sessions. For more complex traumas involving phobias and anxiety up to twelve 90 minute sessions may be needed. Abuse, dissociative and personality disorders take much longer and would need to be worked with alongside normal psychotherapy sessions.
The evidence and further explanation
To see more detailed explanations of EMDR, the founder of EMDR, Francine Shapiro recently provided a wide body of support for the treatment in the New York Times and answered a number of readers questions. The links for these articles can be found immediately below:
http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/02/the-evidence-on-e-m-d-r/
http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/expert-answers-on-e-m-d-r/
A recent press article in The Daily Mail about EMDR can be found here:
EMDR Association UK and Ireland have put together 4 different youtube videos to cover various aspects that you may be interested in. They are a little dry in delivery but worth watching nonetheless to increase your understanding and knowledge. They can be viewed below: