EMDR Therapy

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing and is a psychotherapy method that is particularly effective in helping people to recover from trauma and other distressing life events. EMDR was first developed in 1987 as a treatment used to help people to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It allows clients to reprocess unresolved painful memories and traumatic information causing distress to their lives and promotes healing.

Our counsellor, Charma, is a qualified EMDR Europe Accredited Therapist and works with clients who could benefit from this therapy on a one to one basis. Please note, the availability of EMDR at Broadway Lodge is dependent on the length of stay.

Treating addiction with EMDR Therapy

How does EMDR Therapy work?

The human brain has a natural healing capability and often it will heal our emotional and psychological pain during sleep. When somebody experiences trauma or a distressing situation, sometimes the memory becomes stuck, where the brain is not able to process the pain. In turn, the person can carry distress around with them indefinitely and therefore, this past trauma can have a significant and detrimental impact on their wellbeing in the present.

Part of EMDR therapy involves the client following rapid hand movements (or tapping), while simultaneously talking about their past memory, sharing how they are feeling and reporting any physical sensations experienced to the therapist throughout, so it’s important for the client to be honest to maximise the effectiveness of EMDR. The eye movements or tapping spurs the natural healing process to begin and encourages the memory to become ‘unstuck’. Once this happens, the intensity of the emotions, negative thoughts, uncomfortable sensations and symptoms associated with the memory can resolve.

Charma also teaches self-soothing tools the client can use in conjunction with EMDR sessions that will optimise the ability to manage stress as it occurs in the present and between sessions.