EMDR and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a psychological treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic memories. It is recommended by the Government’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Sometimes it is clear that a traumatic event has been the start of someone’s troubles. They may say ‘I was OK until that accident, or assault…’ But sometimes the traumatic event is not clear, or it is several smaller events, such as repeated bullying.
A person who has been traumatized is likely to feel hypervigilant, more alert to the possibility of danger all the time. They may have flashbacks or nightmares. They may well have a sense of guilt or shame or feelings of fear, distress or anger. People who have been traumatized often try not to think about the trauma, and they may avoid things or places that remind them of it.
Single events such as road or industrial accidents, assaults, rape, traumatic childbirth, combat or news of a life threatening illness can affect us in this way. Smaller traumas such as repeated humiliations can also be burned into our memories. Childhood abuse, whether physical, emotional or sexual, is likely to cause long-term traumatisation.
A disturbing event is usually processed by our minds and over time will become simply something that happened in the past. But sometimes the event gets ‘locked into’ the memory, complete with the original images, sounds, thoughts, feelings and sensations. When this occurs a negative belief about yourself is also preserved and is activated each time the memory comes into the conscious mind. Beliefs such as ‘I’m in danger’, ‘I’m to blame ‘, I’m worthless’, ‘I’m soiled goods’ often go with a traumatic memory.
EMDR stimulates the brain to work through these blocked memories. When they have been processed, they lose their power to distress. Images become more distant. Physical sensations ease. There is a sense of resolution and letting go of the past. EMDR can release powerful emotions and the physical memories that go with them, and there is an emphasis on safety and being in control throughout therapy. The purpose of EMDR is to allow these old disturbing memories to be put to rest.
www.EMDR.com is the official EMDR website and contains a wealth of research evidence and further explanations of how it works.
EMDR practitioners in Britain should be accredited by EMDR Europe.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you change the way you think—the cognitive part–and the way you act—the behavioural part. It focuses on the present and future rather than the past. It works on how to change things rather than on why they have happened.
CBT helps you understand the workings of your mind, so that you have better control. It gives you an ‘owner’s manual’ for your brain. This makes it essential wherever being in better control of your own thoughts and behaviour is your goal.
CBT is based on teaching you how to use this approach for yourself, so you need to spend enough time to grasp the principles. This usually takes about six to eight sessions.
From birth or even before, each of us starts to create a mental map of the world. We interpret every event and draw lessons from it. This map is usually partly accurate and partly wrong. We develop the most important parts of it when our minds are those of infants or children. Yet we often carry these interpretations through life with us.
CBT focuses on understanding your own mental map, and updating it and changing it where necessary to allow us to function better in the present.
CBT is often the treatment of choice for:
- Depression
- Anxiety and Panic
- Phobias
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
CBT is ‘one of the most effective treatments for conditions where anxiety or depression is the main problem’ Royal College of Psychiatrists
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| Roger Haynes |
Fees CBT £55 first session:
£45 follow-up.
Block of six sessions: £225
