EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful technique that you can use to treat a variety of presenting conditions that include phobias, anxiety-related issues and trauma. EMDR stimulates the safe, effective and rapid processing of ‘time frozen’ disturbing material allowing your client to achieve rapid resolution of their problem.

EMDR has a huge body of research validating its effectiveness and is an effective method proven to help you recover from trauma, distressing life events, resulting in PTSD, anxiety, depression and panic disorders. The World Health Organisation, American Psychiatric Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Review are some of the many world organisations that recognise EMDR as a safe and effective treatment.

It is not required during an effective EMDR therapy to talk in detail about distressing issues or doing homework between appointments. EMDR focuses on changing emotions, thoughts, and behaviours that resulted from the distressing issue and allows the brain to heal and life to move on. The design of EMDR helps your brain process unresolved traumatic memories. Often as a result you require less session than other forms of therapy.

Animals in the will often freeze or run in the face of danger and then after the danger has abated, shake it off. Human brain has a natural way to recover from traumatic events by communication between the amygdala, (Brain Alarm centre), the hippocampus (learnings), and the prefrontal cortex (control centre).  A lot of times traumatic experiences can be self managed and resolved organically without external help.  Other times help is required.

In these instances where distress occurs from a disturbing event, with flashbacks of upsetting images, thoughts and emotions creating feelings of overwhelm or frozen in time EMDR can help you heal. EMDR helps the brain reprocess these memories and return to balance and wellbeing. EMDR is suitable for both adults and children, in fact children can take to it more naturally as they are more open. 

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Phobias – both simple and process
  • Panic attacks and panic disorder
  • Weight control
  • Eating disorders
  • Trauma
  • Grief and loss
  • Pain
  • Smoking
  • Chronic illness
  • Dissociative disorders.
  • Performance anxiety
  • Sleep issues
  • Violence and Abuse
  • PTSD

Client Testimonial

It took me ages to keep the appointment with one thing and another, and I so nearly cancelled the day I did finally go. I’m glad I didn’t. I felt low, tearful, sick and unmotivated that afternoon and I wasn’t in the mood for anything. After routine questions and explanations of how it worked, we found a method that suited me. It made me dizzy switching eyes constantly so a clicking pen was preferred. I chose my memory, and the feeling that went with it. And then it just sort of began…I had no idea what it was about other than that it was to do with eye movement. I thought maybe since it’s considered well suited to trauma victims etc, that it would be sort of talking therapy where the therapist analyses the eye movements and gauges their patient’s emotional status that way. Or something. What it actually involved was, I think, a way of switching hemispheres of the brain from right to left, and helping adjust the thinking that way, turning a weak and “bad” memory that affects a person badly, into a shadow and into something which doesn’t affect the person on such a deep level. I think this is amazingly clever, because the patient essentially does all the work. The therapist clicked, clicked, over and back, left and right, without saying a word or promoting the person’s thinking in any shape or form. Apart from reminding me once or twice of my “safe place”. I walked away elated. Lifted, like a weight had floated off, a weight I hadn’t realised was there so heavily. And I felt strongly empowered, knowing that it was really me who had turned those thoughts around, and chosen, myself, to feel good, elated and empowered. A short meditation while feeling grounded, at the end, reduced me to tears because I was moved by the words. Happy tears, emotional release tears that left me feeling even better after they had shed. I would highly recommend this form of therapy. To certain people. People willing to heal, and wanting to heal themselves, ready to accept help. It was like a boost of energy for me, and almost like a pick me up. I had no idea of the time or how much, how little, had passed. I found it interesting to keep returning to certain places, it further highlighted what issues I need to address. And showed me a way to work through those thoughts in a positive way. I’d love to do this again. Thank you Orla. Your healing powers astound me. It’s a gift, as is your way with words. Beautiful.

Pippa, Co. Tipperary