EMDR

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) was developed by Francine Shapiro in the 1980s. It is an evidence-based therapy that helps people recover from symptoms of emotional distress linked to difficult or traumatic experiences. For most people, the brain processes new information naturally, often during REM sleep. 

However, this process can become overwhelmed when someone experiences a highly distressing or traumatic event.

When this happens memories can remain 'frozen' and unprocessed in your brain. As a result emotions, images, and physical sensations connected to the original event can be easily triggered in the present, including panic and fear responses.

EMDR supports the brain's natural healing process, by helping to unblock trauma memories by activating the brain’s information processing system. Through a structured approach, EMDR enables traumatic or disturbing experiences to be processed in a way that reduces their emotional impact. 

EMDR is recommended in the NICE guidelines for the treatment of trauma. Sessions last between 60 and 90 minutes and the number of sessions required varies depending on the nature and severity of the difficulties being addressed.

For further information about this approach follow this link:  http://emdrassociation.org.uk/what-is-emdr/background-and-basics/