What is different about Integrative Therapy?
My training enables me to incorporate different elements of evidenced based therapies, such as Cognitive behaviour Therapy (CBT) and EMDR, along with my basic beliefs in psychotherapy. I hold the view that there is no single approach that can treat each client in all situations.
Therefore, my therapeutic techniques are tailored to each individuals needs and personal circumstances. Essentially, building a trusting relationship with my clients is paramount and by understanding their journey I aim to integrate a treatment that works exactly for them.
What is EMDR? (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy)
When a person is involved in a distressing event or an adverse experience, they may feel overwhelmed and their brain may be unable to process the information as per usual. The distressing memory seems to become frozen on a neurological level and can be experienced as symptoms such as flashbacks and sleep disturbance. When the distressing memory is triggered, the person re-experiences what they once saw, heard, smelt, tasted or felt, but it can be so distressing that they will often repress the feelings connected to the traumatic event. What remains however, are the negative core beliefs that govern ones day-to-day life.
During EMDR, the alternating left-right stimulation of the brain with eye movements, sounds or taps stimulates the frozen or blocked information in the minds processing system. Scientifically, bilateral stimulation is believed to be similar to that which occurs naturally during REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), when your eyes rapidly move from side to side. By using EMDR, the distressing memories seem to lose their intensity and participants often report an intense sense of relief afterwards.
EMDR is recognised as a treatment for trauma by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). It is important for those considering EMDR to understand that traumatic experiences do not always occur in one defining event, but can occur in small burst over a long range of time, which may result in a complex range of issues.
Please click here to find out more about EMDR from the EMDR Association UK & Europe
