Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)
"The damage done in childhood cannot be undone, since we cannot change anything in our past. We can, however, change ourselves. We can repair ourselves and gain our lost integrity by choosing to look more closely at the knowledge that is stored inside our bodies and bringing this knowledge closer to our awareness. This path, although certainly not easy, is the only route by which we can at last leave behind the cruel, invisible prison of our childhood. We become free by transforming ourselves from unaware victims of the past into responsible individuals in the present who are aware of our past and are thus able to live with it”
(Alice Miller)
"The goal of EMDR treatment is to rapidly metabolize the dysfunctional residue from the past and transform it into something useful" (Francine Shapiro)
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EMDR therapy is a cutting-edge and evidence-based therapeutic technique for PTSD, most psychological issues and general psychological enhancement. It works on the basis that when we experience a distressing event, the memory of that trauma can become frozen on a neurological level and the brain is unable to process the memory. If the memory remains frozen and unprocessed it can be easily accessed by triggers (smells, sounds, images, feelings, etc) that remind the individual of the trauma and can make them feel as though they are re-experiencing it. Nightmares and flashbacks also very common and work at ‘keeping the memory alive’.
EMDR works by stimulating the brain from left to right using either eye movements, tapping or sounds to help the brain to unblock the frozen disturbing memory so that it is processed and no longer causes distress. This process has been compared to what happens during REM sleep (rapid eye movement) when our brain tried to consolidate or process our experiences and memories.
I am trained to use both the standard protocol EMDR and Attachment-Informed EMDR therapy. The latter has found to be clinically helpful when traumas are rooted in our attachment relationships.
"Everything can be taken from man but one thing. The last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances" (Viktor Frankl)
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a well-known psychological therapy approach with extensive evidence. CBT recognises that our thoughts can become negatively biased, therefore affecting our mood and wellbeing. CBT can help individuals to manage difficult feelings in a more positive way by firstly mapping out the interaction between thoughts, feeling and behaviours. This can help people to develop alternative, more adaptive thought patterns in order to break the vicious cycles that we can become caught within. This is done by exploring and questioning assumptions and beliefs underpinning the unhelpful processes, challenging unhelpful thinking, and facing previously avoided situations and activities.
"Out of your vulnerabilities will come strength" (Sigmund Freud)
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Psychodynamic approaches are based on the idea that the past has an impact on our experiences and feelings in the present. This theory also suggests that attachment relationships from childhood, form a template for how we relate to other people and ourselves. Exploring early-life experiences helps to develop insights into current patterns and defences that have developed over time. The therapeutic relationship is central to psychodynamic-informed therapy as old relational patterns can sometimes 'play out' between the client and therapist. Bringing these relational patterns into awareness provides opportunities to work through the difficulties in a safe environment.
"Why is self-compassion a more effective motivator than self-criticism? Because its driving force is love, not fear" (Kristin Neff)
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The tendency for us to be harsh towards ourselves can develop from a young age. Overtime, being self-critical can become ingrained into our thought processes, leaving us with the sense of rarely feeling good enough. Developing compassion for oneself is the same as developing an unconditional friendship with oneself, often in the way we can readily give to others but rarely ourselves.
Developing self-compassion is increasingly considered to be the basis of our ‘psychological immune system’. Mindfulness is the ability to notice, observe, as well as to acknowledge the presence of our suffering and name it in some way (e.g. “this is painful, this hurts…” etc) without judgement. Kristin Neff and Chris Germer developed the Mindful Self-Compassion model, which has been found to be clinically helpful when combined with trauma-focused therapies.
"[Don't] assume your inner critic is what you think it is... It's a part of you trying to protect you somehow, and if you can think of it in that way, it isn't going to have the same level of power over you" (Richard Schwartz)
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Research is increasingly supporting the concept that we have an innate tendency to compartmentalise under stress. The works of Richard Schwartz, Janina Fisher, and Onno van der Hart have built on this idea to develop a therapeutic models that can be integrated into trauma therapy and have shown to enhance healing. These models don't rely on having to recall traumatic memories in order to overcome the effects of trauma.
This model of the mind is based on the idea that we all have a core self that embodies our essence and all of our finest qualities, including calmness, curiosity, compassion, confidence, courage, clarity, connectedness, and creativity. We are born with these qualities; this is known as self-energy. However, we are also born with parts that help us relate to and survive in the world. You have heard the language, “one part of me feels sad but another feels mad,” or “on the one hand, I want this, but on the other, I want that.” It can be helpful to get to know these different parts of our personality. Some of these parts take on the role of protectors, keeping us safe from harm. They may do this in an outwardly positive way; for example, counteracting feelings of inadequacy by over-working and becoming perfectionistic. Other parts may protect us in ways that have a more negative effect. For example, a part may attempt to protect from painful thoughts or memories by using alcohol as a numbing agent. Though this can be used as a temporary way to avoid inner pain, the damage it causes to health, general wellbeing, and relationships is not helpful. In this model, we develop a way to communicate with all the various parts of you, finding a way to hear from them so that they can heal rather than be pushed away. Our goal is to get to know them better, to earn their trust, and understand their underlying hurts. When we heal and unburden parts, they no longer feel the need to lead or be intense, because they begin to trust that you are now safe.