We are very happy to be able to enhance the client experience at Broadway Lodge with the introduction of specialist treatment, EMDR Therapy. Charma, who has worked as a counsellor at Broadway Lodge for over 30 years, recently qualified as an EMDR Europe Accredited Therapist and has begun to work with clients who could benefit from this therapy on a one to one basis.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing and is a psychotherapy method that is particularly effective in helping people to recover from trauma and other distressing life events. EMDR was first developed in 1987 as a treatment used to help people to recover from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It allows clients to reprocess disturbing, traumatic information causing distress to their lives and promotes healing.
How does EMDR Therapy work?
Our brain has a natural healing capability and often it will heal our emotional and psychological pain during sleep. When somebody experiences trauma or a distressing situation, sometimes the memory becomes stuck, where the brain is not able to process the pain. In turn, the person can carry distress around with them indefinitely and therefore, this past trauma can have a significant and detrimental impact on their wellbeing in the present.
Part of EMDR therapy involves the client following rapid hand movements (or tapping), while simultaneously talking about their past memory, sharing how they are feeling and reporting any physical sensations experienced to the therapist throughout, so it’s important for the client to be honest to maximise the effectiveness of EMDR. The eye movements or tapping spurs the natural healing process to begin and encourages the memory to become ‘unstuck’. Once this happens, the intensity of the emotions, negative thoughts, uncomfortable sensations and symptoms associated with the memory can resolve.
Charma will also teach self-soothing tools the client can use in conjunction with EMDR sessions that will optimise the ability to manage stress as it occurs in the present and between sessions.
It’s not uncommon for our clients who have addiction to experience unresolved painful memories so we are delighted to be able to now offer this additional therapy to further help them in their healing and journey into recovery.
Speak to us
We’ll be more than happy to help if you would like to find out more about treatment for addiction at Broadway Lodge. Please get in touch by calling 01934 812319, sending us a message or emailing hello@broadwaylodge.org.uk.
To find out more about how we provide EMDR therapy click here.
