How I practise EMDR
My practice is informed by an advanced Attachment-Focussed EMDR training, which expands the standard PTSD-protocol to address the much wider spectrum of ‘small-T’ traumas many of us have experienced in life. One of its premises is that for many of us, the inner resources (such as calm, hope, trust, confidence, resilience) we may need to help with effective processing are depleted. A-F EMDR draws heavily upon your natural right-brained wisdom, (intuition, imagination, metaphoric language etc) to super-charge your brain, (your 'adaptive information processing') enabling such processing to happen.
Francine Shapiro, the creator or EMDR was very clear that processing (phase 4) should not happen until a client feels sufficiently stabilized and 'ready.' I ensure this is the case in phases 1 and 2 by:
- creating a clear 'plan,' identifying which memories will be processed and within a definable time-scale
- ensuring that we have established a good enough rapport to enable you to trust in our work together
- establishing in your life, sufficient stability and resources, perhaps by looking at lifestyle, tools for wellbeing, networks and interests.
- mostly importanty by creating a range of 'inner resources' which instill or strengthen your feelings of peace, calm, hope and strength.
All this is sensitive, collaborative work which will unfold uniquely for each person. I value the Attachment-Focussed approach because it taps into what is often our underused store of wisdom, what can feel less valued within the stresses of modern society - our right-brained language of the imagination, symbol or metaphor. These can provide for you in the preparatory phases of EMDR, the relational qualities buried deep inside your being (love, nurturing, protection, warmth, knowing etc) which may have been missing in early life.
I am at present the only UKCP-registered EMDR Psychotherapist also trained in Music Imagery Psychotherapy. Requiring no musical or artistic ability whatsoever, this simple but powerful therapy also acts a powerful resourcing for EMDR. My observations are that this is especially the case when inner resources feel very depleted, or when the trauma has felt extreme. The right piece of music (chosen collaboratively via spotify) can feel like vital 'medicine,' instilling, or re-awakening the positive feelings needed to build a stronger, stabilized sense of self. Of course, whether we involve music or not in the early phases of EMDR is entirely up to you. If you would like to know more, do visit Music Imagery Psychotherapy page on this site.
I very much enjoy offering EMDR, seeing how it changes people and am committed to providing the best possible practice. I have regular supervision with an EMDR Consultant, and am a member of the UK EMDR Association through which I frequently update my knowledge and skills.
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