WHEN PAST IS PRESENT...
Sometimes we know that something is in the past, but our mind and body don't seem to have received the message.
You may find yourself replaying an experience, feeling anxious or on edge, avoiding situations that remind you of something difficult, or reacting strongly to things that seem disproportionate to what is happening now.
Perhaps there is a particular event/s you would like to move on from. Or perhaps your difficulties are more complicated: experiences from childhood, relationship difficulties, loss, attachment wounds, repeated experiences of criticism or rejection, anxiety about the future, or patterns that seem to have followed you through your life.
WHAT IS EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a form of psychotherapy that can help you process distressing experiences and the thoughts, feelings and body sensations that can remain attached to them.
It’s an evidence-based psychotherapy strongly recommended by both the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and offered within the NHS.
I offer private EMDR therapy online, providing a confidential and supportive space where we can work together at a pace that feels manageable for you.
HOW DOES EMDR WORK?
When something distressing happens, the overwhelm of the experience can shock our nervous system, affecting our brain in a way that prevents the usual processing protocol, meaning that the unprocessed sensory input gets frozen in time. The memory can then remain 'stuck', so that aspects of the experience continue to feel present or threatening even though we know, intellectually, that it is in the past.
This 'stuck' past experience may manifest, in the present, as PTSD, anxiety, panic, OCD, phobias or other mental health problems.
There might have been a one-off incident or years of a difficult relationship. You don’t even need to consciously know the root cause. If there is one, your brain will know where to go.
EMDR aims to help your brain reprocess these experiences so that they become less disturbing and less emotionally charged.
During EMDR, you are asked to bring aspects of a difficult memory to mind while also engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as following a dot with your eyes or experiencing alternating taps or sounds. This appears to create a state in which the memory can be accessed while your attention is also partly engaged in the present.
Research suggests that this process can change the way a distressing memory is experienced and retrieved. Over time, the memory may become less vivid and emotionally overwhelming, while new information and perspectives can become more strongly connected to it. The aim is not to erase the memory, but to help it become something that happened in the past rather than something your nervous system continues to experience as a present threat.
A warm, personalised approach
My name is Donna Harris
I am a BACP Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist with experience working with a broad range of psychological difficulties, including trauma, anxiety, panic, depression and OCD.
My approach is integrative, which means I don't see you simply as a diagnosis or a set of symptoms. I draw on different therapeutic approaches that I may integrate to enhance the efficacy of the EMDR, including Internal Family Systems, Attachment-Based Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Exposure with Response Prevention.
Although EMDR has a clear structure and protocol, the way we use it is shaped around you — your history, your circumstances, your goals and your readiness.
I have completed EMDR Europe Accredited Training and continue to develop my knowledge and skills through ongoing professional training and supervision.
BOOK YOUR FREE 30 MINUTE ONLINE CONSULTATION
I offer a free initial 30-minute consultation where we can talk about what you're experiencing, answer your questions and consider whether EMDR or another form of therapy might be helpful.
Please pop me an email to donna@dorchestertherapy.co.uk
or text me on 07398896391
Give me an idea of your availability and your mobile number and I will reply with a date and time for your consultation
Ongoing sessions cost £75 for 60 mins.
Weekly sessions are standard but more intensive options can be arranged, if that better suits your schedule.