EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. EMDR is a very effective and evidence based type of psychotherapy that helps you process and heal from difficult memories or experiences, especially those that still feel “stuck” or unsettling. It is one of the recommended treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and it can be used to help with a range of emotional distress including anxiety and depression. 

As human beings, we will all at some point in our lives have experiences that feel overwhelming, emotionally painful or traumatic. Most of the time these experiences are processed and we learn to adjust over time. Sometimes we can have experiences that overwhelm our  brains and our bodies so much that they don't get processed or stored in the same way. This can then mean that when we experience a trigger in the present moment, it connects with our past experience, and we feel heightened levels of distress in the present.

Imagine your brain is like a filing system. Sometimes, when something really traumatic happens, the memory gets "filed" in a way that makes it hard for your brain to process properly. It can feel like that memory keeps popping up, or like it’s on repeat in your mind, maybe affecting your mood, thoughts, or even your physical health. EMDR helps to “reorganise” these memories, so they don’t feel so overwhelming.

This video helps to explain EMDR in more detail: