For some people, when they have experienced a traumatic event, the memory of their experience comes crashing back into their mind, forcing them to relive the event with the same intensity of feeling - just like it's taking place in the present moment.

These experiences may present as flashbacks or nightmares, and are thought to occur because the mind was simply too overwhelmed during the event to process what was going on.

As a result, these unprocessed memories and the accompanying sights, sounds, thoughts and feelings are stored in the brain in 'raw' form. Here, they can be accessed when something in everyday life triggers a recollection of the original event.

While it isn't possible to erase these memories, the process of eye movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR) can alter the way these traumatic memories are stored within the brain - making them easier to manage.

When traumatic events happen, the body's natural coping mechanisms can be overwhelmed and subsequently, the memory isn't always processed adequately. 

how it works...

Coming to see an EMDR therapist at the Stephenson Centre will help you to properly process these traumatic memories, reducing their impact and helping you develop healthy coping mechanisms.

This is achieved through an eight-phase approach which addresses the past, present, and future aspects of a stored memory. This involves recalling distressing events while receiving 'bilateral sensory input', including side to side eye movements, hand tapping and auditory tones.

Sessions are usually on a weekly basis and last for 50 minutes.









EMDR therapy Ipswich Suffolk - the Stephenson Centre