EMDR is recognised by Medicare as a focussed psychological strategy. It is a psychotherapy which enables people to heal from the symptoms of emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Catherine will gather information about you and your past to determine if EMDR is likely to help you as there are some contra-indications for EMDR. For a single disturbing event or memory, it usually takes between three to six sessions. More complex distressing events will take longer and may require additional forms of psychotherapy. EMDR sessions usually last between an hour and 90 minutes.
When you undergo EMDR, you access memories of a trauma or distressing event in very specific ways. Combined with eye movements and guided instructions, accessing those memories helps you reprocess what you remember from the negative event. While it is highly effective for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, it can also help with other issues like anxiety, depression, and complicated grief.
The therapist guides the client through a set of back-and-forth eye movements, or other alternating physical stimuli like tapping or sounds, while the client focuses on the disturbing memory.