Emdr Therapy London

The London anxiety clinic offers EMDR theapy for anxiety and trauma.

Mike is an EMDR trauma therapist and anxiety specialist in London, Harley street. His expertise within this area developed when working as therapist for 10 years, within a charity that provided trauma therapy for both perpetrators and survivors of violent crime, abuse and domestic violence.

EMDR  (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) is provided as an anxiety treatment at the London Anxiety Clinic. EMDR can be an extremely successful and effective treatment for anxiety,  stress, trauma and disturbing experiences. With the goal of reducing your distress in the shortest period of time.  EMDR therapy stimulates information in the brains processing systems, transforming your emotional health and works towards resolution of negative experiences and of the anxiety or traumas. Moving you beyond anycurrent limitations to a more resourcefull state.

What happens in trauma or in a disturbing event is that the person may have become overwhelmed and aspects of the trauma may not get processed like they do with a normal memory.

In trauma and being overwhelmed, aspects of the distressing event in memory do not get stored correctly and appear to be ‘frozen in time’  or fragmented on a neurological level. This presents itself in a number of symptoms  as described in our list of symptoms. 

With the use of EMDR, there is a strict 8 phase treatment plan where thr anxiety treatment targets specific areas that the client will have explained through the assessment process. These stages include the use of eye movements or other forms of left and right alternating stimulation, along with relaxation exercises, guided visualisations and breathing techniques.

Here's how EMDR might help individuals suffering from anxiety:

1. Accessing and Processing Traumatic Memories

EMDR helps by allowing patients to access and process traumatic memories that might be contributing to their anxiety. Anxiety can sometimes be exacerbated by unresolved past traumatic experiences. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements) to stimulate the brain, which seems to help the brain process these emotional experiences.

2. Desensitisation

Through the EMDR process, individuals are asked to focus on traumatic or triggering experiences while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation (like following a therapist’s finger moving side-to-side). This can help reduce the emotional response to a memory. Essentially, the distressing memory seems to lose its power to trigger anxiety as it is processed through EMDR.

3. Reprocessing

The core of EMDR involves reprocessing the distressing events in a way that decreases their disturbing effects. In the context of anxiety, reprocessing can help individuals reframe and redefine experiences that may be contributing to their anxiety. For example, a past experience that led someone to feel unsafe or out of control can be reprocessed to reinforce feelings of safety and empowerment.

4. Reducing Physical Arousal

EMDR can help reduce the physical arousal associated with anxiety. The bilateral stimulation in EMDR therapy has been hypothesized to mimic the psychological state associated with Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which involves processing and integrating emotional experiences. This can lead to a reduction in physiological symptoms of anxiety.

5. Installation of Positive Beliefs

Part of the EMDR process includes developing and strengthening positive beliefs about oneself. For someone with anxiety, this might mean shifting from a self-perception of helplessness to one of being capable and in control. Reinforcing these positive beliefs can help counteract the negative thought patterns that are typical in anxiety disorders.

6. Generalisation

Skills learned and emotional relief gained from processing specific traumatic or triggering events can generalise to other aspects of life. This means the therapeutic benefits gained in session can start influencing other situations where anxiety might have been a challenge, thereby improving overall functioning.

Research and Effectiveness

Research on EMDR has primarily focused on its effectiveness for PTSD, but there is growing evidence that it can also be beneficial for anxiety, especially when the anxiety is related to or exacerbated by traumatic events. It's important for those considering EMDR for anxiety to consult with a trained therapist who can determine the suitability of EMDR for their specific situation.

EMDR isn't a universal solution for all types of anxiety, and its effectiveness can vary from person to person. 

If you would like to know more about EMDR or PTSD and the treatment of anxiety with this evidenced based therapy, please know that you can contact Mike Ward for a 30 minute complimentary telephone consultation.

If you are experiencing anxiety or are worried about your psychological health and personal safety, please always consult with with GP first. 

There also also a number of support lines available :

NHS Emergences for urgent help and attention. Call the emergency number of 999. An operator will answer.

For non urgent enquiries, or advice and health, the NHS out of hours service  can be called on 111.

For people that are experiencing severe distress, or suicidal thoughts, the Samaritans operate a confidential helpline 24 hours each day. They can be contacted on 08457 90 90 90.