Psychological Therapies

Eye Movements Desensitisasion and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy)

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, EMDR, developed by Francine Shapiro, is a rapid and short-term type of psychological therapy aimed at treating mental health problems which have an underlying traumatic origin. EMDR is an empirically supported approach and is very effective in treating anxiety, depression, nightmares, disturbing memories, irritability and insomnia that result from traumatic events such as violence, abuse, road traffic accidents, natural disasters, illness and bereavements. 

Dr Alessia Bruno has treated, using EMDR therapy, Refugee victims of prolonged trauma as well as the Italian and the British population. She has worked with the British Red Cross and in the best Trauma Centre in Scotland (COMPASS Team). The objectives of EMDR therapy is to completely process the traumatic experiences and memories that are causing problems, and to include new healthy ones that are needed for overcoming the trauma.

Processing the traumatic experience means setting up a learning state that will allow experiences that are causing problems to be desensitized and stored appropriately in the part of your brain “that belongs to the past” so that the traumatic past will stop hurting you. Painful emotions, feelings and behaviors are often caused by unresolved earlier experiences that are pushing you in the wrong directions. The goal of EMDR therapy is to leave you with the emotions, understanding, and perspectives that will lead to healthy and useful behaviors and interactions.

EMDR therapy helps people to heal traumatic memories and experiences so that people can keep living their lives free from the past.

other types of psychological therapies

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
• Motivational Interviewing (MI)