Trauma Therapy: EMDR Can Help Resolve Your Trauma-Here’s How

Whilst there is increasing evidence regarding the efficacy of EMDR, I would also like to share with you a client’s experience of trauma therapy with me at WellQo Wellbeing services.  Please note that this story is shared with full permission given, and identities have been concealed via use of pseudonyms.

Joanne was married to her partner for over 30 years.  During this period she encountered many conflicts including domestic violence and cheating.  Despite the difficulties, Joanne had no intention of ending the relationship, trying her best to make it work, especially so because she had two very young children  to look after.

When Joanne’s marriage ended, it came as a complete shock to her.  Shocked that her partner was cheating on her and wanted a divorce, and shocked that he didn’t care about her or her children.  This also triggered a series of other conflicts such as the loss of her family unit, the loss of her home, feeling abandoned, financial worries, as well as feeling attacked due to an immediate court case to settle property rights.

During the initial consultation, Joanne reported she was crying uncontrollably most of the time.  She could not face nor look after her kids whilst in this state, became withdrawn, slept almost all the time, was unable to work, and struggled with severe low mood and anxiety.

For many years Joanne was aware of the holistic therapies I applied, however, at her own admission, she had previously derided them.  With almost a blind faith in the medical establishment, she told me she had placed GPs on a pedastal as being the only reliable source of healing.  It took Joanne many years and being at ‘rock bottom’ to even consider trying an alternative approach to address her mental stress.  She did in fact reach out to her GP who offered her prescription drugs however she declined them, which I was very glad to hear.  In any event, what was important was that Joanne was willing to try treatment;  a crucial decision that set the course for her recovery.

I took my time in explaining to Joanne how holistic therapy works, especially the trauma removal techniques, however I was very conscious of the fact that she probably didn’t believe they could help.  In addition, despite Joanne suffering the trauma of a marriage breakup, she seemed confused and scared about what was happening to her, struggling with fear that she may have a life threatening physical disorder, and initially kept visiting  her GP to request blood tests.   

I took my time in understanding all of Joanne’s concerns, needs, and goals and fully explained to her how therapy, especially EMDR and hypnotic suggestion, would work.  I also highlighted  how the trauma might be influencing her current state.

Initially, our primary goal was to help Joanne alleviate some of the intense emotional distress she was experiencing.  This required compassionate support and the application of EFT.  The latter technique incorporated psychological processing, which entailed Joanne describing what had happened and how it was affecting her.  In addition, we ended the session with some bilateral stimulation and hypnotic suggestions to help Joanne feel relaxed and calm.

After the very first session, Joanne reported feeling lighter and was smiling. Future sessions involved applying more EMDR to specific events, however when needed, Joanne had the space to apply EFT and talk about the details of the trauma.

After only 6 sessions Joanne’s mood had significantly lifted.  She felt happier, stronger, was able to take care of her kids and returned to work.  Joanne had a further 6  sessions, sometimes a month or so apart.  The reasons for the additional sessions included feeling depressed due to discovering her ex husbands new partner was pregnant, or due to the stress of the ongoing court case. However, despite these setbacks, after we continued to apply EMDR to process her negative thoughts and emotions, her perception changed completely, and the stressors no longer affected her.  This left her feeling more in control and able to face any challenges moving forward.  

I share this story with you because Joanne is not an outlier.  Every day people encounter stressful events.  In fact, studies show that the majority, if not all people, will suffer one or more traumatic events in their lifetime.  Joanne’s first choice of seeking support was her GP, who offered her prescription medicines.  Had she taken this option, like so many other people, she may well have spent years of her life taking prescription drugs, trying to manage their side effects, struggling with her mental and physical health and wondering whether her symptoms started because of a chemical imbalance in her brain.  I say this because i’ve worked with patients that experienced the same trauma as Joanne, went to their GPs, and started taking antidepressants – 30 years later they were still on the drugs, still struggling with their mental health, and completely confused about how it all started. 

The take home message here is not that you shouldn’t use antidepressants, especially if they reduce some or all symptoms, however what is important is that you address any underlying trauma that may have caused the condition in the first place.  

I hope Joanne’s story inspires hope and encouragement.  Remember, it’s never too late to heal from trauma.  

If you have any further questions about EMDR therapy or to discuss treatment and support options then feel free to get in touch.  

With best wishes,

Sadaf