How EMDR and Brainspotting Can Help us to Overcome Single event Trauma and Complex Trauma.

As humans, we are each susceptible to experiencing trauma on some level either within our individual or collective journeys. Trauma is often described as a normal human response to abnormal events. For those who experience a natural disaster, bereavement, or another distressing event, an emotional response such as trauma is normal. It is also important to recognise that the scale of an event doesn’t negate the experience of trauma. Trauma resulting from experiences that may seem harmless at face value is also valid. Trauma can result from a one-time event, or repetitive events over time. It can affect us on an individual level, or we can be part of a community impacted by trauma.

When left unprocessed, trauma can work behind the scenes to shape the relationship we have with ourselves, and how we engage (or disengage)with the world and the people around us. Every human experience is unique, but trauma reactions can present in common ways like memory loss, flashbacks, intense feelings, unpredictable behaviour, feelings of guilt or shame, difficulty sleeping, strained interpersonal relationships and more.

Education can help us to realise when treatment is necessary. By becoming familiar with the signs of trauma we can support ourselves, our loved ones and the wider community in this difficult area. For those experiencing trauma, it can be hard to identify the relationship between present behaviour and past experiences. A lack of education regarding the treatment of trauma can sadly prevent survivors from seeking help that can be life-changing.

Finding the right treatment is imperative if we hope to heal. At Neu Practice it is our mission to find the roots of trauma so that our clients can learn to thrive in life, rather than survive. In our practice, we have witnessed clients experience profound life changes after using both EMDR and Brainspotting as treatment methods. Today we would like to share a little bit about these two cutting edge treatments that can take the brain chemistry and complex trauma to a new level.

How Can EMDR Help us to Overcome Trauma?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. This form of psychotherapy affords our brains the space to reprocess painful memories caused by past traumatic experiences. EMDR is unique because it focuses on the physical and/or emotional symptoms that result from trauma, rather than the original experience. The goal of this treatment is to approach a point in which traumatic events can be remembered without experiencing negative or harmful responses. While it is commonly associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, EMDR has been used to help with multiple mental health conditions such as long- term stress, eating disorders, anxiety or depression.

How Does EMDR Work?

EMDR can help us to overcome trauma by reducing any feelings of distress experienced during memory recall. This part of the process is referred to as desensitisation . After which we can examine and fully process persistent negative thoughts or feelings, and let go of what no longer serves us. The process of EMDR can free our minds from unhelpful thoughts and beliefs resulting from trauma. We can then create and strengthen any existing positive beliefs that we hold about ourselves. Clients are also provided with helpful techniques to cope with stressful events that may occur in the future. The wider benefits of EMDR treatment extend to our social interactions with others.

What Happens During an EMDR Session?

Any previous treatment history must first be established. Your therapist can then provide you with an appropriate treatment plan and an in-depth explanation of the EMDR process. This will help to establish the trust that is required for successful treatment. You can then collaborate to identify negative feelings and uncover their positive counterparts. During the desensitization element of an EMDR session, your therapist will ask you to follow a specific side to side hand movement with your eyes.

As you follow the therapist’s finger movements you will be asked to recall the memory of the traumatic event. After desensitisation, the agreed positive replacements to negative thoughts and beliefs can then be instilled. To evaluate the treatment, your therapist will conduct a body scan. This is a visualisation process that is used to assess whether you are able to bring up traumatic memories without experiencing negative feelings that prevent you from healing. At the end of each session, your therapist will help guide you toward a feeling of closure. If you require further treatment, a re-evaluation will take place at the start of every EMDR session.

How Can Brainspotting Help us to Overcome Trauma?

Brainspotting or BSP is a treatment that works in line with founder David Grand’s discovery : “Where you look affects how you feel.” When focusing on trauma, where we look can either intensify or reduce the negative feelings and/or emotions that manifest in our bodies as either physical pain, feelings of discomfort, or changes in facial expression to name a few. The manifestations or signals from our bodies during a Brainspotting session, help us to identify the sequence of trauma. Under supervision from a supportive therapist, we can safely process and release it. BSP is especially helpful in the treatment of anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and difficulties with emotional regulation. Brainspotting is a combination of Somatic Experiencing and EMDR.

How Does Brainspotting Work?

Brainspotting provides us with a powerful tool to communicate with the deepest parts of our minds so that we can uncover and treat trauma. BSP is first used to identify unprocessed trauma that is stored within our subcortical( lower region of the brain.) This area of the brain conducts functions like memory, pleasure, emotion, and hormone production. All of which are key elements when experiencing and processing trauma. Our subcortical brain is unique, organizing thoughts and feelings around eye position. A trained therapist can work with the subcortical brain to identify a brainspot. This is a place in which physical manifestations of trauma can be triggered. By engaging with these sensory experiences in a safe and supportive environment, we can work through trauma and the self-healing process can be accessed.

What Happens During a Brainspotting Session?

To identify a brainspot, your therapist will use a visual pointer to direct either one or both of your eyes across the full length of your visual field. Brainspots can also be found using sound waves. During this process, you will work alongside your therapist to identify bodily signals in relation to past trauma. These signals can manifest by way of yawns, swallows, facial expressions, physical pain, discomfort, coughs or eye twitches. When a brainspot is identified, you will be asked to hold your eye position and focus on how you feel physically and emotionally. It is important to work in partnership with your therapist during the session.

In the following example, Shabina tells us about a client that she worked with whilst using BSP.

Lisa (all details are changed slightly to protect the privacy of any clients ) came to see us after having growing anxiety since the birth of children when she was driving. Lisa had found herself unable to go at speed and was beginning to notice that she was getting increasingly anxious about taking the family away on long trips and would start to think about avoiding trips altogether. Lisa and I worked together to identify the physical symptoms of her distress. We then worked to find the brain spot that correlated with this discomfort. After 2 sessions Lisa was able to think about driving with no discomfort. She was happy and surprised that she could now drive without feeling the anxiety that had started to build.

Both of these treatments focus on using the brain and your nervous system to process through stored memories of trauma, rewire the brain, leading to some significant breakthroughs in therapy. Both access information that is stored in the amygdala, which is not accessed through verbal processing. Both therapies use bi-lateral stimulation which is a form of sensory involvement to stimulate the different parts of your brain whilst you are having the treatment.

If you would like to learn more about any of the cutting edge treatments available at Neu Practice please contact us today on 0751208 0671. Alternatively, click here to meet the team.