EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing a therapeutic intervention method which uses eye movements and other bilateral stimulations such as tapping to help trauma survivors unlock and process and finally overcome their traumatic experiences and recurring memories, moving them into the past where they belong. By doing this, the impact of trauma including flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, feelings of shame and self-blame and poor mental health all start to diminish and previous overwhelming negative issues become resolved, no longer dominating the here and now.
Sarah joined START in December 2020, she has an MA in counselling and Psychotherapy, and is an accredited counsellor, with over 16 years counselling experience.
Sarah has counselled both adults and young people, working in schools, colleges, Wellbeing Centers and for the NHS.
Sara joined START in April 2021, and has been a counsellor since 2006. She has an Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Integrative).
She became an accredited counsellor with the BACP in 2015 and also became a qualified counselling supervisor in 2016. She is also a trained Hypnotherapist.
She works mainly with adults and young people and has worked a for many years in the field of rape and sexual abuse.
While EMDR is well researched and is evidence based, but does not work for everyone, and not everyone is in the right place mentally to receive EMDR. Your EMDR therapist will discuss with you the options open to you if EMDR isn’t the right START support service.
You will have an initial Assessment with START for our services and if it is felt you might benefit from EMDR or you have indicated you want to hear more about EMDR then your assessment will be looked at and considered by the EMDR team who will contact you to discuss it further before starting any EMDR therapy.
After a EMDR session it is recommended that you leave up to 2 hours before engaging in any stressful or work related tasks to help cement the work undertaken in the session.
Take time to look at the useful videos at the end of these questions as they help explain how the brain functions both normally and when we are faced with traumatic events in our lives and what happens to the memories created during traumatic experiences including sexual abuse.
During traumatic events our brain uses its prime instinct for survival and turns on its “emergency response button” and employs a number of ways to combat the threat and fear that sexual assault and abuse causes. The body responds according to survival technique the brain chooses including a flight, freeze, flop, fight and befriend response to overcome the immediate danger. Once the immediate threat is ended the brain turns off its “emergency response button” and returns to its normal functioning.
When the brains emergency button is “pressed” our experiences and resulting memories are effectively made “offline” and are not processed as we process all other experiences so they become stuck and then float around looking for storage even after our brain has returned to its normal “online” processing.
EMDR aims to reprocess these bad memories and put them where they belong, in the past, so they no longer reoccur in the present as an ongoing experience that elicits an urgent trauma response. The memories remain, as all with all memories, but they have been dealt with and are stored away to be thought about and even talked about rationally as a bad and unwanted experience in the past.
Our counselling team are all qualified and experienced trauma therapists but in addition our EMDR team are accredited counselling practitioners and have had additional specialist training in using EMDR techniques. They are also approved and registered as EMDR practitioners by the UK EMDR Association.
EMDR relies less on traditional talking therapy intervention although during the initial sessions of EMDR the therapists will take some time looking to talk to you about your history, and EMDR uses non-invasive hand movements or a EMDR light bar in the therapy sessions as part of the EMDR process.
EMDR sessions are normally between 75 and 90 minutes long, and the number of sessions depends on the type of trauma involved. For recent events you can have up to a maximum of 18 weekly sessions, and for Childhood Sexual Abuse up to 36 weekly sessions. Everybody responds differently to EMDR and so the number of sessions you might need will very much depend on you and your therapist.
Yes, you can talk with your EMDR therapist about how it is going and switch up to 8 sessions into EMDR to other START counselling support but sessions undertaken will be deducted from those you have already had with the EMDR team.
Depending on the EMDR therapist, the sessions will take place across North and Central Hampshire, usually in and around the Basingstoke or Winchester areas.
No, the EMDR is provided by START under its funding contract, but as part of a charity we do ask that you consider a donation towards us continuing to develop our services for other victims and survivors of sexual abuse and trauma if you are able to do so.
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Testimonials
"I am now in control of my thoughts and my life. I have gained self-confidence in so many ways and I am no longer haunted by the past."
"I have been given the tools to cope with everyday life. Without counselling I would have continued to deny my situation and feelings which was having extreme detrimental effect on myself, family and friends… RASAC has saved me from self destruction without the support I would have crumbled – a true life saver."
"My RASAC counselling has completely changed my life… I am a better mother, a more involved member of the community and I am able to keep myself safe."
"I was counselled for almost a year. I had a wonderful counsellor who helped me through a very difficult and unpleasant time in my life. It has been a process of healing by revisiting past places which at one time felt unimaginable. The journey has been raw and unnerving but slowly I came to see how I was repairing my damaged self. I finally accepted ownership of what had happened to me and was able to let go of my guilt and shame. My counsellor understood my outlook on life and created a connection with me that was very special. I eventually looked forward to my session as a weekly debrief rather than a purge. I am as happy and confident as I have ever been and I tell people about what I have learnt to help turn their negativity into positivity. Fear can be a very powerful emotion and prevent us from moving on in our lives but once it is confronted the clouds separate and you can focus on that hint of sunshine."
"Thank-you for the support, for the first time since talking about the sexual abuse to someone it is really helping me."
"Thank you so much for all your time and support while I was working through all of the stuff that happened - I really couldn't have done it without your help and input." Male client - June 2021
"The support, understanding and guidance that I've received from START has been life-changing. The whole process has been crucial for me to understand some of the trauma I'd experienced during my childhood. Who I've become as a consequence, who I am today, and how I process some of my thoughts, feelings and emotions." - April 2023
"I cannot thank Sarah at START enough for the counselling I received. I was a bit sceptical of the EMDR therapy I was offered at first but it really has helped me a great deal and I'm grateful for having the opportunity to go through it." - April 2023
"I'd like to thank everyone involved at START. You're doing a phenomenal job. I can't stress how important this journey has been for me. It's been a life altering experience." - April 2023
"Thank you for the Lotus week end, my life is taking a turn for the better and my new journey begins now." - July 2023