Like a river carving its path, gently but persistently, the journey of mental health shapes the soul, smoothing rough stones into polished gems of courage and strength.

South Lakes EMDR provides EMDR Therapy, Dynamic Supportive Integrative Therapy and Systems Therapy in the North Lancashire and South Lakes area of northwest England, covering the Lancaster, Morecambe, Kendal, Grange-over-Sands, Penrith, and surrounding areas.

As a clinically recognised treatment for psychological disorders, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) Therapy is concerned with the treatment of past psychological trauma and the associated memories that are stored relating to these traumas. 

EMDR therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. Research around the world and in the UK supports positive clinical outcomes showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for a multitude of disorders including anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, PTSD, Complex PTSD, and other distressing disorders and life experiences.

In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS both recognise EMDR therapy as an effective treatment for trauma related mental health and physical health disorders, whilst worldwide the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs/Dept. of Defence, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the World Health Organization all recognize EMDR therapy as an effective treatment.

Adopting original, integrative, imaginative, and innovative methods, South Lakes EMDR have successfully treated people using EMDR who were experiencing a wide variety of issues including PTSD, Complex PTSD, Anxiety, Depression as well as helping people to successfully overcome Phobias and Performance Anxiety. 

EMDR as a structured therapy, encourages people to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories. 

Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) the  theoretical framework for EMDR, advances three principles: that the person has an available internal system that is adaptable to stress variables; assiduous and toxic stress along with psychological trauma can result in experiences being stored in the body and brain maladaptively; EMDR can adaptively process this maladaptively stored information via bilateral stimulation. 

In treating trauma or what is termed ‘pathogenic’ memories, AIP theorises that the “past drives the present” hypothesising the principle of the relationship and links between memories (past), current triggers (present) and (future) goals. EMDR adopts a three-pronged method for treatment that targets the relational links between past, present, and future. Targeting pathological, disturbing, traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation, EMDR adaptively processes these pathogenic memories with subsequent reduction in symptoms and resolution of mental health and physical health disorders.

Through targeting past experiences, current triggers, and future potential challenges, EMDR Therapy works towards:

▪ Alleviating presenting symptoms

▪ Decreasing or eliminating distress from the disturbing memory

▪ Improving view of the self

▪ Relief from bodily disturbance

▪ Resolution of present and future anticipated triggers.