Sonya is an EMDR Consultant & Psychotherapist specialising in trauma over the past 25 years.

Sonya is an EMDR Consultant & Psychotherapist specialising in trauma over the past 25 years.

"I just wanted to let you know that I have just become registered again as a theatre nurse. I know I would never have been able to do this without the EMDR therapy and your expertise."

"I just wanted to let you know that I have just become registered again as a theatre nurse. I know I would never have been able to do this without the EMDR therapy and your expertise."

~ Anon

"I was very pessimistic about the therapy at first but I found it helped a great deal when I bought into it. I am nicely surprised by the progress I made. The whole process helped me a great deal."

"I was very pessimistic about the therapy at first but I found it helped a great deal when I bought into it. I am nicely surprised by the progress I made. The whole process helped me a great deal."

~ Joanne

"EMDR is a bit like walking into a room full of filing cabinets, with their contents scattered everywhere. EMDR puts everything back but in its right place."

"EMDR is a bit like walking into a room full of filing cabinets, with their contents scattered everywhere. EMDR puts everything back but in its right place."

~ Sigmund

"Not only has EMDR helped me to overcome anxiety attacks, it also allowed me to gently unearth and find healing from the effects of a deep seated, unresolved grief."

"Not only has EMDR helped me to overcome anxiety attacks, it also allowed me to gently unearth and find healing from the effects of a deep seated, unresolved grief."

~Lynn

Jim Knipe

Jim Knipe

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.  Developed by American psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980’s, it is a treatment approach that has been extensively researched and proven to be effective for the treatment of an extremely wide range of trauma-based difficulties. One commonly recognised result of single or multiple major traumatic events is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This sometimes develops after a person experiences something so disturbing to them that they are unable to process what happened in a way that allows them to heal. EMDR is the recommended treatment of choice for PTSD by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (N.I.C.E.) in the U.K.

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Some of the kinds of traumatic experiences that can lead to PTSD include (but are not limited to):

  • Acute loss in all forms including sudden death of a loved one
  • Assault (experiencing or witnessing)
  • Domestic violence (experiencing or witnessing)
  • Rape
  • Combat stress
  • Childhood abuse (physical, emotional or sexual)
  • Adult abuse (physical, emotional or sexual)
  • Difficult or traumatic birth experiences
  • Extreme illness
  • Road traffic accidents
  • Natural disasters

EMDR is a formal set of protocols and procedures that can be used to “desensitize and reprocess” memories that have been dysfunctionally stored as a result of traumatic experiences.

Only practising, recognised mental health professionals may apply to be trained as EMDR therapists.

A clinical background is necessary for proper application of the EMDR technique. If you feel that this approach could benefit you, you should make sure that your intended therapist has the proper certified qualification and training in EMDR before you accept treatment of this kind.

Flashcards for learning EMDR tools

These Flashcards are a course in a box: a self-training tool any therapist can use to learn some of the fundamental theoretical concepts as well as memorizing and using procedures, working directions and practical techniques mainly inspired by Jim Knipe’s approach for dealing with Complex PTSD and Dissociative clients.

MANUELA SPADONI (AUTHOR) / JIM KNIPE (ADVISOR)