Counselling and EMDR

Trauma and EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was created by DR Francine Shapiro, a Psychologist and Senior Research Fellow at the Mental Health Research Institute in Palo Alto, USA. It is an innovative clinical treatment, which has successfully helped over one million people who have experienced psychological difficulties that originate from some kind of traumatic experience, such as sexual abuse, childhood neglect, road traffic accidents and violence. EMDR is also successful in treating other complaints such as, performance anxiety, self-esteem issues, phobias, and other trauma related anxiety disorders associated with addiction.

EMDR is a complex method of psychotherapy that integrates many of the successful elements of a range of therapeutic approaches, and combines them with eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation in ways which stimulate the brain’s information processing system.

Normally, the individual processes traumatic experiences naturally. However, when a person is severely traumatized, either by an overwhelming event or by being repeatedly subjected to distress, this healing process may become overloaded, leaving the original disturbing experiences unprocessed. These unprocessed memories can be stored in the brain in a “raw” form (triggers) where they can be continually re-evoked when experiencing events that are similar to the original experience.

EMDR utilizes the body’s natural healing ability and allows the brain to heal psychological problems at the same rate as the rest of the body heals physical ailments. Because EMDR allows the mind and body to heal at the same rate, treatment can be rapid. The number of sessions required for EMDR treatment, however, will vary according to the complexity of the issues being dealt with. In general, the more isolated the traumatic memory being treated, the shorter the treatment tends to be.

There have been 14 controlled studies supporting the efficacy of EMDR, making it the most thoroughly researched method in the treatment of trauma. The most recent five studies with people suffering from a range of events such as rape, combat, bereavement, accidents, natural disasters etc. have found that 84 – 90% of the participants no longer had Post-traumatic Stress Disorder following EMDR treatment. Given its wide application, EMDR promises to be the therapy of the future.

Fran Miller, Therapist and Clinical Nurse Specialist has a special interest in the use and development of EMDR in the treatment of addictive forms of behaviour

Adapted from EMDR Europe site. http://www.emdr-europe.org

Counselling and Supervision

Perhaps the most important gifts we can offer another human being is the gift of being heard, the chance to express yourself in a safe and supported, non-judgemental environment.
There are many different approaches to Counselling. Over the years the proliferation of courses and “pseudo” therapies and therapists has done a great deal to undermine confidence in counselling as a respectful, empowering therapeutic option for support in times of difficulty.

We don’t advocate a specific model or approach, believing instead that it is the quality of the relationship between the client and counsellor that may enable people to move forward in their lives as a result of that contact.

What we can and do ensure, is that we offer a respectful environment where you can explore and derive your own solutions to the issues that may be of concern to you, without the concern of being labelled or diagnosed.

There’s so much clutter in busy working people’s lives and probably the most valuable thing we offer is the “space” which is uncluttered by the therapists agenda and preconceived ideas about your needs. This can be like a breath of fresh air to some but we understand that it can seem daunting to others.
Taking the first step is sometimes the biggest and the hardest move to make, but taking one small step towards something, brings it closer, clearer, tangible, and makes change possible.

If you work with psychological therapies and require supervision, either group or individual, please contact us for details.

Introduction

Conny is a trained Humanistic Counsellor and an Arts Therapist who integrates elements of Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine in her work.

My dance of life… ?   Well, one of my life changing momentum’s certainly unfolded when I moved from Germany to this country about 12 years ago. Within the first month of my arrival I met two very special people. One was my then work boss – who offered me the gift of being truly listened to and who kindly encouraged me to step out of an outdated Armour I had been wearing for too long. The other was an old man who loved music and turned out to have been a pioneering counselor in the later 1950’s. In time he became one of my inspiring and sometimes quite challenging life teachers and a dear friend. Both these men encouraged me to dance life, to not forget to breathe and laugh and to have a deep-felt respect for people and their stories…

…and since then my learning & working life grew very organically. Studying to become a Counsellor led me to more deeply appreciate the different ways of how people communicate and express themselves.

Knowing from my own experience what a powerful and also gentle force Creativity can be, I chose to also train in Art/ Creative Expressive Therapy.

The learning never stops, and through the following working years I felt very privileged to facilitate and witness people’s often very courageous journeys of self-exploration, continuously being amazed about their inner self-healing wisdom.

…Often have I thought back to what the old man taught me… but it has needed the actual personal encounter with people to truly understand his words.

During the recent years it felt a natural path to more deeply engage the body in my work… … and to embrace the ancient wisdom of wholesomeness. …

So I am now bringing together the above with elements of Eden Energy Medicine, Touch for Health, Energy Psychology and EFT… some of which every person can easily learn & use themselves.

In my work I’ve been given many treasures and I surely honour the chance to witness people’s unfolding potential and their creative power to re-build their lives.

There is a magic to life I feel, with all the waves it brings. …And learning to trust it is a lesson of which I am still a very young student myself. Having meet Chris several years ago is a beautiful part of this learning and has caused me to smile a lot.

… and of course there is always the dancing…

Dates & Qualification/ training   (Cornelia Friedrich)

*PG Dip. In Art Therapy,University of Derby,UK    (qualified July 2004)

*Counsellor, Yale College Wrexham,UK   (cti)          (qualified Sept. 2004)

*Training in Person-Centred Expressive Arts Therapies,Endmoor,UK

(Certificate, 2007)

EFT L1   (2007);  *EFT L2   (2008)

*EFT L3/ Practitioner Level,UK  (Febr. 2009)

*1- day training in Eden Energy Medicine,Cardiff   (May 2010)

*5-day training in Eden Energy Medicine,Cardiff (Certificate, June 2011)

Usui Reiki 1st Degree (2001);  Usui 2nd Degree (2002)

*Usui Reiki Third Degree, Master Practitioner/ Teacher,  UK    (Feb. 2012)

*Quantum Touch Level 1,UK        (Certificate April 2012)

*Touch for Health/ Kinesiology (compact course),Jena,Germany

(Certificate, May 2012)

-Professional Membership:   BAAT  (British Association of Arts Therapists)

HPC state registered

UKAHPP

-Combined Liability and Indemnity insurance with BALENS

Arts Therapies offer a wholesome space for people to invite all their  

senses & their imagination to enter a journey of exploration.

By stimulating and focusing their unique creative energies the realms of verbal and non-verbal communication are bridged and pathways open for people to more deeply come in touch with their emotions and inner life. In a confidential therapeutic setting people can find their own language of self-expression & healing which can involve the means of drawing, painting, sculpting, movement, writing, sound and storytelling.

Sometimes people get misled by the terminology “Arts Therapies”. Please know that no artistic skills are required. It is about a willingness to be open and curious, to re-discover and express your own whole self through your own natural kind of creativity and playfulness.

Humanistic Counselling is a safe and confidential encounter between the

person seeking counselling support and a trained Counsellor. In a professional relationship people are given space & time to explore thoughts, feelings, emotions, values and sensations that may cause discomfort and which can be linked to all aspects of life. As a Humanistic Counsellor I acknowledge the wholeness of a person and aim to respectfully facilitate their journey of self-discovery. Hereby I do not give advice but will listen deeply to what the person communicates, encouraging trust in and respect for their own inner wisdom.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is an Energy Psychology approach

which was initiated by Gary Craig, based on his studies on Thought Field Therapy (TFT). It combines the ancient wisdom of the body’s energy system & body therapies with the knowledge of modern Western talking therapies. Body, mind and spirit are acknowledged as one entity and any emotional disharmony is understood as an imbalance that can impact upon a person’s whole well being. By tapping specific acupuncture points and using sensitively intoned words/ phrases (provided by the person seeking support) EFT can often quickly restore balance on both an emotional as well as physical level. EFT changes the brain’s chemistry and helps people to let go of old outdated patterns and the feelings attached to these. 

This approach can be learnt easily by everyone and used as a self-help tool for everyday life situations. With a skilled practitioner it can also be successful an approach in treating trauma and PTSD.

EDEN ENERGY MEDICINE (EEM) is an energy medicine approach that was

introduced by Donna Eden in the 1980’s. Working with nine bodily energy systems, including the Aura, Chakras, Meridians and the 5 Elements, she brings together ancient wisdom, a deep respect of nature’s forces and therapeutic knowledge based on modern research.

EEM can provide people with easily available tools to take care of their own health & well being whereby energy itself is understood as the medicine and healing agent for body, mind and soul. As a means to assess the body’s energies simple ‘Energy Tests’, based on ‘Applied Kinesiology’ – in particular John Thie’s ‘Touch for Health’- are used. Depending on their outcome relevant movements and exercises are applied accordingly to support a natural recovery.

When receiving a treatment or by practicing energy medicine on oneself stimuli are given for a natural self-healing process. The body’s and the environment’s electromagnetic and subtle energies are directly engaged in this work and great attention is paid to re-learning a conscious way of relating to ones own unique body energy system.

 

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