Post Traumatic Stress

TESTIMONIALS

Testimonial for the treatment of PTSD using EMDR following a traumatic event.

 I was hit by a truck whilst riding my bike. I had been riding on busy roads for over twenty years and regarded myself as a competent and careful cyclist. I found this incident to be particularly traumatic. Along with physical injuries, I also experienced some psychological symptoms which affected my day-to-day life. I have always thought of myself as a headstrong and determined person, so I was taken by complete surprise, and this affected my belief in myself. 

I was a bit sceptical of EMDR at first and thought “is this really going to work?” Having completed the treatment, I think it is amazing and has totally changed my life. Before starting the therapy, I thought my love of riding a bike had passed and I would never get it back. Now, I am as passionate as ever about riding. I found Sarah to be very approachable and trustworthy. Even though EMDR seemed unusual, I felt safe in her hands.

(Female, aged 46, virtual sessions, March 2022)

Testimonial for the treatment of symptoms following a car accident

I came to see Sarah because I had been involved in a car accident. I was given 12 sessions by my insurance company to treat my symptoms. I had had depression and anxiety for about 3 years before the accident but my symptoms had got worse. I also had problems with reoccurring images of the accident, nightmares, feeling really jumpy, poor concentration and disturbed sleep. I was avoiding driving and in particular down the road where the accident happened.

What i have learned in these 12 sessions has helped me not only to get over the accident but also in other aspects of my life. I am feeling calmer, less wound up and learning that things are rarely as bad as they seem. All the worrying and dwelling on the past has not really got me anywhere. I have learned to look at things differently and to be able to control my worry and rumination. I can now deal with situations in a calm manner. I am regularly driving including driving down the road where the accident happened which makes my life much easier.

Female, aged 34 (September 2019)

EMDR following a car accident

When I first came for EMDR I did not really believe it could help me.  I looked EMDR up on line and thought it seemed too good to be true. I felt a bit confused with how I felt after the first couple of sessions.  Once we started doing “Safe Place”, I was really engrossed with EMDR. “Safe Place” was really useful and I’ve used it a few times to calm myself down. 

I had not driven for over a year since the accident and I could not imagine myself driving again. Now having had EMDR, I have fully processed the memory of the car accident and I feel I’ve moved on from it. I am ready to drive again and feel excited about that. I have got my confidence and motivation back once again.

I would definitely recommend EMDR!

(Female age 24)

EMDR following a traumatic event

When I came for therapy I was frequently tearful. I was eating and sleeping badly. My relationship with my boyfriend was pretty bad at that point.  I was struggling with confidence at work.

I had 7 EMDR sessions to deal with the traumatic event.  Within 4 sessions I started to feel better, more upbeat and optimistic.  I began to understand the emotions I was feeling.  I realised I had been reliving the traumatic events for about a year.  I had not appreciated until then how the events had impacted my day-to-day life and had affected my confidence. 

Through the course of the EMDR treatment I felt a heavy weight lift and I felt I could enjoy my life again. I was eating and sleeping better.  My relationship with my boyfriend improved greatly.  

I think if I experienced a traumatic event again I would be better equipped to deal with it.  

I felt Sarah supported me and helped me to find the courage to face my trauma and process it.  I feel proud of the distance I have come with Sarah’s help in such a short time, given that I had experienced my symptoms for over a year. 

(Female, aged 25)

EMDR following a car accident

I am pleasantly surprised at how fast the treatment relieved my symptoms.  The shock that EMDR actually worked was big enough let alone the speed at which it was effective, definitely.

I am certainly enjoying driving again.  I am not excessively checking my rear view mirror.  I no longer have the physical symptoms such as the sweaty hands, tense shoulders, pins and needles in my legs or general feelings of panic.

(Female aged 23)

CBT following a car accident

Before the therapy everything felt like a dream and now I feel like I have woken up.  My world had become smaller and smaller because I was avoiding so much.  I had reached the point when I would only leave my home at the times of the day when there was the least amount of traffic on the road. I had stopped talking to anyone other than my daughter.  I was very jumpy and very scared.  I felt like I had to be on watch all of the time.  I was often irritable and it felt like the slightest thing made me angry.  Because of my travel anxiety I had lost touch with my family. I felt like I had no future. 

I am so pleased I came for therapy and find myself recommending it to people because it has changed my life enormously.  I am no longer jumpy and frightened.  I feel confident to leave my home at any time of the day.  I feel very fortunate to have had Sarah to help me.  I now feel like I have a future and wake up feeling positive about the day ahead.  

I have learnt to ask for help in future and not to shut myself away.  

(Female age 39)