Brain Coaching, EMDR and Prince Harry article – Not that Bizarre! There is science involved.

Recently there was an article written by Samantha Selinger-Morris, about how Prince Harry uses a method called EMDR to help him resolve his past issues about his mother’s death. (EMDR is Eye Movement Desensitising and Resetting). The author makes some excellent points and quotes from both clients and University professors about how successful EMDR is helping people resolve emotional issues especially about traumatic events.

The Author, Samantha commented about how EMDR could be related to REM. REM is Rapid Eye Movement during sleep. Scientists have done many trials on people while they were asleep and measured anxiety levels before and after sleep, and compared it with people who have broken sleep, with people who had a full night’s sleep. There is a lot of evidence that shows that REM, or the left to right movement of the eyes, helps to reduce the emotionality of events. This left/right eye movement helps the two hemispheres of the brain to resolve emotions of the day while you are asleep. So that you can think about an issue or an event without getting as upset as you normally would. Of course, there are some life events that one good night’s sleep might not help very much.

About 5 years ago, while studying Psychology at UNE, I wrote a paper comparing REM with EMDR. The hypothesis was – if REM helps a person to resolve emotional issues of the day, at random, while you are asleep; surely EMDR helps, especially when, you have pinpointed the issue and the person is awake and they are concentrating on that issue.

I have had so many successful cases, where clients have felt such relief after a few sessions of Brain Coaching. It was wonderful to see them so happy, and able to deal with issues in their life as a result.

Why the Brain Coaching method that I use is so much more useful than EMDR on its own, is because I help identify the original trigger, especially if the reason for the anxiety is not as obvious as a traumatic event like a fire or accident or abuse. 

The 3 steps in Brain Coaching are:
1st – identify the original trigger. It may or not be obvious, for example a fear of flying may not be because you have been in a plane accident.

2nd – Resolve that original issue using rapid eye movement, (does not involve being in a trance), it involves the left and right hemispheres of the brain, encouraging the logical side to take over from the emotional side. Psychologists call it – reducing the ‘emotionality’ of an event so that in future, you can think about it, without getting as upset as you used to.

3rd – Now what? How does the client want to feel from now on? How do they want to react when this issue arises again? What do they want to put into practice that will suit their lifestyle and their circumstances? This is where brain coaching comes to the fore. We change your old bad habits of thinking into new good habits ie. New neural pathways.

The brain has plasticity – it is possible to change your habits and learn new ways of thinking.

So, whether your issue is from a major trauma or to do with a phobia; insomnia; procrastination; addiction to sugar even; check out my website; give me a call, and we can have a chat about how brain coaching can help you lead a less stressful life.

I consult in Sydney, as well as regional and rural NSW . ( I also have clients in Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin and Adelaide).