Bilateral stimulation-based therapy offers a path to healing through (usually) guided eye movement, though sometimes other senses can be used. BLAST ® sessions help you to process past traumas, so you can find relief from anxiety and distress. Are you ready to take the first steps towards a calmer, more empowered you? Then contact me.
- Book a free 20-minute Discovery call, available on Zoom or by phone
- Call me to book an appointment or get questions answered – 01977 678593
- Email me
Or, for more information, read on…
Eye Movement Therapy
The BLAST ® technique, which I use, developed from ideas based in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming) and other similar eye movement therapies.
Neuroscience tells us that, in sufferers of PTSD and trauma, structures in the right side/hemisphere of the brain are overactive. They act as if there is an immediate threat even when there isn’t. Until recently, EMDR was the best treatment available but, as a more modern therapy, the BLAST Technique ® can take into account recent discoveries in how the brain works.
The BLAST Technique® uses movements with a light pen to help the memory access the left side/hemisphere of the brain, alongside suggestions which help you to reprocess the trauma. Afterwards, you can understand what happened and remember it, but without the physical or emotional response.
BLAST ® stands for Bi-Lateral Analysis and Stimulation Treatment. Psychotherapist Nick Davies developed it to work faster and more effectively with PTSD and trauma by utilising the brain’s natural processing systems and it’s been described as “EMDR on steroids”!
Now that we have the technicalities out of the way, what does all this mean for you?
We’re not sure exactly how this works, but there are theories. We do know the left and right hemispheres (sides) of the brain control different elements of our experiences. When we experience events, we receive them first in the right-hand side of the brain. If the event is not important or emotional (like buying a sandwich for your lunch) it quickly passes across into the left side of the brain. It becomes a memory. We can recall it if we want to, but when we do, we understand it’s part of our past.
If we experience a scary or emotional event things are different. Say someone robs the sandwich shop at gunpoint while we are there. The right-hand side of the brain hangs onto that experience and kicks off the production of stress hormones. The event does not pass across to the left brain properly (or at all), so our brains continue to react as if it was happening right now. This is when the feelings start to intrude into your day-to-day life and become a problem.
Some people say bilateral stimulation works because the movements encourage both halves of the brain to be active. Then the message passes more easily from one to the other. Others believe it calms and desensitises the amygdala, which is the area in your brain that controls how much fear or anxiety you’re feeling. Either way, there are many studies to show it works well.
The therapy isn’t just about moving your eyes, though that is the traditional approach. We can also use sounds and touch to trigger this processing if that works better for you.
What is BLAST ® used for?
Therapists originally developed these techniques to work with trauma.
In everyday language, the word ‘trauma’ refers to extreme circumstances like assault, rape, or natural disasters. But therapists use it to describe any scary or upsetting situation. This includes quite common experiences, like a relationship breakup or feeling very embarrassed. Learn more about trauma at this link.
We can use this therapy for anything that involves an unpleasant memory or strong negative feelings – phobias, anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, OCD, and more.
The number of sessions you need will depend on your circumstances and the issues we’re addressing. Book a free Zoom or phone discovery session or ring me on 01977 678593 if you want to know more.
This type of therapy can be emotional because you are confronting feelings you may have been avoiding. And the side effects might include tiredness, unusual dreams, and temporary emotional sensitivity, though not everyone experiences them. However, people who have used both approaches say that BLAST ® is a gentler and quicker solution than traditional EMDR.
I may combine it with hypnotherapy, coaching and/or stress management tools as well, to reach the best possible solution for you.
I am a qualified BLAST ® practitioner.
Contact me to learn more and to arrange a session.
