EMDR on the NHS

[Eliza]

Hi folks,

I have been looking into the effectiveness of EMDR (I have tried CBT and am currently in psychotherapy), and it looks like it's quite effective for PTSD. I don't know whether it is available on the NHS though. I've looked on NHS Choices, and it has info about it, which leads me to think they might do it. But on the self-referral, it doesn't give an option for EMDR, it just has talking therapies. Is it worth going to my GP and trying to get a referral? Or is it something that isn't likely to happen?

Do any of you have any experience of EMDR on the NHS?

 

[Chris-duck]

Do any of you have any experience of EMDR on the NHS?

Ive not done EMDR on the NHS, but where I'm waiting to start therapy at has EMDR as an option. But it's a specialised trauma place. I haven't come across anywhere that did it outside of there. So it probably depends on your health board (I'm Glasgow but have lived in a few others) and where you get referred to for therapy.

 

[Sammy10123]

Where I’m from, you can get EMDR from IAPT (more focussed at single traumas), or get referred to psychology (usually via CMHT, based at CMHTS), or get referred to a psychotherapy service which delivers long term psychological therapies including EMDR. It was my understanding that it was pretty common practise to offer it in the UK, especially when you’re under secondary services. Waiting lists are very long though for psychology. Can you ask your local IAPT service or GP about it? Even if IAPT don’t have it, they can usually refer to other services.

 

[Mee]

Area dependant. My area : only a cbt course which has exclusions like a history of attempted suicide or 12 weeks talking therapy. I live in an area where lots of forces live and work and ptsd is considered a primarily ‘services issue’ that is being picked up by the charities and specialist hospitals for veterans and servicemen.

 

[Missycat]

Hi i live in the North of England and have a friend who is having emdr for trauma through the NHS - she was referred by her NHS Pyschologist to see a NHS Psychiatrist who does emdr. Shes having 12 sessions.

 

[Eliza]

she was referred by her NHS Pyschologist to see a NHS Psychiatrist who does emdr. Shes having 12 sessions.

That's really handy to know, I'll speak to my GP and try to get a referral.

 

[Eliza]

I tried to get a referral through our Employee Assistance Programme at work, as that is who my current therapy is with. But they apparently can't cover EMDR. I've tried to get an appointment to see my GP, but there is none available until the end of next week.

I might try for an emergency appointment tomorrow, as I feel like I'm struggling quite a lot at the moment.

 

[barefoot]

Hi @Eliza
I realise this is quite an old post but I’ve only just seen it and am curious about what happened. Did you manage to get any emdr on the NHS?
It looks like I will potentially be offered it. Would be interested to hear your experience if you had any.