EMDR
It could be the case that your child has experienced something really bad. Examples are an accident, death of a loved one, (sexual) abuse, assault, or being bullied.
If your child has experienced something like this, your child may suffer from flashbacks: he or she sees the pictures of the bad events over and over again, for example when it is quiet in the classroom or when he or she has just gotten into bed. It could also be that your child is frightened and scared and avoids certain situations, or your child wants to be very close to their parents and finds it difficult to be left alone. Your child might have trouble sleeping, or regularly experiences physical discomfort such as stomach aches and headaches. Concentrating at school can be difficult, and your child might show behavioral problems: getting angry very easily of being sad very often.
These kind of symptoms can occur to anyone who has experienced something bad, but sometimes the problems won’t disappear or suddenly get very intense at a much later time. In those cases it is important to opt for trauma treatment.
EMDR is a popular treatment method for this, it is used for trauma and fears. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing.
The EMDR processes these memories and reduces the problems your child is experiencing, so that your child can continue their everyday life without being constantly bothered by things like flashbacks.
EMDR is intended for children and adolescents who have developed trauma-related problems after experiencing of witnessing major events. EMDR can be used on children from the age of two and up. On average, 1-3 EMDR sessions are required after a single traumatic event. In chronic traumatization, the EMDR treatment takes (much) longer and the number of sessions depend on the complexity of the trauma.
It is important to note that the therapist determines whether or not EMDR treatment is used. In some cases another form of treatment can be used that is more suitable for the child and the situation. The therapist will consult the parents when selecting what treatment would be best for the child.
The employees of the Kinderpraktijk who perform EMDR treatments have followed the training at the ACT-EMDR Center, this training is accredited (NIP / NVO).
