EMDR

I contacted Joe Kearney because I was having a hard time dealing with distressing and persistent thoughts regarding my partner's infidelity several years earlier, even though I knew the affair was long over. As painful as the whole experience had been for me, I wanted to get beyond it and stop letting thoughts of it steal so much of my time and energy. I'd made a lot of progress, but I was stuck. Joe helped me explore my feelings about it in ways I hadn't thought of before, and he gave me some techniques for defusing my thoughts and feelings.

I am glad to say that I have benefited greatly from the EMDR therapy which I have recently completed. I approached the treatment with an open mind and although the flashing lights seemed a little weird at first, I persevered and to my surprise, I seem to be cured. When I first started the therapy, I began to shake and become stressed when talking about my car accident and was very nervous of both driving a car and being a passenger. After my therapy, I do not seem to have any of those symptoms, which is extraordinary.

Following an incident last year at work, I was sent to see Joe and I had the typical male feelings that I don't need any of this and that this was a waste of time, however with Hobson’s choice I attended, and decided like anything in life as I was there I would make the most of the situation. On meeting Joe for the first time I found him to be a nice person with a unique sense of humour. After our first session he suggested that I try the EMDR Treatment.

Having been sent to see Joe by work I had the typical male response that I don't need any of this and why should I go,but decided to give it a go. On meeting Joe I found him to be very pleasant and actually quite funny. After our first session he had suggested that I try the EMDR Treatment at first I was quite sceptical but decided I would give it a chance. After the first attempt at the EMDR, I had my reservations about it even more but still continued with the treatment.

I was recommended to Joe by an acquaintance who believed the techniques he uses would benefit me. I had an incident shortly after passing my driving test and this resulted in me developing a fear of being in control of a car . Occasionally I would take to the road but I found myself increasingly hiding behind excuses why I shouldn't drive until I reached a point where I stopped completely. It had been nearly twenty years since I had driven a car when I went to Joe for help.

I went through a trauma when I was 18 years old. I had normal counselling afterwards and thought that I was ok. But whatever I thought, there were things that I couldn’t help. Like flashbacks in the day, or freezing suddenly, or feeling afraid for no apparent reason. I could rationalise it all I wanted, such as it was not my fault, but that wasn’t how I felt. What I did feel was that there was a hole in me where something had been ripped out. I approached EMDR with caution, not really sure how to handle blue lights flashing up and down a black bar.

I suffered the effects of post traumatic stress disorder after marital problems and an assault. I knew I needed help to stop the obsessive thoughts, fear and anger that was stopping me from moving on and regaining my happiness. I found the sessions with Gerry using EMDR helped me have other, more helpful and calmer, thoughts about the events that were upsetting me and I can now see a future where painful memories will hardly intrude - something I never believed possible just a few months ago.

I can only thank Joe from the bottom of my heart for helping and curing me of my anxiety. Anxiety and panic attacks were a daily occurance, sometimes 3 a day, which i can only describe as physically exhausting and the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. Joe was welcoming from the start, always able to crack an Irish joke at the right moment! I had EMDR treatment, which like others have said, is amazing, and had no idea i had remembered all these thoughts from years ago that turned out to be affecting my day-to-day life.

I really will never be able to thank you enough because from the day I experienced EMDR, I felt able to actually start to deal with problems instead of storing them away. I had the ability once again to confront and solve problems which is exhilarating and very rewarding. I started going out with my friends and really enjoying myself again.

Before I met Joe I was carrying a lot of bad memories from my childhood around with me, feeling guilty and blaming myself, but had always kept them to myself. After an incident at work where I was assaulted quite badly, I suffered with the after effects, including 'Post Traumatic Stress'. After seeing another counsellor I was advised by them to seek help from someone who specalised in trauma therapies and the use of EMDR as they felt this would help me much more. Looking on the internet, I came across the web site for 'Beechmount', which offered EMDR therapy.