It used to take me half an hour to leave the house because of all my checking. Sometimes I would leave the house only to come back a few minutes later and check everything again. I felt embarrassed and it was such a big hindrance in my life. I believed I would always have to rely on other people - for example, my husband to lock the door or to be there to make sure I had done it.

Through working with Sarah, I learned what was maintaining my problem. I learned appropriate strategies so that I could make proactive changes. We also used the Flash Technique. This helped to reduce the intensity of some of my intrusive thoughts and helped me to manage my compulsions. It enhanced my belief in myself.

Additionally, I experienced a traumatic event during the time we were working together. Flash Technique helped me to deal with this.

(Female, age 34)

On 3rd July Sarah attended an online webinar. It was an introduction to the techniques of “Dream Completion“ and “Flash“ and how to integrate them into EMDR therapy. It was presented by Dr Justin Havens PhD.

Dream Completion is a technique to deal with unresolved nightmares and disturbing dreams.

The Flash Technique (FT) is a recently developed therapeutic intervention for reducing the disturbance associated with traumatic or other distressing memories. Unlike many conventional trauma therapy interventions, FT is a minimally intrusive option that does not require the client to consciously engage with the traumatic memory. This allows the client to process traumatic memories without feeling distress.

Justin is a psychological therapist accredited by BACP and EMDR Europe. He has worked within the NHS, the charitable sector and in private practice, and has a special interest in treating combat trauma and veterans. He completed his PhD in 2019, which was about developing and evaluating the Dream Completion Technique at the Veterans and Families Institute (Anglia Ruskin University).

Sarah found the webinar most inspiring and Justin is an excellent presenter. She is looking forward to further training in these areas. She can imagine the benefits of helping people who are affected by bad dreams and nightmares to practice the Dream Completion technique.