The rewind technique - fast phobia and trauma treatment

 

Who can have the Rewind Technique? 

 

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 The Rewind Technique is especially helpful for individuals who are struggling with the lasting impact of traumatic experiences, phobias and can also help as part of therapy for OCD. It can benefit people who have witnessed or heard an event, such as bystanders, emergency services, therapists, etc.

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How does it help?  

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The rewind technique can help reduce or, in some cases, remove the following symptoms:

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• Unwanted flashbacks or memories

• High anxiety

• Being triggered by ‘everyday things’

• Feeling hypervigilant

• Intrusive thoughts or images

• Nightmares

• Physical sensations of anxiety, such as sweating, nausea, or trembling

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How does it work?

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To understand how the Rewind Technique works, it's helpful to know how our brains process memories, both ordinary and traumatic ones.

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Normally, when we experience something non-threatening, the memory is gradually moved from short-term memory into long-term storage by a part of the brain called the hippocampus. However, during a traumatic event, the brain’s survival response (fight, flight, or freeze) is triggered. This causes the body to release stress hormones, which interfere with the hippocampus. As a result, the traumatic memory doesn’t get stored properly and instead becomes “stuck” in the short-term memory. This is why people can feel like they are reliving the trauma through flashbacks, nightmares, vivid images, or intense physical sensations, even long after the event has passed.

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The Rewind Technique is carried out while you're in a deeply relaxed state. Because your body isn’t reacting with stress or fear, those same hormones aren't released. This allows the brain to revisit the traumatic memory in a calm way, enabling it to be processed safely and moved into long-term memory, where it can stop triggering those intense reactions.

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What happens during the rewind technique?

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Let’s try a quick exercise.

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First, imagine you’re on a rollercoaster right at the top of the biggest drop. Suddenly, you plummet down at full speed.

What did you feel in your body as you imagined that? Were there any emotions? Was the experience exciting, uncomfortable, or even a bit overwhelming? Take a moment to let those feelings settle before moving on.

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Now, imagine you’re watching a screen. On the screen, a video is playing, and it’s of you on that same rollercoaster, going through the same drop. How did that feel? Was it different? Less intense? Less vivid?

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If so, you’ve just had a glimpse of what the Rewind Technique does. It helps the brain revisit traumatic memories from a safe distance, reducing their emotional charge. Just like watching yourself on the screen rather than being inside the experience, the technique allows you to reprocess the memory calmly, so it no longer feels overwhelming or intrusive. By initially asking you to imagine the trauma as if you were watching it on a screen (rather than talking about it directly), you gain a sense of control over it because you feel more detached from it, creating space from the power you may feel it has over you.

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How does a rewind session work? 

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To begin, you'll complete a short questionnaire called the Impact of Event Scale (IES). This helps assess your current symptoms and determine whether the Rewind Technique is a suitable and safe approach for you.

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We’ll then work collaboratively to identify the specific traumatic memory you'd like to process. Before starting, I will gently guide you through each step of the technique so you feel fully prepared, including:

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• Imagining you’re in a safe place, ready to watch your traumatic memory on a screen (ensuring the memory starts with a pleasant one).

• From this safe space, you’ll imagine watching your traumatic memory on a screen, as though you're an observer, starting and ending with a pleasant memory. By watching yourself watching the screen, this creates a double dissociation.

•  Once the entire memory has been ‘watched’, you will imagine ‘stepping into’ the memory and that you are now physically in it. However, this time, the memory is happening in reverse, as if you and the memory are being rewound back to your pleasant memory.

• This cycle is repeated several times with each traumatic memory. 

• After two weeks, you’ll complete the IES form again to measure any reduction in symptoms so we can clearly see the technique's impact.

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How effective is the rewind technique?

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 Dr Muss, the founder of Rewind Trauma Therapy at The International Association for Rewind Trauma Therapy (IARTT)  states “Rewind Therapy has a success rate of 90% and is widely used by Hillsborough survivors, veterans and the St John Ambulance service”. In my experience as a therapist, all of my clients who have used the Rewind Technique have reported a reduction in symptoms, as shown by their scores on the Impact of Event Scale (IES), completed both before and after the process. It is important to note that this technique may not completely eliminate the symptoms or fully erase traumatic memories, but rather reduces their vividness and emotional intensity. This often helps clients feel less overwhelmed, and for some, it opens the door to talking about their trauma more comfortably if they want, such as in ongoing talking therapy. 

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That said, no approach works for everyone, and the Rewind Technique is no exception. It may not be suitable for individuals who find it difficult to visualise or use their imagination, for example, some people with autism. It may also not be appropriate for those who experience psychosis or struggle with distinguishing imagined scenarios from reality. We'll always take the time to assess whether this technique is right for you and move at a pace that feels safe and supportive during an initial session.

 

 

How many sessions will I need? 

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The Rewind Technique can be used as a stand-alone treatment, particularly for specific phobias, like a fear of flying, driving, or medical procedures. In many of these cases, just one or two sessions can lead to significant improvements.

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For more complex or multiple traumas, such as experiences of sexual abuse or domestic abuse, the technique can still be very effective, but may require multiple sessions and may work best when integrated into ongoing talking therapy. This allows space for both processing the trauma safely and exploring its wider emotional impact over time. The approach is always tailored to your needs, depending on the nature of your experiences and what feels right for you.​​​​​

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