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A charity founded by a Cheshire businessman caught up in the Manchester Arena bombing is providing online mental health ‘first aid’ to people traumatised by the coronavirus outbreak.

Sean Gardner, from Tarporley, set up Trauma Response Network (TRN) after suffering post-traumatic stress disorder due to his experience of searching for his then 16-year-old daughter Charlotte among the injured and dying.

Fortunately, he found Charlotte, now 18 – a student at Abbey Gate College near Chester – uninjured following the suicide bombing at the end of the 2017 Ariana Grande concert that killed 23, including the attacker, and wounded 139.

Therapists at TRN specialise in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) offering online support – during up to eight free therapy sessions - in the aftermath of a mass trauma event.

Now, in partnership with the EMDR Association UK, TRN is providing up to 300 EMDR therapists trained in delivering online therapy for people suffering with mental health anguish triggered by the COVID-19 crisis.

Sean, who eventually received EMDR treatment along with his daughter both due to PTSD, said: “I was left stranded without mental health support as were many others after the Manchester and London attacks and Grenfell Tower disaster. I don’t want the same thing to happen to people during the current crisis.

“Many will have lost their livelihoods, some their loved ones, or they may be feeling very vulnerable and need somewhere to turn for help, not least those who already had mental health issues which have become acute in the current climate.”

Following the Manchester bombing Sean suffered from severe flashbacks and mood swings and couldn’t sleep. He was referred to mental health services by his GP and filled in a questionnaire which found he was not suicidal.

Sean added: “I was told to wait and see whether the symptoms got worse over a period of three months. I sought help privately, and that’s when I was diagnosed with PTSD. After a few sessions of EMDR – a powerful therapy which specialises in treating people with mental health conditions brought on by trauma - I greatly improved.”

Together with EMDR therapists – both clinicians and researchers - Sean helped found the charity Trauma Response Network, using his expertise running award-winning online businesses to provide free and anonymous trauma support.

The hope, subject to funding, is to provide many more therapists to meet the huge expected demand due to COVID-19.

With death rates already in their thousands, therapists say the impact on the UK’s mental health will be enormous, with families grieving for their loved ones, who in many cases could not even be there to say goodbye.

Recovering patients are having to deal with long term symptoms caused by the virus, other are struggling with the strain of social isolation and the widespread financial consequences.

EMDR therapy is based on the idea that negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours are the result of unprocessed memories. Part of the therapy involves bilateral stimulation usually in the form of repeated side to side eye movements whilst the person is asked to think about the traumatic memory. This helps them reprocess the information like an ordinary memory, reducing its intensity.

EMDR is endorsed by the World Health Organisation, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and is available on the NHS. It’s practised in around 30 countries and has helped millions world-wide, including responding to disasters across the globe through 60 trauma recovery networks.

◆ Accessing EMDR therapy through TRN is simple. People fill in a contact form and a therapist invites them to an appointment online. Up to eight free therapy sessions are offered over the following 12 weeks.

TRN uses advanced Microsoft technology to provide therapy securely online. The background will be blurred so the client’s home cannot be seen, the session recorded and any documents exchanged are privacy protected. EMDR is a complex therapeutic process that must be delivered by accredited therapists.

To access emergency free mental health support go to traumaresponsenetwork.org.

To find out more about EMDR and find an accredited therapist, visit the website.