Leah Stewart's shark attack trauma responds to therapy five months on
Leah Stewart says EMDR therapy has drastically cut her flashbacks five months after losing her arm to a shark.
Stewart, a 34-year-old school teacher, was attacked in June and lost her arm. The trauma trapped her in a loop of nightmares, panic, and sleepless nights.
When recalling the attack, her fear response sat at eight out of ten. Leah Stewart has been undergoing EMDR (eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing), a therapy where she follows a moving object with her eyes while recalling the trauma.
After treatment, Stewart says she can now think back on the attack without her body feeling the terror of being in the water. She says she is finally present with her daughter and no longer sees the shark's open mouth.
Lifesaver Charlie Verco pulled her to shore after she punched the shark underwater.
- 34
- Stewart's age
- 4 metres
- Shark size
- 10
- Days in coma
- 8 out of 10
- Initial fear response
Why it mattersA breakthrough in mental trauma recovery shows how evidence-based therapy can help attack survivors reclaim their lives.
AustraliaA high-profile Australian survivor's recovery journey offers hope to others dealing with trauma from violent incidents.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
