What is EMDR?

EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, is an evidence-based therapeutic approach originally developed for the treatment of trauma and post-traumatic stress. It is recognised by the World Health Organisation and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as an effective treatment for trauma.

Unlike traditional talking therapy, EMDR works directly with the way distressing experiences are stored in the brain and body. When something overwhelming happens, the memory can become "stuck" held in the nervous system in a way that continues to feel emotionally raw, intrusive, or activating long after the event itself has passed. EMDR helps the brain to reprocess these experiences so that they can be remembered without the same emotional charge.

The work involves recalling specific memories or experiences while engaging in bilateral stimulation, typically guided eye movements, tapping, or sounds, which supports the brain's natural ability to process and integrate difficult material.

Who EMDR Can Help

EMDR can be supportive for a wide range of experiences, including:

  • single-incident trauma, such as accidents, assaults, medical events, or bereavement

  • complex or developmental trauma rooted in childhood experiences

  • attachment wounds and early relational ruptures

  • experiences of abuse, neglect, or emotional invalidation

  • anxiety, panic, and persistent states of overwhelm

  • distressing memories that feel unresolved or continue to intrude on daily life

  • low self-worth, shame, and self-critical beliefs that originated in earlier experiences

  • the sense of being "stuck" despite years of insight, talking therapy, or personal work

EMDR can also be valuable for high-functioning adults who have built capable, outwardly successful lives, yet continue to carry emotional residues from earlier experiences. Insight alone is sometimes not enough to shift what is held in the body and nervous system, and EMDR offers a way of working at that deeper level.

How I Work with EMDR

I am trained in EMDR and integrate it into my wider work as an Integrative Psychotherapist. Some clients come to me specifically for EMDR, while others begin in open-ended psychotherapy and we introduce EMDR at a point in the work where it feels clinically appropriate.

EMDR is rarely a stand-alone technique applied in isolation. Reprocessing trauma effectively requires a strong therapeutic relationship, careful preparation, and an understanding of the wider emotional and relational context in which a person's experiences have unfolded. My integrative training means that EMDR sits alongside psychodynamic, attachment-based, and body-oriented work, allowing us to attend to the whole person rather than to symptoms in isolation.

In practice, this means we may spend time at the beginning of the work understanding your history, building resources for emotional regulation, and ensuring you feel sufficiently grounded and supported before any reprocessing begins. The pace is led by what feels manageable for you.

What to Expect

EMDR work typically unfolds across several phases, including history-taking, preparation, identifying specific memories or experiences to work with, reprocessing, and integration. The number of sessions varies considerably depending on the nature of what is being worked with — single-incident trauma may resolve more quickly, while complex or developmental trauma often benefits from longer-term, integrated work.

Sessions are 50 minutes and held weekly. EMDR can be offered in person at my practice in Hadley Wood or online, where clinically appropriate.