What is EMDR?

Many people arrive at therapy carrying memories, emotions, or beliefs from the past that will not let go. You may have even come across EMDR on social media or in the media recently, but still be unsure what it actually involves. EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a treatment designed to help the brain process trauma so you can begin to move forward without being weighed down by it.

How EMDR Works

When we experience a situation that feels physically, emotionally, or socially threatening to us and to our nervous system, the brain does not always process it in the same way as ordinary experiences. The emotional overload can make the memory get “stuck,” almost like it is frozen in time. When this happens, it can replay with the same emotions, images, and body reactions as if it is still happening right now. Sometimes we are conscious of this, and sometimes we are not.

EMDR treatment helps the brain reprocess these memories through a structured approach that uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping) while you focus on aspects of the memory in a safe way. This allows the brain to “file away” the memory properly into long term storage, so it no longer carries the same raw emotional charge. You do not lose the memory, but it becomes something that takes more conscious effort to recall, rather than something you are still living or that your body is automatically reacting to.

What EMDR Therapy Can Help With

Research shows EMDR therapy is highly effective for post traumatic stress, but it can also support people with many other difficulties where past experiences continue to shape the present. EMDR is often described as having three prongs:

Past: Processing memories that are “stuck” and continue to cause distress.
Present: Working with current triggers, such as conflict in relationships, anxiety at work, or body reactions that feel overwhelming.
Future: Preparing for situations that bring up fear or self doubt, such as dating again after a painful breakup, sitting exams, or public speaking.

Some of the areas EMDR treatment can help with include:

Childhood trauma and emotional neglect
Relationship difficulties and attachment wounds
Anxiety and panic attacks
Grief and loss
Single incident traumas such as accidents, medical events, or assaults

What to Expect in an EMDR Session

EMDR is carefully paced and begins with preparation. Together we build resources and strategies to ensure you feel grounded and safe before touching on difficult memories. Once you are ready, we identify a memory or theme to focus on. While you bring this memory to mind, I guide you through sets of eye movements, taps, or sounds. We pause regularly to notice what arises, without forcing or over analysing.

Clients are often surprised by how the process unfolds. It does not require retelling every detail of the memory, and shifts can happen in ways that feel natural and organic.

For example, one client shared that she had carried a long standing belief of “I am not good enough,” tied to a childhood experience filled with shame and embarrassment. Whenever she thought of that memory, it was as though she was right back in it, reliving it through the eyes of her younger self. By the end of our EMDR session, she reflected that she no longer felt like the little girl in the memory. Instead, she was able to look back as her adult self with compassion, recognising how painful that moment had been, but without being overwhelmed by the shame that once consumed her. That is the kind of shift EMDR therapy is designed to support.

Why Clients Choose EMDR

For many people, EMDR feels different from therapies they may have tried before. The first stage of EMDR therapy focuses on building coping skills and grounding strategies to ensure you feel safe and supported before working on difficult memories. Once this foundation is in place, EMDR moves to the root of the difficulty, helping the brain process unfinished experiences so that symptoms like anxiety, emotional flooding, or shutting down begin to ease.

EMDR also involves less verbal processing than traditional talk therapy, which can be helpful for people who find it difficult to put their experiences into words. It is thought to make use of the brain’s natural capacity to process information, which means traumatic memories can often be worked through more efficiently. While every person’s experience of therapy is different, many clients report that EMDR treatment felt less uncomfortable and faster than approaches they had tried before.

I often hear from people who say that they had engaged in therapy in the past and found it helpful to a point, but EMDR was the final piece that allowed them to truly shift their trauma. For many, it has been the approach that finally brought together both understanding and change.

EMDR therapy works by helping the brain reprocess experiences that have felt stuck.

I offer EMDR sessions in Lilydale, Melbourne, the Yarra Valley, and online across Australia.

You do not need to walk this journey alone, I am here to support you as you take the next step toward healing.

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