TRAUMA THERAPY
Eye Movement, Desensitisation & Reprocessing
The past is supposed
to stay in the past.
You know the memory isn’t happening right now. Your brain knows that too. And yet your body hasn’t quite got the message. Your nervous system is still on high alert, still bracing, still carrying something it doesn’t know how to put down.
That’s trauma. Your brain filed the memory away without fully processing it, and so it keeps getting retrieved as if it’s still happening.
EMDR helps your brain finish the job.
How it works: the eight phases
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Phase 1 & 2: Getting to Know You and Building Safety
Before we go anywhere near a difficult memory, we take time to understand your history and what’s been going on for you. We’ll talk about what’s brought you here, what you’re hoping for, and what feels most pressing. We’ll also teach you practical techniques to help you manage strong emotions that might come up in or between sessions. Nothing moves forward until you feel genuinely safe and ready. That’s the foundation everything else rests on.
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Phase 3: Identifying the Memory to Work On
Together, we’ll choose a specific memory or experience to focus on. We’ll map out what’s there: the images, emotions, physical sensations, and the meaning you took from it at the time. We’ll also identify what you’d rather believe about yourself instead. This is precise, thoughtful work. And again, you don’t have to narrate the memory if you don’t want to. We’re just taking note of the landscape.
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Phase 4: Processing the Memory
This is the part EMDR is known for. You’ll hold the target memory lightly in mind while following a series of bilateral stimulation, usually side-to-side eye movements, or gentle tapping. After each short set, we’ll check in: what did you notice? A new thought, a sensation, a shift in feeling? We follow where your brain goes. This continues until the memory’s emotional charge reduces, until it feels less vivid, less raw, less like something your body needs to brace against.
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Phase 5: Strengthening What You’d Rather Believe
Once the distress is gone, we consolidate the shift. You’ll focus on the positive belief you identified earlier, something like ‘I am safe now’ or ‘I did the best I could’, while doing another short set of bilateral stimulation. The goal is for that belief to feel genuinely true, not just something you’re telling yourself.
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Phase 6: The Body Scan
The mind and body are not separate systems. This phase is a final check-in to make sure your body feels as settled as your mind. You’ll scan quietly from head to toe while holding the memory and the new belief in mind. If there’s any lingering tension or discomfort, we’ll use a little more bilateral stimulation to clear it.
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Phase 7: Closing the Session
Every session ends with closure, whether the memory has been fully processed or not. We’ll make sure you’re grounded, calm, and resourced before you leave. If there’s more to come back to, we’ll give you the tools to stay stable in the time between sessions.
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Phase 8: Checking In at the Next Session
Each new session begins by revisiting what we worked on last time. Has the distress stayed low? Does the positive belief still feel true? Once we’ve confirmed the ground is solid, we’ll move forward, to a new memory, a new target, whatever comes next.
What can EMDR help with?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
Depression
Phobias
Grief & Loss
Childhood Trauma
Sexual Assault or Abuse Survivors
Addiction and Substance Abuse
Chronic Pain and Illness
Low Self-Esteem and Negative Self-Beliefs
Relationship Issues (e.g. attachment issues)
Frequently Asked Questions
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This is the question almost everyone asks, and it’s a completely reasonable one. The short answer: no. EMDR doesn’t require you to narrate or relive traumatic events in detail. You hold the memory lightly; it’s more like a brief, distant flicker than a full replay. The goal is to reduce the emotional intensity of what happened, not to put you back in the middle of it. We go at your pace, and nothing moves forward until it feels safe.
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Yes! EMDR can be delivered effectively both in person and virtually. The bilateral stimulation is adapted slightly for online sessions (using tapping rather than eye movements, for example), but the process and outcomes are the same. If you’re wondering whether online therapy could work for your situation, we’re happy to talk it through.
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Honestly, it varies. Anyone who gives you a precise number upfront is guessing. The length of EMDR treatment depends on what you’re working on, how complex it is, and how your system responds. Some people notice significant shifts in a handful of sessions. Others work for longer. We’ll give you a clearer picture once we understand what you’re bringing in.
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Not quite. And that’s intentional. The early sessions are for building trust, understanding your history, and making sure you have the stabilisation tools you need before we touch anything difficult. That foundation isn’t a delay. It’s what makes the rest of the work possible. Once it’s in place, we’ll move into processing at a pace that feels right for you.