EMDR Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) gently helps your nervous system process those stuck, overwhelming memories from trauma or tough life experiences, so they settle back where they belong in the past rather than keeping you on edge in the present.

What is EMDR?

EMDR is a psychological therapy originally developed for post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it is now used for a range of trauma‑related and anxiety‑related difficulties. We focus on one specific memory that carries a lot of charge, exploring it through a few simple questions about what happened and how it lives in your body and thoughts today. Then, with your permission and pacing, you follow my guidance through sets of gentle bilateral stimulation usually eye movements, but sometimes soft taps or tones. This bilateral rhythm helps your brain rewire the memory's intensity, filing it away safely so the event feels like history, not a live wire triggering you now

The central idea is that distressing events sometimes get “stuck” in the brain in an unprocessed form, along with the original images, emotions, body sensations, and beliefs. When something in the present triggers these memories, the person can feel as if the event is happening all over again, rather than simply remembering it as something in the past.

Does it work online?

Yes - virtual EMDR adapts bilateral stimulation (taps, audio tones, or on‑screen cues) effectively via secure platforms, with clients in familiar environments enhancing safety and engagement.

How EMDR works in practice

EMDR follows an eight‑phase, step‑by‑step model that is tailored to each person and their history. Several theories exist about why EMDR works. Some focus on the way bilateral stimulation may mirror aspects of REM sleep and help the brain reprocess information; others emphasise its effect on working memory, making distressing images feel less intense and easier to integrate. In practice, people often report that the memory becomes more distant, less emotionally overwhelming, and easier to think about with a new, more balanced perspective.

What can EMDR help with?

EMDR is best known as a treatment for PTSD and complex trauma, and is recommended in several national and international guidelines for trauma‑related difficulties. Research supports its use with:

Post‑traumatic stress following single events (such as accidents, assaults, or medical emergencies).
Repeated or chronic trauma, including childhood abuse and neglect.
Other difficulties where past experiences play a major role, such as phobias, complicated grief, and some anxiety and mood problems.

Key benefits of EMDR

People often choose EMDR because it offers a structured, time‑limited way of working directly with trauma while minimising the need to describe events in graphic detail.

Commonly reported benefits include:

Reduced distress from traumatic memories.
The memories are still there, but they usually feel less intense, less intrusive, and more “in the past” rather than happening all over again.
Changes in beliefs about self and the world
Fewer trauma‑related symptoms
Studies show improvements in PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness, hypervigilance, and avoidance, often in fewer sessions than some traditional therapies.
Improvements in day‑to‑day functioning
As the nervous system is less dominated by threat responses, people often notice better sleep, concentration, relationships, and capacity to enjoy life.
No homework and less focus on detailed retelling.
Unlike some trauma therapies, EMDR does not usually require written accounts of the trauma or extensive between‑session homework; much of the processing happens within session via the structured protocol.

Is EMDR right for you?

EMDR is collaborative: we move at a pace that feels safe, and you can pause or stop at any time. I will discuss what to expect, answer questions, and make sure you have strategies in place to manage emotions that may arise between sessions.

EMDR sessions typically require 90 minute appointments, (rather than 50 minutes) and the fee for 90 minute EMDR appointments is £105.

Privacy policy and email encryption

My privacy policy will be provided to clients and supervisees. I am registered with the ICO and i record and store data in line with GDPR. I use a paid for proton mail account to ensure emails are encrypted. Proton was created with the goal of protecting privacy rights and democracy in the digital age.

To reach Emma Weston please email: emmawestoncounselling@proton.me

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