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Learn more about EMDR
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), is a structured therapy designed to help you process distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge. It is best known for treating trauma and post-traumatic stress, and works on the principle that some memories get "stuck" and are not fully processed, so they keep triggering distress in the present. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, usually guided eye movements, taps, or tones, while you briefly recall a difficult memory, which appears to help the brain reprocess it.
It was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro and is recognised by bodies including the World Health Organization as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
EMDR follows a structured, phased protocol rather than open conversation. A trained therapist first spends time understanding your history and making sure you have enough stability and coping resources before any memory processing begins. This preparation matters, especially with complex or long-standing trauma.
A typical course involves:
- Assessment and preparation. You and your therapist identify the memories to work on and build grounding and calming techniques first.
- Reprocessing. You briefly bring a distressing memory to mind while following a back-and-forth stimulus, such as the therapist's hand movements, taps, or tones. This is done in short sets, with pauses to check in.
- Integration. Over sessions, the memory typically becomes less vivid and less distressing, and you install a more helpful belief in its place.
EMDR is most established for trauma and memory-related distress, where an overwhelming experience continues to intrude on the present. It is used across single-incident and complex trauma, and often forms part of a wider treatment plan.
- Trauma: Trauma is the lasting effect of an overwhelming experience, and not everyone who goes through one develops a diagnosable disorder. EMDR helps process the specific memories that stay charged, whether or not they meet the threshold for PTSD. Expect preparation and grounding before any memory work begins.
- PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a specific diagnosis, typically following a single event, marked by intrusive memories, avoidance, and heightened arousal. EMDR is one of the most evidence-backed therapies for it. Expect structured reprocessing of the target memory, with the aim of reducing its intrusive pull.
- Complex PTSD: Complex PTSD arises from repeated or prolonged trauma, often relational and early, and tends to affect self-worth and relationships more broadly than single-incident PTSD. EMDR is used carefully and in stages here, with substantial stabilisation first. Expect a slower, phased approach that prioritises safety and pacing.
- Acute stress disorder: Acute stress disorder describes trauma reactions in the first weeks after an event, before they would be classed as PTSD. EMDR can help process the experience early, before reactions become entrenched. Expect grounding work alongside careful, time-limited reprocessing.
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EMDR is a specialised, training-intensive therapy, and it matters that your therapist is properly trained in it and experienced with your kind of difficulty. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
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