Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing is an advanced Psychotherapy technique originally developed in the USA in the late 1980’s by Dr Francine Shapiro to heal Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is a treatment for big ‘T’ trauma as well as little ‘t’ trauma, single event trauma as well as complex trauma involving multiple traumas.

EMDR is now used to treat Anxiety & Panic, Depression, Complicated Grief/Loss, Psychosis, Perinatal Trauma, Eating Disorders, OCD, pain, and many other presentations.

The method has been widely researched and there is an evidence base for its effectiveness for all of the above mentioned presentations, and more.

3 PRONGED approach:

1. Past disturbing memories/experiences are (re) processed
2. In the present those distressing memories/experiences then loose their ‘power’ and become resolved/adaptive
3. A person’s is free to live/act and have a future without traumatic disturbance

EMDR involves cognitive reframing, free association, mindfulness, a focus on physical sensations and dual attention stimuli.

Eye movements from side to side disrupt working memory, decrease the vividness of the memory, resulting in decreased emotionality and changes in somatically stored memory.

The eye movements happen in different ways:

1. You follow my hand movements from side to side, a comfortable distance from your face at eye level
2. You follow a light move across a light bar on a tripod
3. You follow a coloured ball move side to side across the computer screen if working online.
4. Butterfly taps, listening to alternative beats on headphones or holding alternating pulsars are other methods of achieving Bilateral Stimulation.

EMDR Protocol

The treatment involves a protocol of 8 phases :

1. Client history – could take several sessions
2. Preparation – could take several sessions
3. Assessment – working out the ‘target’ memories
4. Desensitisation -the phase of reprocessing targeted memory which may run over more than one session
5. Installation – integrate positive effects
6. Body Scan – checking for any residual somatic disturbance
7. Closure
8. Re-evaulation

Given the above EMDR could be a short term treatment depending upon the presentation or a long term treatment if the trauma is complex.

Practicalities

The desensitisation sessions will be longer (90mins) and charged at a higher rate (£140) to the standard 50mins sessions charged at £90.

Training

I have completed parts 1-3 of the Standard Training approved by EMDR Europe Association with Alexander Richman but I am not yet accredited (as of Jan 2026).

I am a member of EMDR UK Association. You can look at their website for further information about EMDR. https://emdrassociation.org.uk