EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a structured psychological therapy for difficulties that are driven by distressing memories. It is best known as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, and it is one of the treatments recommended for PTSD in adults in the UK's NICE guidelines.
I am an EMDR Europe accredited practitioner and a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist. Having both trainings means I can offer EMDR where it is the best fit, trauma-focused CBT where that suits better, and a clear explanation of why I am recommending one over the other.
What EMDR is
Some memories don't fade the way most do. They stay vivid, they come back uninvited, and when they do, they bring the same fear, shame or helplessness as the original event. It can feel less like remembering and more like it is happening again.
EMDR helps the brain process these memories so that they can be recalled without that intensity. During processing, you briefly hold the memory in mind while following a form of bilateral stimulation, most often side-to-side eye movements, sometimes alternating taps or tones. Over the course of treatment, people typically find the memory becomes more distant, less charged, and that the beliefs attached to it ("I'm in danger", "it was my fault", "I'm powerless") shift.
One well-supported explanation is that doing eye movements while holding a memory in mind takes up working memory, so the memory feels less vivid and less overwhelming in the moment. That makes it possible to approach, and process, memories that would otherwise be too painful to stay with. Because related memories are linked together, working on a key memory often changes how connected experiences feel too. I explain this in more detail in How EMDR therapy works.
What is well established is that, for PTSD, EMDR has a strong evidence base.
Who EMDR can help
EMDR is most strongly supported for:
- PTSD following a single event, such as an assault, accident, medical emergency or a sudden loss
- PTSD following repeated or prolonged experiences, including complex trauma, where treatment usually needs more preparation and more time
- Distressing memories that don't meet the threshold for PTSD but still shape how you feel and behave now
It is also used, alongside CBT, where anxiety, panic or low self-worth seem to be anchored in specific earlier experiences. In those cases I will be clear about what the evidence does and doesn't show, and EMDR is one option among several rather than the default. For OCD, the first-line treatment is CBT with exposure and response prevention, which is described on my OCD therapy page.
What EMDR treatment involves
EMDR follows an eight-phase protocol, but in practice the process looks like this:
- Assessment and history. Understanding what you are struggling with now, which memories seem to be driving it, and whether EMDR is the right choice.
- Preparation. Making sure you have reliable ways to bring your distress down, and that you know what to expect. For some people this takes a session; for others, particularly after prolonged trauma, it takes longer, and it matters.
- Processing. Working on target memories one at a time with bilateral stimulation, until they no longer cause the same disturbance.
- Strengthening a new perspective. Strengthening a more accurate belief about yourself and checking for anything left over in the body or in current triggers.
- Looking ahead. Working on present-day triggers and situations you have been avoiding, so that the change carries over into daily life.
One thing people are often relieved to hear: EMDR doesn't require you to describe a traumatic event in detail, out loud, over and over. You need to be able to bring it to mind, but you stay in control of what you say about it. For more on what EMDR is doing, see How EMDR therapy works.
EMDR or trauma-focused CBT?
Both are recommended treatments for PTSD, and both work. Trauma-focused CBT tends to involve more explicit discussion of the memory and its meaning, and more structured work between sessions. EMDR involves less talking about the memory and less homework. Some people have a clear preference; for others, the presentation points one way. We'll decide together after the assessment. You can read more about this on the trauma and PTSD therapy page.
EMDR online
EMDR can be delivered effectively by video, using on-screen eye movements or self-administered tapping. I offer it both online across the UK and in person on Thursdays at The Re-mind The Body Centre in Queen's Park, North West London. If you have a preference, or if I think one format would suit your situation better, we can talk it through before starting.
Is EMDR right for you?
I work with adults (18 and over) on a private, self-pay basis. EMDR with me is suited to people who are managing their day-to-day lives and are not currently at risk. If, at assessment, I think EMDR isn't the right starting point, or that a different service would suit you better, I'll tell you and explain why.