EMDR is one of the most researched treatments for trauma and post-traumatic stress. It works from a simple premise: some experiences do not get filed away the way ordinary memories do. They stay live — still carrying the original images, body sensations and beliefs — and get triggered by things in the present that only faintly resemble the original event.
In an EMDR session you hold a piece of that memory in mind while receiving bilateral stimulation: guided eye movements, alternating taps, or music that moves between your left and right ear. This dual attention appears to give the brain the conditions it needs to reprocess the memory, so it can finally be stored as something that happened rather than something that is happening.
You are not asked to describe the event in detail, and you stay in control of the pace throughout. Preparation and resourcing come first — we do not begin reprocessing until you have reliable ways to steady yourself.
What a session involves
Early sessions are spent on history and building your internal resources. Reprocessing sessions alternate short sets of bilateral stimulation with brief check-ins, and always end with time to close the material down before you leave.
EMDR is not a single-session fix, and it is not appropriate for everyone at every point. We will assess together whether now is the right time to begin.
