Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychological therapy that helps people put away distressing or traumatic memories. It uses guided exercises, such as eye movements or tapping, to stimulate both sides of the body and brain while processing such memories – without talking about them in detail. EMDR aims to reduce the emotional impact of difficult experiences and enable you to move beyond them and live in the present more.
EMDR is recommended for adults experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may also help with other difficulties where distressing memories play a role. These can include anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, complicated grief, and some symptoms related to depression or low self-esteem. Your clinician will carry out a thorough assessment to determine whether EMDR is appropriate for your needs, taking into account your current mental health, personal circumstances, experiences of previous therapy (if any), and treatment goals.
EMDR is delivered over a series of structured sessions with a trained therapist. Treatment typically includes:
The pace of therapy is tailored to your individual needs, ensuring you feel supported throughout the process.
At Bloomfield Health, we provide EMDR as part of a personalised, evidence-based treatment plan. Our experienced clinicians take time to understand your experiences, ensure you feel emotionally prepared before beginning trauma processing, and adapt therapy to your pace. We work collaboratively to help you process difficult memories safely while building resilience and supporting long-term recovery.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a structured psychological therapy developed to help people recover from traumatic or distressing experiences. Its most distinctive feature is the bilateral stimulation that takes place during the memory-processing phase of the treatment – despite the name, this does not have to involve eye movements from side-to-side (although these are recommended).
EMDR has the strongest evidence base for PTSD and is recommended in clinical guidelines for this condition. Based on the latest scientific studies, it may also be helpful for some people experiencing anxiety disorders, phobias, grief, or other problems linked to distressing memories, following an appropriate clinical assessment.
Although the exact mechanisms are still being researched, EMDR is thought to help the brain process memories that have become "stuck" after traumatic experiences. As these memories are processed, they usually become less distressing and easier to recall without overwhelming emotions. This may be similar to how dreaming during sleep is thought to help us ‘consolidate’ our memories from the day. EMDR may also involve an element of helping ‘distract’ part of the brain whilst processing the trauma memories, allowing it to heal and put them away.
Unlike some forms of therapy, EMDR does not require you to describe every detail of a traumatic event. (In fact, it is possible to do EMDR without even naming your trauma aloud.) However, for the therapy to work, you do have to be willing to think about your experiences and feel your emotions. Your therapist will help you work with the memory while ensuring you feel safe and supported throughout treatment.
The number of sessions varies depending on your circumstances, the nature of the difficulties being treated, and whether there are single or multiple traumatic experiences. Some people benefit after a relatively short course, while others require longer-term therapy. We recommend at least 3 sessions to process a single element of a memory, with overall progress sometimes being seen within as few as 6 sessions, and a whole course of treatment likely to be within the range of 8-24 sessions (more where indicated).
Processing traumatic memories can temporarily bring up strong emotions. Your therapist will teach you coping strategies, monitor your wellbeing throughout treatment, and only move forward when you feel ready. Also, within-session we aim to keep your processing of memories within a ‘window of tolerance’, meaning you experience enough emotions for it to be working but not so much that you can’t go through with it.
Not always. EMDR may not be appropriate if you are experiencing certain acute mental health difficulties or if further stabilisation is needed before trauma-focused work begins. A comprehensive assessment helps determine the safest and most effective treatment approach.
Yes. EMDR is often provided alongside other psychological therapies, medication when appropriate, and wider mental health support as part of an individualised treatment plan.
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