woking, guildford and online

EMDR therapy in Woking, Guildford and online

Eye-Movement, Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR stands for Eye-Movement, Desensitisation, Reprocessing therapy. It was primarily developed for processing traumatic memories and adverse life experiences, however, has since been adapted for other difficulties which we find ourselves dealing with. These include: anxiety, depression, phobias, stress, esteem issues, grief and much more.

I trained in EMDR in 2021 and have since completed Attachment-Informed EMDR training, which shapes how I work with people whose trauma began in early relationships. I am an accredited member of the BACP (registration 217377) and an Accredited Professional Registrant of the NCPS (NCS24-01939).

How it Works

Using Eye movements as a form of bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps to desensitise and process difficult emotions, negative thoughts, memories, body sensations, and reduces reactions to current triggers and helps increase positive templates for future situations. Other forms of bilateral stimulation can be used, such as tapping and sounds. It is believed that the bilateral stimulation stimulates the brain’s natural processing tendencies similar to Rapid Eye-Movement in sleep when the two sides of the brain are communicating and “processing” information.

What is Psychological Trauma?

EMDR is theorised using the Adaptive Information Processing model (AIP) which posits that current disturbances are caused by past events which overwhelmed us to a point where the normal order of memory processing and consolidation has been disrupted and is now stuck in a maladaptive form. Memories can then be stuck on repeat and it can feel the past is present, even if the rational brain knows otherwise. The AIP model holds that the brain has a healing tendency which has been blocked or disrupted by trauma or overwhelm. Through using bilateral stimulation whilst processing the traumatic material in a mental or in a felt sense, as opposed to talking through the details, the brain is then able to metabolise the stuck, maladaptive and unprocessed memories and then helps to consolidate accurate and more adaptive thought processes and fosters the resolution of stuck body memories.

EMDR is recommended by the World Health Organisation for treating trauma and is often preferred by many clients as processing happens faster in comparison to other therapies, involves less talking through specific details of the event/s and is therefore less intrusive. EMDR is also very well supported by empirical research.

EMDR is broken into 3 prongs and 8 phases. The 8 phases are utilised to work through the 3 prongs individually.

EMDR can be practiced as a standalone therapy or integrated into other therapy models. Depending on the level of distress or severity of the trauma, a more integrated approach may be needed to aid emotional regulation and building new skills to manage life. Sessions are usually weekly and are scheduled for either 50 or 90 minute sessions.

The 3 Prongs of EMDR are:

past events

The past events which set the path for current distress or maladaptive patterns

current situation

The current situations or triggers (internal or external) which elicit the distress or unhelpful behaviours.

future situations

Installing templates of future situations to help assist the learning of new skills and manage future situations.

The 8 Phases of EMDR are:

History Taking

Understanding you, and the origins and effects of the trauma.

Preparation

Learning about the process and regulation techniques.

Assessment

Assessing the elements of each trauma/trigger being processed.

Desensitisation

Using bilateral stimulation to process the material

Installation

Using bilateral stimulation to enhance positive networks.

Body Scan

Mentally scanning the body for any residual trauma left in the body.

Closure

Debriefing, re-regulating and closing down of sessions.

Re-evaluation

Reviewing progress and adjusting therapy as needed.

Frequently asked questions

What does an EMDR session actually feel like?

You stay awake, present, and in control throughout. You hold a memory in mind while following a repeated left-right movement, usually my hand or a light bar, sometimes tapping. Most people notice thoughts, images, or body sensations shifting on their own. It is less like talking and more like letting something unstick.

How many EMDR sessions will I need?

For a single recent event, processing can take between three and six sessions once we have prepared. For trauma that runs deeper or started in childhood, it is longer, because preparation and stabilisation take up more of the work. I will not give you a number in the first session, because it would be a guess.

Do I have to describe the memory in detail?

No. EMDR needs a target, not a narrative. You can tell me as little as an image and a feeling. Some clients process memories they never describe out loud at all.

Is EMDR safe if I have complex trauma or dissociation?

It can be, but it needs adapting. Standard EMDR protocols can be destabilising for people who dissociate, so I use attachment-focused EMDR and work with parts of self, with a much longer preparation phase. Where EMDR is not the right fit, Deep Brain Reorienting often is.

Can EMDR be done online?

Yes. Bilateral stimulation works over video using on-screen movement, self-tapping, or audio tones. I have worked this way with clients across the UK. The preparation and safety work is the same, and I would not begin processing online without it.

What is attachment-focused EMDR?

Attachment-focused EMDR, sometimes written AF-EMDR, adapts the standard protocol for people whose difficulties began in early relationships rather than a single event. It puts more weight on the therapeutic relationship and on resourcing before processing. It suits complex and developmental trauma better than the standard eight-phase approach on its own.

How is EMDR different from talking therapy?

Talking therapy works largely through understanding. EMDR works through reprocessing, which is why people often say the memory feels further away afterwards even though nothing about it has changed. Insight alone does not always shift a nervous system response. EMDR aims at the response. Two things worth reading alongside this: the TICES grid, which is how we map what we are working on, and how EMDR works online.

What is AF-EMDR

Attachment Focused EMDR is a modified EMDR protocol which cab be helpful when processing attachment wounds and early experiences. As a practitioner, I start out with the plan to use the standard EMDR protocol, however, where appropriate may switch over the modified AF-EMDR protocol or blend the two depending on client need. The difference with the modified protocol is a more about the order of memory assessment, the removal of scales for the purpose of remaining in the “right brain” as attachment wounds are often stored more in the right brain and therefore need more right brain activation. Left brain activation and integration is needed too, however, bringing that in too soon can detach people from the trauma memory, which we want to avoid when processing- we need to light up the trauma network to work with the trauma. Additionally, more use if imagery in resourcing and during processing is used in AF-EMDR. This is because attachment wounds can be harder to heal and often do not have a neat solution.

We know from research, that imagining something lights up the same or similar networks in the brain as if the thing was actually happening. So we take advantage of this during processing by using imagery to help heal memories so they are then stored in a more helpful way which then results in a reduction of symptoms. This is also aided by the use of imagery in the form of nurturing, protective and wise figures (either real, historic, spiritual, fictional) or animals which provide feelings that were not present (either or enough at all) growing up.

The use of the modified protocol and imagery resources can help situations in processing where the standard EMDR protocol may get stuck with certain situations; helping you to heal at a deeper level.