EMDR Therapy
Discover transformative therapy designed to address anxiety, grief, depression, low self-esteem, and post-trauma symptoms.
Surbiton & Online across the UK
Processing experiences that still feel unresolved
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a psychological therapy that can help the brain process distressing or traumatic experiences that continue to affect you.
When something overwhelming happens, memories can sometimes remain stored in a way that means they continue to trigger the same emotional or physical responses. You may know that you’re safe now, but part of you can still feel as though you’re back there.
EMDR aims to help these experiences become less emotionally charged, so that they can become memories of something that happened rather than something that is still happening.
What is an EMDR session like?
EMDR is not simply about talking through what's difficult.
- History taking - We’ll begin by getting to know you and understanding what you’re experiencing. We’ll spend time developing resources and ways of managing difficult emotions before beginning trauma processing.
- Processing - When you’re ready, I’ll guide you through the EMDR process while you focus on aspects of the experience. This may involve following bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or alternating sounds.
- Relief - Fading the emotional pain so the memory no longer triggers an activated somatic, emotional and cognitive response.
You remain in control throughout.
You don’t have to tell me every detail of what happened, and we’ll work at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
The Role of Bilateral Stimulation
A key component of EMDR is bilateral stimulation, which involves alternating the stimulation of both sides of the body, often through guided eye movements or taps.
This process is believed to facilitate the brain's natural healing mechanisms, allowing individuals to process traumatic memories more effectively.
By engaging both hemispheres of the brain, bilateral stimulation can help to integrate these memories, making them less distressing and enabling a more adaptive emotional response.
This technique not only aids in reducing the intensity of the trauma but also promotes a sense of safety and empowerment as clients work through their experiences.
Attachment-focused EMDR
Attachment-focused EMDR is a slightly modified EMDR protocol, designed to work with more complex trauma, particularly reprocessing early attachment experiences.
Attachment-focused EMDR may be helpful if you find that past experiences continue to affect how you relate to yourself or others. It can be particularly useful for people who have experienced difficult, inconsistent or emotionally unavailable relationships, particularly during childhood, and who may now struggle with trust, closeness, boundaries, self-worth or feeling safe in relationships.
It can also support people who have experienced relationship difficulties, loss, rejection, neglect or other experiences that have affected their sense of connection and security.
By bringing an understanding of attachment into EMDR, we can gently explore how these experiences may still be influencing your thoughts, feelings, relationships and responses today.
In-person EMDR therapy
In-person EMDR therapy offers the opportunity to process distressing experiences in the calm, supportive environment of my therapy room. Working face-to-face allows us to build a strong therapeutic relationship while using a light bar to provide bilateral visual stimulation during EMDR processing.
I’ll guide you through each stage of EMDR, from preparation and stabilisation through to processing and integration, always working at a pace that feels manageable for you. The light bar provides a clear, consistent form of bilateral stimulation, while being together in the room means I can respond closely to your needs throughout the process.
You’ll receive personalised, trauma-informed EMDR therapy in a private and confidential setting, with space to feel supported before, during and after processing.
Online EMDR Therapy
Online EMDR therapy from the comfort of your own home. Online sessions provide the same effectiveness as in-person therapy, allowing you to process distressing experiences and reduce symptoms of PTSD, complex trauma, and other distressing memories in a safe and familiar environment.
A secure specific online platform, Bilateral Base, ensures privacy and confidentiality, making it easier to commit to your healing journey without the added stress of travel or scheduling conflicts. During EMDR, I may guide you through eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation using the online platform. I’ll be with you throughout the process and we’ll work at a pace that feels manageable.
You can access expert EMDR therapy and receive personalised care tailored to your needs, all while maintaining the flexibility that online therapy offers.