Eye-Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Melbourne & Online
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy that helps people work through experiences that still feel emotionally charged or difficult to move past. It supports the brain and body to process memories that were overwhelming at the time, so they no longer feel as intense, intrusive, or close.
EMDR is an eight-phase therapeutic approach that uses gentle left-right stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, to help the brain do the work it couldn’t fully complete earlier. As the memory settles, distress reduces and new, more supportive ways of understanding the experience often emerge naturally.
What Happens During Trauma
Our brain has a natural ability to heal and make sense of experiences - meaning it can organise what happened, understand that it’s over, and store it as something that belongs in the past, much like the body does when we recover from a physical injury.
But when something feels overwhelming, frightening, or deeply stressful, that process can get interrupted.
In moments of threat, the brain’s internal “smoke alarm” switches on. This survival response happens automatically - we might go into fight, flight, freeze, or try to keep others calm to stay safe. When this alarm is activated, the part of the brain that usually helps us place experiences in time can go offline. As a result, the memory doesn’t get stored as something that’s over.
Instead, it can feel as though the experience is still happening.
This is why someone might know, logically, that an event is in the past, yet their body reacts as if they’re back there - with anxiety, tension, shutdown, or strong emotional responses. It can show up as intrusive thoughts, distressing memories, nightmares, or a sense of being on edge, even when there’s no immediate danger.
Trauma doesn’t only affect how we feel - it can also shape how we see ourselves, other people, and the world. We may carry beliefs like:
“I’m not good enough.”
“I can’t trust anyone.”
“The world isn’t safe.”
These beliefs are often the mind’s best attempt to make sense of experiences that felt threatening, confusing, or unsupported at the time.
EMDR works by helping the brain process experiences that have remained “stuck,” often because they were overwhelming or happened when there wasn’t enough support. It uses bilateral stimulation - such as gentle eye movements, tapping, or sounds - to support the brain’s natural ability to make sense of those experiences and reduce their emotional charge.
In EMDR therapy, we work collaboratively. We start by talking about what’s showing up in your life now - the reactions, patterns, or difficulties you’d like help with. From there, we gently explore how these current struggles may be connected to earlier experiences that haven’t fully settled.
You don’t need to have a clear memory or know exactly where things began. Together, we decide what feels like a manageable and appropriate place to start.
Before any processing begins, we spend time preparing - making sure you feel grounded, supported, and clear about what the work will involve. Nothing is rushed, and you’re always in control of the pace.
When you’re ready, we focus on one experience at a time. I’ll invite you to notice:
whatever stands out most about the memory (this might be an image, a feeling, or a bodily sensation)
the belief about yourself that seems to be linked to it
what you would like to believe instead
the emotions and body sensations that are present now
As you hold this lightly in mind, we guide the bilateral stimulation. You don’t need to analyse, explain, or force anything - you simply notice what comes up. We pause regularly to check in, making sure the process stays within a range that feels tolerable and safe for your nervous system.
Over time, the memory often becomes less vivid and less emotionally charged. As this happens, people commonly notice shifts in how they feel about themselves, others, and the situation because their system no longer reacts as if the experience is still happening.
How EMDR Works
How EMDR Creates Change
EMDR creates change by helping the brain shift out of a “stuck” state and back into a mode where integration can happen. The bilateral stimulation used in EMDR supports the brain to connect emotional experiences with present-day information — such as safety, choice, and perspective.
One way to think about it is that EMDR helps “unlock” a memory that’s been held in a fixed, emotionally charged way. The process is similar to what happens during dreaming, when the brain naturally sorts and integrates experiences - except in EMDR, you’re awake, present, and supported the entire time.
As this happens, people often notice that:
memories feel further away
emotional distress softens
shame or self-blame eases
new, more balanced perspectives emerge
Over time, as multiple key memories or patterns are processed, these shifts often extend beyond individual experiences. Many people notice reduced reactivity, fewer trauma-related symptoms, and changes in how they respond in relationships and everyday situations.
Because EMDR works with the underlying experiences rather than just managing symptoms, the changes tend to be meaningful and long-lasting.