What is EMDR and is it Effective?
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing
Have you ever noticed that you can think about one particular event and immediately feel it in your body?
Your stomach tightens. Your chest becomes heavy. You feel anxious, ashamed, angry or overwhelmed, even though the event happened years ago. You might know logically that it’s over, but your body doesn’t seem to have received the message.
EMDR works on old trauma and wounds that have left a mark in your memory and nervous system. It might be a medical procedure, a painful relationship, a humiliating experience at work, or the loss of someone you loved.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is one of the most effective, evidence-based treatments available for trauma, PTSD and emotional overwhelm. If you're stuck in the same emotional loops, or find yourself triggered by memories that feel out of proportion to what's happening right now, EMDR helps your brain safely reprocess those memories so the emotion no longer controls you.
You might find yourself anxious about a group of friends when you feel 'left out'. If we track your anxiety, we might find the trigger was created when you were bullied at high school. If we do EMDR on the bullying and those old memories which express themself in your nervous system, you will find yourself much calmer.
Sometimes it isn’t one dramatic event at all. It’s years of criticism, walking on eggshells, never feeling safe, or always feeling like you weren’t enough. Sometimes you
These experiences can leave an imprint on the nervous system. Instead of becoming part of the past, they continue to be triggered in the present, influencing how you think, feel and react without you even realising it. Rather than endlessly talking about what happened, EMDR works with the brain’s natural ability to heal itself, allowing memories to be stored in a healthier way.
. EDMR is very effective.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain process experiences that have become “stuck.”
The memory doesn’t disappear. You still know what happened. But it no longer carries the same emotional weight. Instead of feeling like you’re reliving the experience, it begins to feel like something that happened in the past.
What EMDR Can Help With
EMDR doesn't only address a formal trauma or PTSD diagnosis. It also helps with:
-
Emotional reactivity in relationships
-
Fear of abandonment
-
Phobias with emotional roots (a fear of dogs that started with a childhood bite, for example)
-
Chronic anxiety rooted in unresolved past experiences
-
Shame, guilt and grief that feel stuck
It's especially effective if you feel like you already understand your own patterns intellectually but still react to them emotionally in the moment.
How the Process Works
You begin with your eyes closed, bringing to mind a memory that's emotionally charged, whether that's the loss of someone close, a traumatic incident, or a moment from childhood that left you feeling profoundly alone. Once you're connected to the feeling, you open your eyes and follow a guided left-to-right motion. This bilateral stimulation activates both hemispheres of the brain and helps unstick the memory from its emotional charge. Throughout the session, we track how intense the feeling is on a 0 to 10 scale. Over time, that 8 becomes a 5, then a 2, and eventually settles at a calm, grounded 0, which is part of why EMDR is so trackable: you can see and feel the progress session to session.
While talk therapy has its benefits, it can take years—and in some cases, repeatedly telling your story may be re-traumatizing. EMDR therapy takes a more physiological and integrative approach, often producing life-changing results in a much shorter time frame.If you're dealing with unprocessed trauma, unresolved grief, or a divorce, EMDR therapy could be the tool that helps you move forward. Many clients find that after just a few sessions, memories that once brought on panic or overwhelm start to feel emotionally neutral. Each session closes with a calming integration practice, such as inner child work or hypnotherapy.
By Diana Joy
EMDR and hypnotherapy in Balmain, Sydney.
EMDR Reviews
"After being bullied out of my job I had lost my self-esteem. Diana did EMDR with me and I have to say it made a huge difference. It's amazing how fast it works. Diana is very warm and supportive and I enjoyed working with her. Thank you."
Gillian R. - Media & Comms
"Diana really gets to the heart of change quickly and directly. I loved working with her. EMDR meant I could clear my Dad's illness and all the memories I had as a child around this. It was profound and helped my depression."
Molly M - Personal Trainer
Diana is a very empathetic therapist and I felt comfortable with her. EMDR was the only thing that really helped my grief after a split-up.
ROI B. Sales Team Software