What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It’s an evidence-based therapy used to help people recover from trauma and other distressing experiences. EMDR is a structured therapy that helps people process upsetting memories to help people make sense of upsetting memories, reduce emotional intensity, and move forward with less distress.
EMDR is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it’s increasingly used to help with a range of other difficulties, including anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, and low self-esteem.
At The Tunbridge Wells Psychologist, we often use EMDR with clients who feel stuck: they understand their trauma logically but still feel triggered by it emotionally. EMDR helps bridge that gap.
How does trauma affect the brain?
When something traumatic happens, such as a car accident, a medical emergency, a sudden loss, abuse or a frightening birth, our brain can struggle to process the experience. Instead of being filed away like a normal memory, it can get “stuck” in the brain in its raw, unprocessed form.
This means the memory might return again and again in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, or sudden emotional reactions. Even years later, you might find yourself avoiding reminders, feeling overly alert, or reacting strongly to situations that seem unrelated on the surface.
In some cases, people may not even realise they’re dealing with trauma. They might just feel anxious, irritable, or shut down, without understanding why. EMDR works by helping the brain reprocess these stuck memories, so they no longer feel as threatening or intrusive.
What happens in an EMDR session?
EMDR follows a structured eight-phase approach, but at its core, it involves recalling distressing memories while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, usually through guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones that alternate left to right.
This process helps the brain process the memory in a new way. The aim isn’t to forget what happened, but to make the memory less intense and change how it is stored. Clients often describe feeling “lighter,” “less reactive,” or “more distant” from the memory after sessions.
Here’s what to expect in a typical EMDR process:
- Assessment and preparation: your therapist will take time to understand your story, build trust, and ensure you have strategies to manage distress.
- Targeting memories: you’ll identify the memories, images, beliefs, or body sensations that still feel disturbing.
- Processing with bilateral stimulation: while recalling the memory, your therapist guides you through eye movements or tapping, helping your brain to reprocess it.
- Desensitisation and closure: as the distress reduces, you’ll develop a more adaptive belief about yourself (e.g., “I’m safe now” or “It wasn’t my fault”).
Throughout, you remain in control. EMDR is not hypnosis, and you don’t need to go into detail about every part of the memory if you don’t want to.
Who can EMDR help?
EMDR has the strongest evidence for PTSD. We also use it with people who have experienced:
- PTSD or single-event trauma
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Complicated grief
- Birth trauma
- Medical trauma
- Panic attacks or phobias
- Low self-worth linked to past experiences
It can also be useful for people who’ve tried other types of therapy but feel like they’re still emotionally stuck or “reliving” the past.
At our Tunbridge Wells practice, we often use EMDR as part of a wider therapy approach, combining it with CBT or Compassion-Focused Therapy depending on your goals and what you’re working through.
What does EMDR feel like?
Everyone’s experience is different. Some people feel a shift after just a few sessions, while others need longer to build safety and process complex memories. EMDR can bring up strong emotions during the session, but your therapist will guide and support you throughout.
Many people find it helps them make sense of what happened. Clients frequently report that memories feel “further away,” no longer carrying the same weight or charge.
Finding EMDR therapy in Tunbridge Wells and Kent
If you’re living with the impact of trauma, whether it happened recently or a long time ago, EMDR might be a helpful path for you. At The Tunbridge Wells Psychologist, several of our Clinical Psychologists are trained and experienced in using EMDR to support people through a wide range of difficulties.
We offer a calm, compassionate environment where you can explore your experiences safely, at your own pace. Whether you’re unsure if your experience counts as “trauma” or you’ve already tried other forms of therapy, we can help you decide whether EMDR is right for you.
