EMDR Adults

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy that helps people recover from distress caused by traumatic or upsetting life events. It works by enabling the brain to properly process difficult memories so they are no longer overwhelmingly painful.

EMDR is most well-known for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it is also effective for anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges, especially when linked to difficult experiences.

What EMDR is used for

EMDR can help adults who have experienced or witnessed events such as:

• Serious accidents or injuries
• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
• Bullying or social humiliation
• Violent crimes
• Sudden loss of a loved one

It is suitable for adults, young people, and children, offering a therapy that can be more accessible than traditional talking therapies for some.

How EMDR works

When someone experiences trauma, the memory of the event can become “stuck” in the brain. This can make the memory intensely vivid and emotionally overwhelming, causing the person to relive the sights, sounds, or feelings of the event.

EMDR helps the brain unstick and reprocess these memories, reducing their intensity and the emotional distress they cause. During EMDR, the person recalls the traumatic memory while also receiving gentle, side-to-side (bilateral) stimulation, such as:

• Eye movements from side to side
• Alternating sounds in each ear
• Gentle taps on each hand

This stimulation helps the brain process the memory in a more natural way—similar to what happens during REM sleep—and allows the person to distinguish the memory from the current moment.

The 8 Stages of EMDR

EMDR therapy follows eight structured phases to ensure safety, support, and lasting change:

• History and treatment planning – The therapist gathers information about the person’s past and current difficulties to identify memories to target.
• Preparation – The therapist explains EMDR, and teaches coping strategies to manage distress if it arises during sessions. During this period the therapeutic process starts to become a secure, and predictable safe space.
• Assessment – The specific memory is identified, along with associated negative beliefs and desired positive beliefs.
• Desensitisation/Processing – The person recalls the memory while following the therapist’s cues (eye movements, taps, or sounds) to reduce emotional distress.
• Installation of adaptive beliefs – Positive, realistic beliefs are strengthened so the memory becomes associated with helpful thinking rather than negative self-judgments.
• Body scan – The person notices any residual tension in the body and processes it to ensure physical and emotional resolution.
• Closure – Sessions end safely, with grounding exercises to help the person return to a stable state, even if processing isn’t fully complete.
• Re-evaluation – In the next session, progress is reviewed, and memories are reprocessed if necessary to consolidate improvements.

What to expect in therapy

• EMDR helps reduce the intensity of distressing memories and strengthens adaptive, positive beliefs about oneself.
• Over time, memories that once caused fear or pain can be recalled without overwhelming emotion.
• Therapy is conducted in a safe and supportive environment, and coping strategies are taught to manage any temporary distress.
• EMDR is evidence-based and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

For more information, visit the UK EMDR Association: https://emdrassociation.org.uk/