EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy in East Kent and online across the UK
I am a UKCP Accredited Contemporary Psychotherapist and EMDR Europe trained therapist, offering EMDR alongside integrative psychotherapy.
EMDR can help you process traumatic or overwhelming experiences that continue to affect how you feel, think, behave or relate to yourself and others.
My approach combines EMDR with a wider understanding of the person — including your experiences, relationships, thoughts, emotions and nervous system. We won't rush into processing. We'll first make sure you feel safe, supported and sufficiently resourced for the work.
The aim isn't simply to reduce distress. It's to help you feel more grounded, confident and connected, develop new perspectives on what you've experienced and create meaningful change.
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach originally developed to help people process traumatic or distressing experiences.
Sometimes something overwhelming happens and, even though we know intellectually that it is in the past, our thoughts, emotions or bodies can continue to respond as though we are still experiencing it.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, alongside a structured therapeutic process to support the brain's natural ability to process and integrate distressing experiences.
As experiences become more fully processed, they can feel less emotionally charged. This can allow new perspectives, understanding and emotional relief to develop.
EMDR isn't about forgetting what happened. It's about helping what happened feel more like the past, so it has less influence over how you feel and respond in the present.
Sometimes we can understand intellectually that something happened in the past, but our body, emotions or automatic responses can continue to react as though it is happening now. EMDR aims to help these experiences become less emotionally overwhelming and more fully processed, so that the past can feel more like the past.
EMDR may be helpful if you are experiencing:
Trauma or adverse life experiences
Anxiety or persistent feelings of threat
Panic or emotional overwhelm
Distressing or intrusive memories
Childhood experiences that continue to affect you
Relationship patterns connected to past experiences
Negative self-beliefs or low self-esteem
Difficult experiences that you feel you've "moved on" from, but which still affect you
A strong emotional or physical response to particular situations, people or experiences
Experiences that you understand logically but still feel emotionally or physically affected by
EMDR works with more than the memory
Our experiences don't just affect our thoughts. They can influence our emotions, our bodies, our relationships and the way we see ourselves.
My approach therefore looks at the whole person. Alongside EMDR, I draw on my experience as a contemporary psychotherapist and my understanding of the relationship between mind and body.
We'll pay attention to what you're noticing in your thoughts, emotions and body, while developing the understanding and resources you need to feel more grounded and in control.
You don't have to understand exactly what's happening before you come to therapy. That's something we can explore together.
Is EMDR right for me?
EMDR can be helpful for a wide range of experiences, including:
Traumatic or overwhelming events (recent or from the past)
Anxiety, panic or ongoing feelings of threat
Distressing or intrusive memories
Childhood experiences that continue to affect adult life
Relationship patterns linked to past experiences
Low self-esteem or negative core beliefs (such as “I’m not safe” or “I’m not enough”)
Will I have to talk about everything that happened?
No.
EMDR doesn't require you to tell me every detail of a difficult experience. Your safety, choice and sense of control are central to the process.
We'll spend time getting to know each other and making sure you have appropriate resources and strategies before beginning processing work.
We go at a pace that feels manageable for you.
What can change?
EMDR isn't just about what happened in the past. It's about how that experience continues to affect you now.
Through our work, you may begin to:
Feel less overwhelmed by difficult memories or triggers
Understand your patterns more clearly
Develop greater self-belief
Respond rather than automatically react
Feel more grounded in your body
Develop kinder inner dialogue
Challenge old, unhelpful beliefs about yourself
Build greater trust in yourself
Feel more confident in your relationships
Develop healthier boundaries
Recover more quickly when life feels difficult
Feel more connected to yourself and the people around you
The goal isn't to erase your past. It's to help you experience it differently, so it has less power over your present and your future.
Wondering if EMDR is right for you?
You don't need to know whether EMDR is the right approach before getting in touch.
We can have a conversation about what's bringing you to therapy, what you're hoping to change and whether EMDR feels like an appropriate part of that work.