EMDR therapy is recognized as effective trauma treatment and recommended worldwide in the practice guidelines of both domestic and international organisations.

Yes, I sometimes prefer to treat phobias with EMDR because it requires less equipment, takes less time, and is easier to do when the phobia involves something difficult to generate in the therapy room, like an aeroplane flight, a public speaking engagement, or a large animal. In therapy, I will ask you to identify the first time you had an encounter with the phobic object or situation, as well as the worst time, and the most recent time. You will work through each of these situations, and an imagined situation in which you encounter it in the future. After this, you will be given an opportunity to test the resolution by engaging with the phobic object outside of the session to ensure that your phobia is resolved.

No. Two studies (Lee, Gavriel, Drummond, Richards, & Greenwald, 2002; Rothbaum, 1997) have indicated an elimination of diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 83-90% of civilian participants after four to seven sessions. Other studies using participants with PTSD (e.g. Ironson, Freund, Strauss, & Williams, 2002; Scheck, Schaeffer, & Gillette, 1998; S. A. Wilson, Becker, & Tinker, 1995) have found significant decreases in a wide range of symptoms after three-four sessions. The only randomized study (Carlson, Chemtob, Rusnak, Hedlund, & Muraoka, 1998) of combat veterans to address the multiple traumas of this population reported that 12 sessions of treatment resulted in a 77% elimination of PTSD. Clients with multiple traumas and/or complex histories of childhood abuse, neglect, and poor attachment may require more extensive therapy, including substantial preparatory work in phase two of EMDR (Korn & Leeds, 2002; Maxfield & Hyer, 2002; Shapiro, 2001, 2018).

The type of problem, severity and amount of trauma, and life circumstances are factors that may affect how many treatment sessions would be required. In my practice, clients may choose to use only EMDR as a primary source of treatment, or to integrate EMDR into their regular sessions of talk therapy.

Healing is not an act, not something to be done, but a state to be entered into. It is a subtle dance between the mind and the body, a process of allowing the forces within us to come into alignment. We are constantly in flux, moving from past to present, from sorrow to joy, from brokenness to wholeness. And yet, how often we fight this natural flow, clinging to our pain, resisting the very process that could bring us peace.

EMDR—Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing—is not a cure in the traditional sense. It is not about eradicating something that is broken. Rather, it is about creating the conditions where healing can naturally take place. You see, the body and mind are not separate, they are one. When the mind is at ease, the body follows, and vice versa. EMDR is a process that allows this deep, symbiotic connection to come to the surface.

Let us begin with the History & Treatment Planning phase. This is not just about gathering information, it is about understanding the story—the narrative we’ve told ourselves for so long. Each of us carries a story, sometimes clear, sometimes blurry, but always powerful. It shapes how we see the world and how we see ourselves. The therapist in EMDR does not seek to rewrite this story but to help you see it with new eyes, eyes that are no longer clouded by fear or shame. The past is not something to escape; it is simply something to understand, to allow to dissolve in the light of awareness.

Then comes Preparation for Processing, which is a beautiful invitation to relax into the experience. You must first learn to let go of the need to control, to feel that you must always be in charge. This phase is about teaching you to surrender—not to others, but to your own inner wisdom. It is about trusting that you know how to heal, even if you don't have all the answers right now.

The Assessment phase follows. Here, you begin to identify the moments that still carry weight, the memories that have not yet been fully processed. But understand this: there is no rush. You don’t need to fix anything, you just need to bring awareness to what is. In this moment of recognition, you begin to understand the roots of your distress. And as soon as you see the root, you are already halfway to freedom.

Then, in the Desensitization phase, the real magic happens. The trauma, the fear, the anxiety, it begins to loosen. But how? Not through force, not through pushing. It is through gentle, rhythmic movement—like a soft wind that gradually changes the shape of a tree. With each movement, you release a little more of the hold the trauma has over you. It is as though you are not erasing the past, but simply allowing it to become distant, to lose its power over your present self.

Next, we move into Installation—the installation of new beliefs. But do not mistake this for mere positive thinking. It is not about replacing one thought with another; it is about creating space for something new to grow. Positive beliefs do not enter into a vacuum—they are planted in the soil of your experience, watered by the wisdom of your heart. This is not intellectual, it is a deep knowing that comes when you stop resisting and simply let things be as they are.

The Body Scan phase is perhaps the most subtle, yet most profound. Here, you are invited to reconnect with your body, to notice where the tension still resides. It is through this body awareness that you truly begin to release what has been stored, hidden, held tight. In this phase, you are not trying to force anything. You are simply becoming present with the body, allowing it to tell you where it still holds on to the past. With every gentle release, you move closer to total freedom.

In Closure, we return to calm. We pause, reflect, and integrate. We acknowledge that healing is a process, not an event. It is the art of returning to a state of balance, a state of wholeness, over and over again. Every step of the way is an invitation to be kind to yourself, to allow healing to unfold without resistance.

And finally, Re-Evaluation. This is not an end but a new beginning. As you reflect on the work you have done, you may find that new memories emerge, new emotions arise. This is the beauty of life—the journey is never complete. But with each step, you move closer to your true self, to the essence of who you are beyond all the stories you have told yourself.

EMDR is not a method of curing. It is a method of allowing. Allow yourself to heal, not through effort, but through surrender. When you cease fighting, when you stop running from the past, healing will find you. It is already within you, waiting for you to notice, waiting for you to let go.