EMDR is one of those therapies you may have heard mentioned without really knowing what happens once you’re in the room. There’s eye movement involved, it can be used to work through difficult or traumatic experiences, and it’s quite different from traditional talk therapy. But how does it actually work?
EMDR therapy is designed to help your brain process experiences that continue to feel distressing, even when you know they’re in the past. For some people, that might be a single traumatic event. For others, it can be experiences, memories or patterns that have built up over time and continue to affect how they feel or respond today.
If you’re considering EMDR therapy in Brisbane, this guide will walk you through what it is, what a session actually looks like, what you might feel during the process and what to expect if you decide to give it a try.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a structured psychological therapy designed to help people process distressing memories and experiences that feel emotionally stuck.
Rather than focusing primarily on talking through every detail of what happened, EMDR helps you bring a distressing memory to mind while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, most commonly guided eye movements. Over time, the memory becomes less emotionally intense. It begins to feel like something that happened in the past, rather than something your nervous system is still responding to right now.
EMDR therapy Brisbane psychologists use this approach for a wide range of experiences, from clearly defined traumatic events to more subtle patterns of distress that have built up over time.
Credit: EMDRAA Videos
What Does “Stuck” Actually Feel Like?
You may not think of yourself as someone dealing with trauma. But if any of these sound familiar, EMDR may be relevant to you.
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- A smell, a sound, or a particular look on someone’s face triggers a sharp emotional reaction that feels completely disproportionate
- You replay an old conversation in your mind and cannot seem to let it go, no matter how many times you tell yourself it’s in the past
- You feel inexplicably anxious in certain situations and can’t quite trace it back to anything obvious
- You carry a quiet belief that what happened was somehow your fault, or that you are not as capable or deserving as others around you
These are all signs that something has not been fully processed, and signs you might benefit from EMDR.
How EMDR Therapy Helps the Brain Process Memories
Think about how a distressing memory can feel like a wound that never quite healed. Not because the event is still happening, but because something in the way it was stored keeps pulling you back to it. EMDR works by helping the brain finally file that experience away properly.
One explanation for how this happens involves working memory. When you recall a distressing memory while simultaneously following a moving target with your eyes, your working memory is divided between the two tasks. This appears to reduce the vividness and emotional intensity of the memory.
EMDR also supports the brain’s natural information-processing system, allowing memories that previously felt fragmented, overwhelming, or intensely charged to become more integrated with your broader life experience.
Importantly, EMDR does not erase memories. The goal is for the memory to become less distressing and less likely to trigger the same emotional or physiological response. Many people describe it as the memory losing its grip. It does not disappear, but it stops feeling like something that is still happening to them.
How EMDR Therapy is Different from Talk Therapy
Traditional talk therapies involve exploring your thoughts and feelings in detail, building insight, and developing new ways of understanding what happened.
EMDR is different because it places less emphasis on extensive verbal recounting. Instead, you briefly focus on aspects of the memory while your psychologist guides you through a structured reprocessing process. You are still supported to understand your experience, but EMDR works at the level of how distressing memories are stored and how they continue to affect your emotions, beliefs, physical sensations, and behaviour.
For many people, one of the most relieving things about EMDR is learning they don’t have to describe everything in detail. If you are wondering whether this kind of approach could suit you, our women’s psychology service provides more context on the psychological support available at North West Healthy Women.
What Happens in an EMDR Session?
EMDR is far more than moving your eyes from side to side. It is a structured therapy that unfolds across a number of phases.
Picture sitting in a comfortable chair across from your psychologist. She asks you to bring a particular image or feeling to mind. Not to talk through every detail of it. Just to notice it. She then moves her fingers slowly from left to right, and you follow them with your eyes. After a short set of these movements, she asks simply: what do you notice now? That is what a set looks like.
Before any of that begins, however, your first sessions will feel much more like a conversation. Your psychologist will want to understand your history, identify your goals, and make sure you have strategies in place to manage emotional distress. Nothing difficult is processed until both of you feel ready.
When reprocessing (the active phase of EMDR) does begin, you will be asked to bring a particular memory, image, thought, emotion, or body sensation to mind. After each set of bilateral stimulation, you will be invited to notice what comes up. This might be a thought, an image, a physical sensation, or another memory. There is no expectation that you produce a particular response or analyse everything that arises. Your psychologist guides the process and regularly checks in on your level of distress, helping you stay grounded in the present.
Are Eye Movements Always Used?
Eye movements are the most commonly associated form of bilateral stimulation in EMDR therapy, but they are not the only option. Your psychologist may also use alternating taps, sounds that alternate between the left and right ear, or other forms of left-right stimulation. The approach is chosen based on what feels most comfortable and appropriate for you.
What EMDR Can Help With
EMDR therapy was originally developed for trauma and post-traumatic stress and has a strong evidence base for treating PTSD. It may also be considered where distressing experiences are contributing to:
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- Anxiety and persistent worry
- Fears and phobias
- Grief reactions that feel stuck
- Negative beliefs about yourself that do not shift with logic alone
- Ongoing emotional responses to past events that feel disproportionate
Suitability is individual. A psychologist will consider your current circumstances, psychological stability, coping strategies, treatment goals, and readiness to engage with emotional material before beginning trauma processing.
For some people, particularly those experiencing active crisis or significant instability, a period of stabilisation work is recommended before any trauma processing begins. That is entirely appropriate. A good therapist will be clear with you about what makes sense for your situation. You can read more about what to expect from the process and how to prepare in our post on how to book a psychologist in Everton Park.
What Does “Getting Better” Look Like?
People who have done EMDR often describe a particular kind of shift. The memory is still there, but it no longer hijacks them. They can think about what happened without the same flood of emotion. They notice that situations which used to send them spiralling feel more manageable.
How Many Sessions Does EMDR Involve?
The number of sessions varies considerably, and it is worth being honest about that rather than offering false certainty.
A single, clearly defined traumatic event may sometimes require a relatively brief course of EMDR therapy. People who have experienced repeated, prolonged, or complex trauma may require substantially more. Treatment may also include preparation, stabilisation, and other psychological work alongside reprocessing.
Rather than aiming for a predetermined number of sessions, treatment is guided by your history, your goals, your progress, and your response. Sessions typically run for 60 to 90 minutes and are often scheduled weekly or fortnightly. Early sessions tend to move at a slower pace because the focus is on preparation rather than processing.
Is EMDR Emotionally Intense?
I can be. Because EMDR involves activating distressing memories, there are moments that feel difficult. During a session, you may notice emotions, physical sensations, images, thoughts, or memories surfacing. These experiences often shift as processing continues.
After a session, some people feel relieved or calm. Others notice that memories, thoughts, or emotions continue to emerge for a period as the brain keeps working through the material. Your psychologist will monitor your distress throughout each session and help you regulate your emotional response. You remain in control of the process and can pause or stop at any point.
What EMDR Therapy Is Not
Several common misconceptions about EMDR are worth addressing directly.
EMDR is not hypnosis. You remain awake, aware, and fully in control throughout the session.
EMDR does not erase memories. The aim is to reduce the distress associated with a memory, not to remove it.
You do not need to describe your trauma in extensive detail. While some discussion is necessary, EMDR does not require the level of detailed recounting that people often associate with trauma therapy.
And EMDR is not simply moving your eyes while thinking about something upsetting. It is a structured psychological treatment involving assessment, preparation, reprocessing, and ongoing evaluation across multiple phases.
Can EMDR Be Done Via Telehealth?
Yes. EMDR therapy can be conducted via telehealth, which makes it accessible for women who prefer to engage from home or who live outside the immediate area. Your psychologist can walk you through how this works in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a formal diagnosis to access EMDR therapy?
No. You do not need a PTSD diagnosis or any other formal diagnosis. If you are carrying distressing memories or emotional responses that feel stuck, that is enough of a starting point for a conversation.
Will I have to relive my trauma in detail?
Not in the way many people fear. EMDR does not require you to narrate everything that happened. You will bring elements of the memory to mind during sessions, but this happens in a supported and structured way, and your psychologist will pace the process carefully.
What if I start to feel overwhelmed during a session?
You remain in control throughout. You can pause or stop at any point. A significant part of EMDR preparation involves building the resources and strategies to help you stay grounded if things feel intense.
How do I know if EMDR therapy Brisbane is the right fit for me?
The clearest way to find out is to have a conversation. Your psychologist will talk with you about your history, your goals, and what you are hoping to achieve before recommending any particular approach. Our post on 5 signs it’s time to see a psychologist in Everton Park may also help you recognise whether now is the right time to reach out.
Is EMDR covered by Medicare?
EMDR sessions with a registered psychologist can attract a Medicare rebate if you have a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. It is worth discussing this with your GP before your first appointment.
Taking the Next Step
EMDR therapy Brisbane at North West Healthy Women is offered by Davina, our in-house psychologist with specific training and experience in trauma-focused work. Your first appointment is an opportunity to talk about what’s been happening, what you’d like help with and what approach may best support you.
If you’ve been thinking about getting support, book an appointment with Davina and take that first step.