EMDR Therapy on the Gold Coast

What is EMDR?

EMDR was developed in the late 1980s and has since become one of the recognised approaches for treating post-traumatic stress. It works from the idea that some difficult experiences do not get filed away properly. Instead of settling into the past, they stay close to the surface, so that a sound, a smell, or a particular situation can bring back the feeling of the original event as though it were happening now.

In EMDR, you bring a specific memory to mind while your psychologist guides you through a set of side-to-side eye movements, or sometimes taps or sounds that alternate from left to right. This is called bilateral stimulation. The aim is to let the brain do its own processing work on the memory while your attention is partly occupied elsewhere.

What tends to change is not the memory itself. You do not forget what happened. What often shifts is how much the memory grips you, and what you have come to believe about yourself because of it.

What happens in an EMDR session?

EMDR follows a structured protocol, which is one of the reasons people who have found open-ended talk therapy difficult sometimes get on well with it. There is a clear shape to the work.

The early sessions are not about the memory at all. They are about history taking and preparation: understanding what has happened to you, what you want to work on, and building up ways of settling your nervous system so that you have something to fall back on when the work gets uncomfortable. Your psychologist will not move on until that groundwork is in place.

When processing does begin, you and your psychologist identify a target memory, along with the image, the belief and the body sensation that go with it. You then hold that in mind during short sets of bilateral stimulation, pausing between sets to notice whatever has come up. You are not required to describe the memory in detail. Many people find that a relief.

Sessions end with time set aside to settle before you leave. Between sessions, some people notice dreams, new memories or shifts in mood. That is worth mentioning at your next appointment, because it is useful information rather than a sign something has gone wrong.

What is EMDR used for?

EMDR is most established as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. healthdirect, the Australian government funded health advice service, lists it among the psychological treatments used for PTSD.

In practice, trauma is a broader category than most people assume. It is not only single, dramatic events. It can include a childhood that felt unsafe or unpredictable over a long period, a difficult birth, a medical experience, an accident, bullying, or the accumulated weight of a workplace that ground someone down over years.

EMDR is also used, with varying levels of evidence behind it, for difficulties that sit alongside trauma: anxiety, phobias, distressing memories that do not meet the threshold for a PTSD diagnosis, and the kind of persistent negative beliefs about yourself that often trace back to something specific. Whether it is a reasonable fit for what you are dealing with is a conversation to have with a psychologist rather than something to settle from a website.

Some of what EMDR is used for overlaps with our trauma and attachment focused therapy, and with anxiety and emotional regulation work.

What does the research say about EMDR?

The evidence base for EMDR in post-traumatic stress is reasonably well developed, and it appears in guidance from major health bodies.

The World Health Organization has included EMDR alongside cognitive behavioural therapy in its guidance on mental health care after trauma, noting these approaches can help people reduce unwanted, repeated recollections of traumatic events. Beyond Blue lists EMDR among the treatments research has found effective for PTSD. healthdirect notes that a course of EMDR may take somewhere in the region of eight to twelve sessions for symptom relief, though this is a general figure rather than a prediction for any individual.

Two honest caveats. The evidence is strongest for post-traumatic stress specifically, and thinner for some of the other uses EMDR gets put to. And research findings describe averages across groups of people. They do not tell you what will happen for you. Responses to any psychological therapy vary, and some people find a different approach suits them better.

Is EMDR right for you?

There is no way to answer that from a webpage, and anyone who tells you otherwise is overselling.

What can be said is that EMDR tends to suit people who have a reasonably clear sense of the experiences they want to work on, and who would rather not spend months describing those experiences out loud. It asks less verbal narration of you than most trauma therapies do.

It is not a first step for everyone. If someone is in the middle of an acute crisis, or does not yet have enough stability and support around them, a psychologist will usually spend time on that first. That is a clinical judgement, not a delay. Starting processing work before someone has the capacity to tolerate it is not doing them a favour.

The practical way to find out is an initial appointment, where you can describe what has been going on and talk through whether EMDR, another approach, or a combination makes sense.

EMDR at Zen Society

EMDR at Zen Society is provided by Dr Sophie Pitt, one of our co-founding psychologists. Sophie has worked as a psychologist for a decade and with young people for over fourteen years, across schools, hospitals, clinics and homes, and she uses EMDR alongside acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and solution focused brief therapy, depending on what the person in front of her needs.

We work with adults, adolescents and children, and EMDR is adapted to suit the person’s age and stage. You can see our full range of therapy services or read more about child and adolescent therapy.

You do not need a referral to book. If you would like to talk it through first, our reception team is happy to answer questions before you commit to anything.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to describe what happened to me in detail?

No. This is one of the practical differences between EMDR and some other trauma therapies. Your psychologist needs enough to identify the target memory and what goes with it, but you are not required to narrate the event.

How many sessions will I need?

It depends on what you are working on and how much of it there is. healthdirect cites a general range of roughly eight to twelve sessions for PTSD symptom relief, and preparation sessions come before any processing begins. Sophie will give you a clearer sense after an initial appointment.

Is EMDR uncomfortable?

It can be. You are deliberately bringing distressing material to mind, and that is not a neutral experience. Sessions are structured to keep it manageable, with preparation beforehand and settling time at the end, and you can pause at any point.

Can children have EMDR?

EMDR is used with children and adolescents in adapted forms, with shorter sets, more play and movement, and parents or carers usually involved in the work.

Can I claim a Medicare rebate?

If you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, rebates may apply to sessions with a registered psychologist in the usual way. Rebates relate to the session, not to which therapy is used within it. Our reception team can talk you through current fees.

Is EMDR covered by NDIS or WorkCover?

It can be, depending on your plan or claim. It is worth checking your specific arrangement with us before booking.

Ready to talk it through?

If something in this page sounded familiar, an initial appointment is a reasonable next step. You can book an appointment online, or get in touch if you have questions first.

This page provides general information only and is not a substitute for individual psychological or medical advice. If you are in crisis, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or emergency services on 000.