emdr
Specialist support
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy widely recognised for its effectiveness in working with distress that feels emotionally charged or persistently unresolved, whether rooted in a past event or in fear of something still to come.
EMDR helps the brain reprocess what is holding the distress in place, whether that’s a specific memory or collection of memories, a felt sense in the body, or anticipatory fear about a future event. Often, what once felt overwhelming stops having a hold over you altogether, shifting from something you carry to something you’ve simply lived through, no longer triggering the same reaction in your body or mind.
EMDR is widely used to help with:
- Trauma or PTSD, including flashbacks, intrusive thoughts and nightmares
- Anxiety, panic or persistent fear
- Phobias, including fears with no clear or identifiable cause
- Anticipatory fear of a future event
- Depression linked to past or ongoing experiences
- Repeated relationship patterns that feel hard to shift
- Low self-worth
These are some of the more common reasons people seek EMDR, but not the only ones. If you’re unsure whether it’s right for you, please get in touch and we’d be happy to talk it through with you.
How EMDR works
Ordinary experiences are usually processed naturally: the brain makes sense of them and files them away, so they stop demanding our attention. When something distressing happens, that natural processing can get interrupted. The experience stays lodged in the emotional part of the brain rather than reaching the part that makes logical sense of things, so it can still feel raw or present, in whatever way it’s held, long after the event itself. This can lead to coping strategies that help us avoid situations or feelings that risk bringing it back to the surface.
The same thing can happen even without a single clear event: fears can build up gradually from messages taken on board and internalised throughout life, without one clear moment they can be traced back to, or attach to something that hasn’t happened yet but feels threatening. In each case, something is being held in a way that hasn’t been fully resolved, and EMDR can help with that too.
EMDR offers a different route to reprocessing: rather than working through it primarily by talking, it uses gentle bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, audio tones, or taps, to help the brain and body process what’s stored more directly.
We work at a pace that feels safe and contained, integrating EMDR into a broader therapeutic context, ensuring that you are supported throughout the process.
Who offers EMDR
Both Louise and Julia are fully trained and experienced in EMDR therapy and both offer standard EMDR sessions. You can read more about each of us on our About page to help decide who might be the right fit for you.
Louise also offers EMDR intensive-style sessions: longer individual sessions than standard weekly appointments, typically structured with a break partway through, allowing for more sustained, concentrated work than a standard session length allows. These usually continue over a series of sessions, in the same way standard EMDR work does, rather than being resolved in a single sitting, though covering more ground per session can mean the overall piece of work is completed in a shorter timeframe than standard weekly sessions might take. This can suit people who want to go deeper within each session, or who are drawn to a more condensed way of working through what’s troubling them. They’re carefully planned, with preparation beforehand and follow-up support afterward, so the pace stays safe even though the work is more concentrated.
Session structure
EMDR sessions can be arranged in a way that suits your needs, whether that’s a standard weekly appointment or a longer, more intensive-style session.
- Standard EMDR sessions typically last 50 to 90 minutes. We generally recommend 90-minute sessions to allow enough time for reprocessing work; shorter sessions may suit work that combines EMDR with talking therapy.
- Intensive-style EMDR sessions (offered by Louise) are built from multiple 90-minute blocks with breaks in between, with individual sessions ranging from a few hours up to a full day, planned together over as many sessions as the work requires.
- Frequency and pacing are tailored to your needs and readiness
- In-person sessions at our office in Reading, Berkshire, or online sessions using a dedicated EMDR platform, are both available
Fees
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation is a two-way process: an opportunity to share what brings you to therapy and to discuss whether EMDR is the right approach. The initial consultation is charged at the standard rate.
Standard EMDR Therapy (offered by both Louise and Julia)
£70 per 50-minute session
£125 per 90-minute session
Fees are pro-rated for other session lengths
EMDR Intensive-Style Sessions (available with Louise only)
Priced pro-rata based on the 90-minute session rate (£125). Please contact Louise to discuss what would suit your needs.
Next Steps
If you’re interested in EMDR or EMDR intensive-style sessions, we recommend starting with an initial consultation. This allows us to:
- Understand your history and presenting issues
- Discuss whether EMDR is the most appropriate approach
- Plan the session structure and pace collaboratively