Who Can Benefit from EMDR Therapy?

If you've ever felt stuck in patterns of fear, anxiety, low self-worth, or emotional pain, you're not alone and you don’t have to stay there. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, evidence-based therapy that helps people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences.

It’s not just for PTSD EMDR can help with a wide range of emotional struggles, even when you can’t pinpoint exactly where they began. At Psychology Centre Newcastle, we use EMDR to help clients of all ages understand their emotions, process painful memories, and feel safer and more empowered in their lives.

🌟 What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) helps the brain process painful experiences that have become “stuck.” These unprocessed memories can continue to affect how you feel and behave, long after the event has passed.

EMDR doesn’t necessarily require you to go into detail about your trauma. Instead, you’ll recall a distressing memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds).

This activates both sides of your brain and supports the natural healing process—similar to what happens during REM sleep. Over time, the emotional intensity of the memory reduces, and new, more adaptive beliefs can take root. You’ll still remember what happened—but it won’t feel as overwhelming or defining.

🔄 How Does It Work?

EMDR is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which suggests that the brain wants to heal but sometimes needs help. Trauma can disrupt this natural process, leaving us emotionally stuck.

EMDR helps “unstick” these memories, promoting integration and we follow a structured 8-phase process:

🌀 What Does an EMDR Session Involve?

1. Getting to Know You (History & Planning)

We’ll begin by learning about your story—what you’ve been through, what’s bothering you now, and what you hope will change. Together, we’ll figure out whether EMDR is the right approach and which memories or patterns we might focus on.

2. Feeling Ready & Supported (Preparation)

Before diving into anything heavy, we’ll teach you calming and grounding tools to help you feel safe and in control. This stage is all about helping you feel secure and supported before we begin any memory work.

3. Choosing What to Work On (Assessment)

We gently explore a memory or experience you’d like to work through. We’ll talk about what happened, the thoughts or beliefs it brings up, and what feelings or body sensations come with it.

4. Processing the Memory (Desensitisation)

While you focus on the memory, your therapist will guide you through bilateral stimulation. You don’t need to force anything just notice what comes up.

5. Strengthening the Positive (Installation)

Once the emotional intensity has come down, we help you focus on a more empowering belief and use stimulation to help it sink in deeply.

6. Checking In with Your Body (Body Scan)

We check how your body feels while thinking about the memory and the new belief. Any tension is gently processed here.

7. Wrapping Up (Closure)

At the end of each session, we’ll help you feel calm and grounded, using tools to ensure you leave feeling safe.

8. Looking Back & Moving Forward (Re-evaluation)

We revisit past work to see how you’re feeling and decide together what to process next.

💬 What Can EMDR Help With?

EMDR is well-known for treating PTSD, but it’s also effective for a wide range of issues, including:

Trauma & PTSD

●        Childhood abuse or neglect

●        Car accidents, medical trauma, or natural disasters

●        Domestic violence or sexual assault

●        Workplace incidents or critical events (e.g., first responders)

Anxiety & Panic

●        Generalised Anxiety

●         Panic attacks or social anxiety

●        Health anxiety

●        Specific phobias (e.g., fear of flying, vomiting, needles)

Depression & Grief

●        Low mood linked to unresolved loss or trauma

●        Grief after the death of a loved one

●        Ongoing sadness tied to self-worth or past experiences

Complex Trauma & Attachment Wounds

●        Repeated relational trauma or emotional neglect

●        Difficulty trusting or connecting with others

●        Shame, guilt, or fear of abandonment

Compulsive Behaviours & Self-Sabotage

●        Emotional eating, bingeing, or restriction

●        Substance use and other coping behaviours

●        Patterns of self-harm or self-neglect

●        Persistent feelings of 'not being good enough'

🧠 Why It Works: A Brain-Based Approach

When we are triggered, it’s not just “in your head” it’s your nervous system reacting as though the danger is still present. EMDR works by engaging the brain’s natural neuroplasticity, allowing old patterns to be rewired.

Using bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps reduce activation in the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system), strengthen regulation from the prefrontal cortex, and link emotional memories with a broader, more grounded perspective.Instead of 'I’m not safe,' you can begin to believe, 'I made it through. I’m okay now.

❤️ EMDR for Attachment Trauma

Attachment wounds often stem from what didn’t happen like not being comforted when scared or not feeling seen or safe growing up. These 'omission traumas' can be just as impactful as more obvious events.

Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) is especially helpful for those who struggle with connection, feel 'broken' without clear trauma, or carry shame-based beliefs. It gently supports healing of the self in relationship.

🧭 Is EMDR Right for You?

EMDR may be a good fit if you:• Have tried other therapies but still feel stuck• Experience intense emotional reactions without clear causes• Avoid situations or relationships that remind you of the past• Want to heal without needing to relive every detail of what happened.

Meet Our EMDR Specialists in Newcastle

At Psychology Centre Newcastle, our EMDR therapists are trauma-informed, compassionate, and trained in both standard and attachment-focused EMDR approaches.  Each therapist brings a unique skillset and trauma-informed approach, ensuring you receive personalised care in a safe, supportive environment.

We work at your pace, always prioritising safety, empowerment, and individualised care. Whether you're navigating anxiety, recovering from trauma, or seeking deeper healing, we’re here to help.

Meet the team here

📞 Call us today or book online to meet with one of our EMDR clinicians.