EMDR Therapy

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based psychological therapy used to treat trauma and other distressing experiences.

It can be particularly helpful when an experience is understood intellectually but continues to have a strong emotional or physical impact. A memory may still feel unusually vivid or distressing or present-day situations may trigger reactions such as anxiety, panic, shutdown or a sense of being overwhelmed.

EMDR uses a structured process to help distressing experiences become more fully processed, so that they can be remembered without carrying the same intensity or sense of being happening in the present.

Unlike some forms of trauma-focused therapy, EMDR does not require you to give a detailed verbal account of everything that happened. You will need to bring aspects of the experience to mind, but we can work with the memory without you describing every detail to me.

Some of what EMDR can help with

  • Traumatic memories that still feel vivid, intrusive or “close”, even years later

  • Trauma responses that don't seem to match the present moment: panic, shutdown, or flooding triggered by seemingly small things

  • Emotional flashbacks connected to earlier relationships or childhood experiences

  • Distressing memories connected to a specific event, relationship, or period of your life

  • Situations where you've done a lot of “understanding” work already but still feel stuck in your body's response

You don't necessarily need a single, clearly defined traumatic event for EMDR to be considered. EMDR can also be incorporated into therapy for longer-standing or relational trauma, although this work often requires more preparation, pacing and stabilisation than treatment of a single event.

How I use EMDR

I integrate EMDR within a broader trauma-informed, attachment-based approach, rather than using it as a stand-alone technique. Before any reprocessing work begins, we spend time building safety, stability and enough capacity to stay present with difficult material. This isn't a formality; careful preparation can be particularly important when the trauma is complex, longstanding or relational.

In practice, that usually means:

Establishing safety first
Understanding your history, building resourcing and grounding skills, and making sure you have enough stability before we approach distressing material.

Working at your pace
We identify a specific memory or theme to work with, and I'll guide you through the reprocessing process. You stay in control throughout; we can pause, slow down, or stop at any point.

Integrating what shifts
As processing progresses, the memory can begin to feel less emotionally charged and less present-tense. Beliefs attached to it, such as “it was my fault,” “I'm not safe,” or “I can't trust myself,” may also begin to change.

What actually happens during EMDR?

During EMDR, I'll ask you to bring a particular memory or experience to mind, along with some of the thoughts, emotions or sensations connected to it. You don't need to describe everything in detail.

While you hold aspects of the experience in mind, I'll guide you through short sets of bilateral stimulation, usually eye movements from side to side. We pause regularly so you can notice what is coming up and what, if anything, is beginning to shift.

You remain awake, aware and in control throughout. EMDR isn't hypnosis, and you're not being asked to relive the experience as though it is happening again. The aim is to help your brain process what happened while staying connected to the fact that you are here, now, and the experience is in the past.

There isn't a particular response you're supposed to have. Memories, emotions, physical sensations, images or new associations may arise, or the experience may simply begin to feel more distant or less charged. I'll guide the process, but we follow what emerges for you.

Face-to-face and online EMDR

EMDR sessions are available online and in person in Murrumbeena. Some people prefer the additional sense of containment that comes with working face to face, while others find online EMDR comfortable and accessible, particularly if getting to a clinic regularly isn't practical, or a familiar space at home feels safer to work from. We can discuss which format is likely to suit you, and it's fine to move between the two if your circumstances change.

If we work online, you'll need a private space where you won't be interrupted, a stable internet connection, and a device positioned so I can see your face and upper body clearly. This helps me track how you're responding as we go.

Bilateral stimulation (BLS) options for online sessions

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (BLS), such as alternating eye movements, taps or tones, as part of the reprocessing process.In person, this is usually done through guided eye movements. Online, there are a few ways to do this, and which one suits you best often comes down to how your nervous system responds:

  • Visual — following a moving point across your screen with your eyes. This is the closest match to in-person eye movements and may suit people who find visual tracking comfortable.

  • Tactile — alternating taps, such as tapping your knees or shoulders. This can suit people who find visual tracking tiring or who feel more grounded through body-based sensation.

  • Auditory — alternating tones through headphones. This may suit people who respond well to rhythmic sound or prefer not to use visual tracking.

We'll work out together which of these feels manageable for you; we can adjust the method over time depending on what feels most workable for you.

Sessions are generally 60–90 minutes. How many sessions are needed varies considerably. A circumscribed traumatic event may require fewer sessions than longstanding or repeated trauma, where preparation and processing often take place over a longer period.

For fees and rebate information: Fees & FAQ

A note on training

I have completed EMDR Institute Basic Training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) with EMDR Training Australia & New Zealand. The training is accredited by the EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA).

I am also working toward EMDRAA Practitioner Accreditation through ongoing clinical practice and consultation.

Is this the right fit?

EMDR isn't always the right starting point, and it isn't something we'd automatically move into in a first session. If you're carrying complex or long-standing trauma, we may spend time first on stabilisation, preparation and building enough capacity to work safely with difficult material.

You don't need to decide for yourself whether EMDR is the right treatment. We can consider that together as part of your initial assessment and decide whether EMDR, another approach, or a combination is most appropriate.

Interested in EMDR?

You don’t need to decide in advance whether EMDR is the right approach. We can talk through what you’re experiencing, what you hope will change, and whether EMDR would be appropriate as part of your therapy.

→ Book an initial counselling session

Want to know more about my broader approach? → How I Work

Kat O'Mara, MACA (Level 3)

Compassionate therapy online and in person in Melbourne specialising in relationship and attachment difficulties, domestic abuse recovery, and childhood trauma.

Therapist guiding a client through EMDR eye movements during a counselling session.

EMDR works with experiences that still feel present, even when you know they are over.