onLINE EMDR THERAPY AUSTRALIA-WIDE

EMDR Therapy

Process traumatic memories without having to relive them

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy recommended for trauma, PTSD, anxiety and distressing life experiences. rather than simply talking about difficult memories, EMDR helps the brain reprocess them so they no longer feel as overwhelming.

EMDR is recommended in Australian clinical guidelines for the treatment of PTSD and is endorsed by the Australian Psychological Society, alongside leading international bodies including the World Health Organization.

What is EMDR Therapy?

Helping the brain process experiences that still feel "stuck"

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that helps people process traumatic or distressing experiences that continue to affect their lives.

Sometimes, after overwhelming or emotionally significant events, the brain struggles to fully process what happened. Instead of becoming part of the past, these experiences remain "stuck," continuing to influence how we think, feel and respond in the present.

EMDR helps the brain reprocess these memories so they become less emotionally overwhelming. Rather than simply learning to cope with difficult memories, many people find they no longer feel controlled by them.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not require you to repeatedly tell your story in detail. While some discussion is important, much of the work focuses on helping your brain naturally process experiences that have remained unresolved.

Our brains are remarkably good at healing. Just as the body knows how to heal a cut, the brain has a natural capacity to process difficult experiences. Most of the time, upsetting events are gradually integrated into our life story. We remember what happened, but they no longer trigger the same emotional intensity. However, when experiences are particularly overwhelming, frightening or distressing, this natural processing system can become disrupted. The memory may remain stored with the original emotions, body sensations, thoughts and beliefs attached to it. This is why something that happened years ago can still feel as though it is happening today. During EMDR therapy, bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements or alternating sounds or taps) is used while you briefly focus on aspects of the memory. Although researchers are still exploring exactly why bilateral stimulation helps, studies consistently show that EMDR is an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. Over time, the memory becomes integrated into your wider memory network. You still remember what happened—but it no longer carries the same emotional charge.

How does EMDR work?

What happens during an EMDR session?

Many people worry that EMDR means immediately revisiting the most painful experiences of their lives.

In reality, EMDR therapy is carefully structured and moves at a pace that feels safe.

A typical course of therapy includes:

Assessment

We'll spend time understanding your history, current concerns and goals for therapy. Together, we'll determine whether EMDR is the most appropriate approach for your situation.

Preparation

Before processing difficult memories, we'll develop strategies to help you regulate emotions, manage distress and feel grounded both during and between sessions.

Processing

Once you're ready, we'll gently work through memories using bilateral stimulation. You remain awake, aware and in control throughout the process.

Integration

As memories are processed, people often notice shifts in emotions, physical sensations and beliefs about themselves. Experiences that once felt overwhelming frequently become easier to think about without the same emotional intensity.

Review

At the beginning of each session, we'll review how you've been since your previous appointment and decide together what feels most helpful to focus on next.

What can EMDR help with?

 

  • Trauma

  • PTSD

  • Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

  • Childhood trauma

  • Attachment wounds

  • Traumatic or distressing memories

  • Emotional neglect

  • Workplace trauma

  • Bullying

  • Shame

  • Anxiety

  • Panic attacks

  • Grief

  • Birth trauma

  • Pregnancy loss

  • Low self-worth

  • First responders

  • Veterans

  • Health anxiety

  • Experiences that still affect you, even year later.

Can EMDR be done online?

Yes

Research suggests that EMDR can be effectively delivered via secure telehealth for many people.

At The Integration Space, all EMDR sessions are conducted via secure telehealth using Bilateral Base, a platform specifically designed for online EMDR. It allows us to use visual eye movements and other forms of bilateral stimulation, creating an experience similar to in-person therapy.

Many clients enjoy the convenience of completing EMDR from home. There's no travel, no searching for parking or sitting in a waiting room. Instead, you can settle into a space where you already feel comfortable, and after your session, you have the opportunity to take things slowly. Whether that's making a cup of tea, spending time with your pet or simply giving yourself a few quiet moments before getting on with your day.

Online EMDR also means you can access specialised trauma therapy from anywhere in Australia, without compromising on the quality of care.

Why choose The Integration Space?

EMDR is much more than simply following a standard EMDR protocol.

Every person brings their own history, nervous system, relationships and life experiences into therapy. For that reason, I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.

In addition to completing standard EMDR training, I have undertaken advanced training in Attachment-Informed EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS)-Informed EMDR, and adapting EMDR for autistic and ADHD clients. I have also completed separate professional training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), allowing me to thoughtfully integrate parts work into therapy when it is appropriate.

Alongside EMDR, I draw on complementary approaches including Brainspotting, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, attachment-informed therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Rather than relying on a single therapeutic model, I tailor therapy to your individual needs, goals and nervous system.

My goal isn't simply to reduce symptoms. It's to help you understand yourself more deeply, process unresolved experiences, build greater self-compassion, and create lasting change.

Whether you're seeking support for trauma, PTSD, complex PTSD, childhood trauma, anxiety, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, grief, bullying, or you're an autistic or ADHD adult looking for a neurodiversity-affirming approach, therapy is tailored to your individual experiences and what matters most to you.

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Real People. Real Results.

EMDR isn’t fringe. Some of the most high-profile people in the world have spoken openly about it, and what they’ve shared cuts right to the heart of what makes this therapy different from anything they’ve tried before.

Sandra Bullock
Click to watch

After a stalker broke into her home in 2014, Sandra Bullock developed PTSD and couldn’t explain why she’d suddenly burst into tears when glancing left while driving. What pushed her to act was simple: “I’m a single parent, and this child is going to absorb nothing but fear and trauma and shame from me… I don’t want to drop that load of baggage onto my beautiful child.” She called EMDR the most healing thing she’d ever done.

Miley Cyrus
Click to watch

In a New York Times interview, Miley described a single EMDR session that used a floatback technique, bringing her not just to her own pain, but to generational trauma she had been carrying for her mother. She traced her performance anxiety back through her own childhood and into her mother’s experience of adoption, uncovering a core feeling “I just want them to love me so bad” and realising it wasn’t even hers to carry. She has called EMDR therapy life-saving.

Jameela Jamil
Click to watch

Jameela Jamil has openly credited EMDR with saving her life. Struggling with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and PTSD, she shared her experience publicly on Instagram and YouTube, emphasising that seeking help is neither shameful nor embarrassing. In her own words, EMDR “goes right to the core of the problem” removing the conditioning of irrational thought rather than just talking around it.

What these stories have in common

These aren’t people who couldn’t cope. They’re high performers carrying hidden weight, the kind that shows up in the body, in relationships, in the patterns you can’t break no matter how much you understand them. That’s exactly what EMDR is built to reach.

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How do I choose between EMDR and Brainspotting?

Choosing between EMDR and Brainspotting is something we can explore together. Both are powerful pathways and either can support you in reaching your goals for therapy.

EMDR


Follows a structured eight phase model

Works best when there is a specific memory, experience or belief you want to target

Involves more dialogue and verbal check ins throughout the session

Uses bilateral stimulation through eye movements, tapping or auditory sounds

You will explore the images, emotions, beliefs and body sensations connected to the memory

Builds safety and trust gradually before moving into deeper processing

Brainspotting


More open and less structured, largely led by you

You don't need a specific memory to begin, we can start with a feeling or sensation in the body

Much less talking during the session

Uses a fixed eye position, sometimes with bilateral music

Works deeply with body sensation and somatic experience

You don't need to share your full story for it to be effective

Frequently asked questions:

  • No. While both therapies are well known for their work with trauma, they are equally effective for anxiety, depression, low self worth, relationship patterns, and anything else that feels stuck. If something is causing you distress and it hasn't shifted through other approaches, these therapies are worth exploring.

  • No, and this is one of the things people are often most relieved to hear. Both EMDR and Brainspotting work below the level of words. You don't need to narrate your story in detail for the processing to happen. In Brainspotting especially, very little talking is required at all. You are welcome to share as much or as little as feels right for you.

  • Both therapies involve accessing difficult material, so it is important that you have enough capacity to stay grounded when things get uncomfortable. This is something we assess carefully before beginning any processing. If we need to spend more time building that foundation first, we will. There is no rush, and that preparation work is part of the therapy, not a delay to it.

  • Description text goes hereThis varies enormously from person to person and depends on what you are working on, how long it has been held in the body, and how your nervous system responds. Some people notice significant shifts in just a few sessions. Others do deeper work over a longer period. We will check in regularly and you will always have a clear sense of where we are and where we are heading.

  • Item descriptionMost people feel a little tender or tired after a processing session, and that is completely normal. The work continues after you leave, and your nervous system may keep integrating for a day or two. This is why doing sessions via telehealth can be so helpful. You are already at home, and you can rest, be still, or simply give yourself some quiet time rather than having to hold yourself together to get somewhere.

  • You don't need clear or detailed memories for either of these therapies to work. Brainspotting in particular can begin with just a feeling or a sensation in the body, with no specific memory required at all. The brain and body hold what they hold, and we work with whatever is present.

  • Possibly, yes, and here is why. Most traditional therapies work primarily through language and insight. They can be genuinely helpful, but they have limits. EMDR and Brainspotting work with the parts of the nervous system that talking doesn't easily reach. If you understand yourself well but something still hasn't shifted, that gap is exactly where these therapies tend to do their best work.

  • Absolutely. Anxiety is often the nervous system's way of signalling that something unresolved is still being carried. It doesn't require a single dramatic event to explain it. Both therapies work well with the underlying activation that drives anxiety, whatever its origins, and many people find lasting relief where other approaches have only offered management.

  • It varies. Some people experience strong emotions or physical sensations moving through them. Others feel surprisingly calm, almost like nothing much is happening, and then notice real shifts in the days that follow. Both are normal. You don't need to have a big emotional release for the therapy to be working. Trust the process, and trust that your nervous system knows what it is doing.

  • For EMDR, I use a program called Bilateral Base which runs directly through your screen, delivering bilateral stimulation visually so you can follow it from wherever you are. For Brainspotting, I guide you to find and hold your gaze on a specific point, which works just as effectively on screen as it does in person. Many clients actually prefer working this way. You are in your own environment, which often supports a greater sense of safety, and you can move straight into rest after the session rather than having to drive home.

  • Websites

    Books

    • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. The most accessible starting point for understanding how trauma lives in the body and why approaches like EMDR work. Widely read and highly recommended.

    • Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change by David Grand. Written by the founder of Brainspotting, this is the go-to book for understanding what it is and how it works.

    • Getting Past Your Past by Francine Shapiro. Written by the founder of EMDR, this is a practical and readable guide for people wanting to understand the approach before beginning.

    Podcasts

    • Let's Talk EMDR by the EMDR International Association. Accessible episodes covering how EMDR works and what clients can expect.

    • Therapy Chat with Laura Reagan. Covers EMDR, Brainspotting and somatic approaches in a warm, conversational style that is easy to listen to as a newcomer.