EMDR can support people who feel stuck with traumatic memories, painful experiences,
strong emotional reactions, or ongoing distress.
At Reimagine Psychology, our EMDR-trained psychologists provide safe, collaborative, and evidence-based support to help you process difficult experiences at a pace that feels right for you.
How we can help
Thinking of EMDR?
Childhood trauma
Medical trauma
Phobias
Experiences of abuse
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Accidents
Anxious memories
Social anxiety
Shame, guilt and negative beliefs
If any of these resonate with you, our psychologists can help you understand whether EMDR may be appropriate for you and support you through the process in a safe, structured, and compassionate way.
The 8 phases of EMDR
How does EMDR work?
EMDR follows eight structured phases across three stages. Together they can help distressing memories feel less intense, so they sit more like the past and less like the present.
Stage 1 · Phases 1–3
Prepare
1
History & planning
We get to know you, your goals and your history, and agree on which memories to work with.
2
Preparation
You learn how EMDR works and build grounding and calming skills, so you feel steady before we begin.
3
Assessment
We map the target memory: the image, the belief it left behind, the emotions and where you feel it in your body.
Stage 2 · Phases 4–6
Process
4
Desensitisation
While briefly holding the memory in mind, you follow bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps or tones) as its intensity eases.
5
Installation
We strengthen a kinder, more helpful belief about yourself, like “I’m safe now” or “I did the best I could.”
6
Body scan
You notice any leftover tension in your body, and we keep processing until it settles.
Stage 3 · Phases 7–8
Integrate
7
Closure
Every session ends with you back in a calm, grounded state, with skills to use between sessions.
8
Re-evaluation
Next session, we check in on what’s shifted and decide together what to focus on next.
Everyone moves through these phases at their own pace, and the number of sessions varies. Your psychologist will shape EMDR around you.