EMDR Therapy in Norwich

Reprocess difficult experiences to feel better
Book an EMDR Consultation

You know the experience is over, but your body still reacts as though it isn't.

Perhaps you’ve had a difficult or horrible experience that still feels emotionally close. It might have happened recently, or even a long time ago but it is continuing to affect your life. 

I had a similar difficulty in 2019, after a cycling accident that left me with intense anxiety. I tried everything. I had already been meditating for a couple of years but for me it wasn’t until I had a short course of therapy that I started feeling better.

EMDR is a therapy that helps your brain process difficult experiences so they no longer feel so emotionally intense.

I love to use EMDR therapy because it works fairly quickly, and the results are lasting. 

Expect around 5-6 sessions to go from feeling awful to coping. 

EMDR Therapy Norwich

After a difficult experience, talking therapies alone can feel like they trigger the same horrible memories again.

EMDR is the most calming method I know to make dealing with horrible experiences less horrible. Using what is known as bilateral stimulation, the body learns to feel safe while recounting the horrible situation, and so with a few sessions, your brain stops being stuck in panic mode. 

Trauma? I don’t like to use this word because it writes the story in our head something is wrong with us, when rather – the problem was with what happened, which is often a situation we could not control.

Following up EMDR with CBT therapy in Norwich, can be a powerful way to turn around a negative stuation.

EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.

It is a structured therapy that uses bilateral stimulation – most commonly guided eye movements, but it can also involve other approaches such as tapping or alternating sounds – while you briefly focus on distressing memories or emotions.

Eye Movement
Supporting the brain’s natural information processing systems through bilateral stimulation.

Desensitisation
Reducing the emotional intensity, distress and physical reactions connected to difficult memories.

Reprocessing
Helping the brain update how those memories are stored, so they feel less overwhelming and more like something that happened in the past.

When we experience something distressing or overwhelming, our brain’s normal processing systems can sometimes struggle to fully integrate what has happened. The memory may remain strongly linked with fear, distress, physical sensations or negative beliefs about ourselves.

EMDR helps you safely revisit these experiences while your brain processes them in a different way. The aim is not to repeatedly relive the past, but to help those memories become less emotionally charged and easier to move forward from.

What Can EMDR Therapy Help With?

EMDR was originally developed to support people experiencing trauma and PTSD. It is now also used to help people process distressing experiences that continue to affect how they feel, think, and respond in the present.

EMDR may be helpful if you:

Have experienced something distressing that still feels emotionally present
Perhaps an accident, frightening medical experience, difficult birth, relationship breakdown, or another event that changed how you feel about yourself or the world.

Experience anxiety, panic or feeling constantly on edge
Sometimes anxiety is connected to experiences that have left your nervous system feeling as though it still needs to protect you, even when you know you are safe.

Feel overwhelmed by emotions or reactions that seem stronger than the situation requires
You may understand logically that something is in the past, but still notice strong emotional, physical or anxious responses.

Have fears or phobias that feel difficult to move past
EMDR can help reduce the emotional intensity connected with distressing memories or situations that trigger fear.

Are navigating a major life transition or period of change
Times of change – including relationship changes, becoming a parent, or hormonal transitions such as perimenopause – can sometimes bring previous experiences, emotions or patterns more into awareness.

EMDR is always tailored to the individual. Alongside EMDR, I draw on my wider psychological and lifestyle medicine training, incorporating approaches such as CBT, hypnotherapy and nervous system regulation techniques where these support your goals.

EMDR Therapy with Laura

EMDR therapy involves talking about, or imagining your horrible memories and fears, whilst at the same time, doing something else (such as moving your eyes from side to side). 

It sounds really weird but it works so well!

During therapy we spend a lot of time identifying ‘targets’ for therapy – including unpleasant thoughts and memories or beliefs. 

Then it can feel quite repetitive because we work on these targets using the same approach. So it is boring. But that is really important! It is deliberately boring because when you become bored of your fears they are no longer scary any more.

So it is quite important to stick with therapy – ideally for a couple of sessions after you started getting bored to make sure the issues are fully reprocessed.

EMDR Therapy Norwich: Taking the Next Step

Starting therapy can feel like a big step, especially if you have been trying to manage anxiety or difficult experiences on your own.

EMDR can help you process experiences that still feel emotionally present, reduce the intensity of distressing memories and reactions, and develop a greater sense of calm and confidence in the present.

I currently offer EMDR therapy in Norwich, with both in-person therapy in Norwich and online sessions available. If you would like to explore whether EMDR could support you, you can arrange a free initial call to discuss what you are experiencing and whether this approach feels right for you.

Book a free call

Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Therapy Norwich

Do I need to talk about my trauma in detail during EMDR therapy?

Not always. While understanding your experiences is an important part of therapy, EMDR does not require you to repeatedly describe every detail of a distressing event. The process is carefully paced, and you will be supported in working through experiences in a way that feels safe and manageable.

No. Although EMDR was initially developed to support trauma and PTSD, it can also be helpful for other difficulties such as anxiety, emotional overwhelm, panic responses, fears and phobias, distressing memories, and experiences that continue to affect your emotional wellbeing.

The number of sessions varies from person to person. It depends on your individual experiences, goals, and the challenges you would like to work through. During your initial consultation, Laura will discuss your needs and help you understand what your therapy journey may look like. Note however that EMDR involves a number of sessions rather than focusing on just one memory or symptom. During your initial consultation, we can discuss what you would like to work on and what a suitable therapy plan may look like.

Yes. EMDR is a structured therapy approach that is delivered carefully and at your own pace. Preparation and emotional safety are an important part of the process, and we will make sure you feel comfortable before working with distressing experiences. Like with any therapy there is a small risk of an abreaction, but this is very tiny and can be worked through if you are willing.

Your first session is an opportunity to talk through what has brought you to therapy, what you would like support with, and whether EMDR feels like the right approach for you.

We will spend time understanding your experiences, discussing how EMDR works, and answering any questions you may have. There is no pressure to talk about difficult memories before you feel ready. Building a sense of safety and understanding the right way forward are important parts of the process.

EMDR may be worth exploring if you feel that something from the past is still affecting how you feel in the present, if your emotional reactions feel stronger than the situation around you, or if you feel stuck in patterns you cannot shift through understanding alone.

An initial call gives us the opportunity to explore what you are experiencing and whether EMDR feels like a suitable approach for your needs and goals.

Starting therapy begins with a conversation. You can book a free initial call to discuss what you are experiencing, ask any questions about EMDR, and explore whether working together feels like the right next step.

I offer EMDR therapy in Norwich and online, providing a flexible option depending on what works best for you.

EMDR can be helpful for some people experiencing anxiety, particularly when anxiety feels linked to past experiences, difficult memories, fears or beliefs about themselves that continue to affect how they feel in the present.

Sometimes people understand their anxiety logically but still find that their body and emotions react as though something is wrong or unsafe. EMDR can help reduce the emotional intensity connected with these experiences, creating space for a calmer response.

Many people experience a gap between what they understand logically and how they feel emotionally. You may know that something is over, but still notice strong reactions, worry, tension or feelings of being on edge.

This can happen when experiences have been stored in a way that means they still feel emotionally significant. EMDR aims to help process these experiences so they feel less intense and less connected to the present.

Many people experience a gap between what they understand logically and how they feel emotionally. You may know that something is over, but still notice strong reactions, worry, tension or feelings of being on edge.

This can happen when experiences have been stored in a way that means they still feel emotionally significant. EMDR aims to help process these experiences so they feel less intense and less connected to the present.

Yes. Distressing experiences such as accidents, medical procedures, difficult births or other frightening events can sometimes continue to affect how we feel long after they have happened.

EMDR can help process memories that still feel emotionally charged, reducing the distress associated with them and helping you feel more settled in the present.

Perimenopause and menopause can be times of significant change, and hormonal fluctuations can affect anxiety, mood, sleep and emotional regulation.

For some women, this period of change can also bring previously manageable worries, experiences or emotional patterns more into awareness. EMDR may be helpful when anxiety feels connected to distressing experiences, memories or beliefs that continue to affect how you feel in the present.

I take a whole-person approach, considering the interaction between hormonal changes, life experiences, psychological patterns and lifestyle factors when supporting women with anxiety.

Talking therapies such as CBT can be incredibly helpful for understanding anxiety, thoughts and patterns of behaviour. However, some people find that even when they understand why they feel a certain way, their emotional responses do not always change.

This can happen because difficult experiences are not only stored as thoughts — they can also influence our emotions, physical responses and sense of safety.

EMDR offers a different way of working by helping you process experiences that may still feel emotionally present. It can be used alongside approaches such as CBT, compassion-based approaches and mindfulness to support deeper emotional change.

Major life transitions can sometimes bring anxiety to the surface, whether that is related to becoming a parent, relationship changes, health experiences, career changes or other significant periods of adjustment.

For some people, these changes highlight existing worries, emotional patterns or past experiences that continue to influence how they feel.

EMDR can help explore experiences that may still feel unresolved, supporting you to process what has happened and feel more settled in the present.

Anxiety and difficult experiences can sometimes affect sleep, particularly when your mind or body remains in a state of alertness.

While EMDR is not a treatment specifically for insomnia, processing experiences and emotional responses that contribute to anxiety often helps people to sleep better.