EMDR Therapy 

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Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain process and heal from distressing experiences, without needing to talk through every detail, only the headlines, not the whole article.

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Originally developed for trauma, EMDR has grown into a powerful approach for a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties. It's particularly effective for neurodivergent people because it works with how your brain naturally processes information, not against it.

 

 

What is EMDR?

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EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements,, but also taps, sounds or light bar) to help your brain reprocess memories and experiences that have gotten "stuck." When something distressing happens, your brain is meant to process it and file it away. But sometimes, especially with trauma, ongoing stress, or overwhelming experiences when processing gets interrupted. The memory stays raw, undigested, and keeps triggering you in the present.

EMDR helps your brain finish what it started, so those memories lose their emotional charge and stop running your life.

 

 

The Research Behind EMDR

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EMDR is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the American Psychological Association, and Australia's Medicare and NHMRC as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. Studies show it can work faster than traditional talk therapy, often producing significant results in fewer sessions.

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Research also shows EMDR is effective for anxiety, depression, negative self beliefs, stress, phobias, and complex trauma, not just single-incident PTSD.

 

 

Why EMDR Works Well for Neurodivergent People

 

 

If you're autistic or ADHD, you might find traditional talk therapy exhausting, overwhelming, or just not quite right. EMDR can be a better fit because:

• You don't have to verbally process everything. Some neurodivergent people struggle with alexithymia (difficulty identifying and describing emotions) or find talking about trauma retraumatising. EMDR lets your brain do the work without needing to narrate every detail.

• It works with how your brain actually processes. Neurodivergent brains often have heightened sensory processing and vivid memory recall. EMDR uses that, it doesn't fight it.

• It's structured and predictable. The protocol has clear phases, which many neurodivergent people find reassuring. You know what's happening and why.

• It can address the cumulative impact of being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. Masking, social rejection, misunderstanding, chronic stress—these aren't always "big T" traumas, but they leave marks. EMDR can help with that too.

 

 

The Three-Pronged Approach

 

 

EMDR doesn't just focus on past trauma. It works across three timeframes:

1. Past experiences that set the foundation for current difficulties childhood experiences, bullying, neglect, trauma, or patterns of invalidation.

2. Present triggers that activate distress in your day-to-day life, situations, people, or environments that bring up difficult emotions or reactions.

3. Future templates to help you feel more resourced and confident when facing upcoming challenges, job interviews, difficult conversations, social situations, or anything that feels overwhelming.

This means EMDR isn't just about "fixing" the past, it's about helping you move forward with more ease and resilience.

 

What Can EMDR Help With?

 

EMDR is best known for trauma, but it's effective for much more than that:

• Trauma and PTSD, including complex trauma, developmental trauma, and single-incident trauma

• Domestic violence and sexual assault, helping you process the impact without needing to relive every detail

• Anxiety and panic attacks

• Depression and low self-worth

• Phobias and fears

• Grief and loss

• Chronic pain and somatic symptoms (where emotions show up in the body)

• Performance anxiety, public speaking, exams, social situations

• Negative beliefs about yourself "I'm not good enough," "I'm broken," "I don't belong"

• Burnout and autistic burnout, especially when tied to years of masking, people-pleasing, or pushing through

If something from your past keeps showing up uninvited in your present, EMDR can probably help.

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What to Expect

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EMDR happens in phases. We don't jump straight into trauma processing, we start by building your resources and making sure you feel safe and grounded. Then we work on specific memories or beliefs, using bilateral stimulation to help your brain reprocess them. You stay in control the whole time.

Sessions are typically 60-90 minutes, and the number of sessions depends on what we're working on. Some people notice shifts quickly; others need more time. It's not a race.

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Is EMDR Right for You?

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EMDR works best when you're ready to engage with difficult memories, not necessarily comfortable, but willing. If you're in crisis, actively using substances to cope, or dealing with severe dissociation, we might need to do some stabilisation work first. That's okay. We'll go at your pace.

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Appointments:

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Format: 50-60 minute sessions
Location: In-person in Brookwater or telehealth across Queensland
Frequency: Typically weekly or fortnightly, depending on your needs

 $200 per session 

Medicare rebates available with a Mental Health Care Plan and GP referral
NDIS funding accepted under Capacity Building supports (check with your support coordinator or LAC)

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Ready to Get Started?

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I'm Leanne, an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and EMDR-trained therapist specialising in neurodivergent brains. I work with autistic and ADHD teens and adults who've been carrying too much for too long.

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Mental Health Treatment Plans accepted | NDIS participants welcome | Availability now

Book a session or get in touch: 0413 092 448