If you’ve never heard of EMDR before, you’re not alone. Many people discover it while looking for help with anxiety, trauma, stress, or recurring patterns that just won’t quit. EMDR can sound mysterious, unusual name, unusual approach, but it’s actually **gentle, structured, and backed by decades of research**. Think of it as a clever brain hack that helps your mind “file away” tricky memories so they stop jumping out at you uninvited.

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) helps your brain process experiences that got “stuck.”

When overwhelming events happen, your brain sometimes doesn’t fully process them. That memory can linger, showing up as anxiety, panic, or repeating patterns. EMDR helps your brain finally finish the job so you remember the event, but it stops hijacking your life.

Think of it as pressing “stop” on a movie that keeps looping your hardest memories.

How Does EMDR Work?

During EMDR, you focus on a memory, thought, or feeling while using bilateral stimulation, usually side-to-side eye movements, gentle tapping, or sounds.

It may feel a bit weird at first (clients sometimes joke it’s like a brain workout), but it helps your nervous system process memories safely. You don’t relive the trauma, you simply allow your brain to organise and “file” the memory properly.

Many clients say:

“I can remember it without my chest feeling like it’s on fire.”
“It’s like my brain finally filed that memory into the ‘done and dusted’ folder.”

EMDR Intensives: Faster, Deeper Healing

EMDR intensives are longer, focused sessions rather than weekly one-hour appointments. Options include:

Half-day or full-day sessions
Multi-day blocks
Online or in-person sessions

Why choose an intensive? It helps your brain stay in the flow, often creating faster and deeper results. Clients leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more “in control.”

Fun fact: some clients tell me it feels like a brain spring clean, minus the dust bunnies.

Who Can Benefit from EMDR?

EMDR isn’t just for trauma. It can help with:

Anxiety, panic, and stress
Low self-esteem or negative self-talk
Repeating relationship patterns (you know, the ones that make you roll your eyes)
Grief or loss
Burnout or workplace stress
Childhood wounds
Feeling stuck or overwhelmed

Basically, if your past or emotional patterns are hijacking your present, EMDR can help you reclaim calm and clarity.

Getting Started with EMDR

Step one is a friendly consultation. We’ll talk about:

What’s currently challenging you
Whether EMDR or an intensive might suit you
How to create a safe, supportive plan

I offer sessions at the Coastal Wellness Cottage in East Gosford and online.

Why Choose EMDR with Kate Landete Counselling

Accredited EMDR practitioner & clinically registered counsellor
Trauma-informed, person-centred, and compassionate
Evidence-based, practical, and flexible
Safe, supportive, and sometimes even a little funny

EMDR can help you feel lighter, calmer, and more present, all without turning your life upside down.

Contact Me

📞 Phone: 0403 720 486
✉️ Email: katelandetecounselling@gmail.com
📍 Location: Coastal Wellness Cottage, East Gosford, NSW
🌐 Website: katelandetecounselling.com.au

Understanding EMDR & EMDR Intensives: A Friendly Guide for New Clients