Meet EMDR — The Trauma Treatment You Actually Want to Read About

Evidence-based EMDR therapy in Sydney Central Business District. EMDRAA-trained therapists helping heal trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and distress — safely and compassionately.

EMDR Therapy Sydney CBD — What It Is & Why It Works (Really)

So What Is EMDR Anyway?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a proven, evidence-based therapy that helps your brain finally process distressing memories so they stop hijacking your day-to-day life. It’s endorsed and recommended by leading clinical bodies and widely used right here in Australia and around the world to treat trauma and related distress.

Here’s the magic: EMDR doesn’t make you forget what happened. Instead, it helps the emotional charge around the memory settle down so you can think about it without it thinking you. Pretty cool, right?

What EMDR Actually Does

Instead of talking about a memory over and over again (looking at you, traditional trauma therapy), EMDR uses gentle bilateral stimuli — like guided eye movements, taps, or sounds — while you bring that memory to mind. This process helps your brain complete the processing it got stuck on, so the memory becomes less triggering and less loud in your nervous system.

So yes, your brain does most of the work — EMDR just gets out of its way.

Myth-Busting — What EMDR Is & What It Definitely Isn’t

    • A science-supported, trauma-focused therapy used for PTSD and distressing memories.

    • A paced, structured process led by trained clinicians.

    • A tool to decrease emotional intensity and reactivity.

    • A way to feel more present in your life and body.

    • Hypnosis or mind control.

    • Memory erasure (your story is still yours — we just help it go from blaring to background volume).

    • A one-session “magic fix” (meaningful change does take time and collaboration).

    • Something your therapist rushes you into.

    EMDR isn’t buzzword therapy. It’s for people ready to do real healing — without being retraumatised in the process.

What an EMDR Session Actually Feels Like

EMDR in Real Life — No Weirdness, Just Progress

First, We Get You Ready (No Surprise Intensity).

Good EMDR therapy doesn’t start with eye movements in session one. We begin with:

  • Talking about what you want to get out of therapy

  • Building safety and emotional regulation skills

  • Creating a sense of trust and fit with your therapist

This means you’re prepared, steady, and supported before any processing begins — which matters if you’ve ever been told to “just dive in” and it got messy. This preparation can take up to 6, 8 meetings. Maybe more, depending on circumstances.

Then We Do the Work (Gently, Not Brutally)

Once you’re ready:

  • You’ll think of a distressing memory or belief

  • Your therapist guides bilateral stimulation (eyes, taps, or sounds)

  • Your brain begins to integrate that memory differently

People often notice changes in how their body feels, how their nervous system reacts, and how clear their thinking becomes. Most people describe it as “hard but good” — the kind of work that actually lands.

EMDR at Here Completely — Who You’ll Work With

EMDR With Our Sydney Central Business District Team — Caring, Calm, Skilled-up, Additional Expertise

All therapists providing EMDR at Here Completely are EMDRAA-trained professionals — which means they’ve completed recognised training and approach EMDR with integrity and skill.

What makes us different? Our clinicians also bring specialised expertise in:

  • Perinatal and reproductive trauma

  • Domestic & family violence

  • Queer + trans + gender non-conforming experience

  • Relationship counselling & attachment repair

  • ADHD / ADD and neurodiversity

And we do this with a focus on you; curiously, compassionately, and no clinical jargon unless you ask nicely.

You won’t just be another appointment in our calendar — you’ll be seen, heard, and genuinely supported as you reclaim your nervous system.

Be sure and let us know about particular circumstance to help us connect you with the best fit.

Meet our EMDR Therapists with Current Openings

  • Amaya Tasker

    Counsellor, Therapist, Coach and Clinical Supervisor

    Days: T, W

    More Here→

  • Cecilia Ma

    Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker/ Medicare

    Days: W, F

    More Here ➩

  • Katherine Sayer-Jones

    Clinical Psychologist/ Medicare

    Days: Currently online only

    More Here→

  • Kelly Kakakios is a Sydney Clinical Psychologist working with trauma and EMDR.

    Kelly Kakakios

    Medicare rebate available

    Days: Tu, W, F

    More Here ➩

  • Laura Rizzuto, Clinical Psychologist

    Laura Rizzuto

    Medicare rebate available

    Days: Tue, Wed, Thu

    More Here ➩

  • Natasha Herbert, Clinical Psychologist working with EMDR

    Natasha Herbert

    Clinical Psychologist/ Medicare

    Days: M, T, Th, F

    More Here→

  • Victoria Shorthouse, Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Relationship & Family Therapist

    Victoria Shorthouse

    Counsellor, Psychotherapist, & Relationship Therapist

    Days: Th, Sa

    More Here ➩

  • Vyda S. Chai, Clinical Psychologist

    Vyda S. Chai

    Clinical Psychologist/ Medicare

    Days: W, Th

    More Here→

EMDR FAQs — Straight Forward Answers for Curious People (and Google)

EMDR FAQs — Your Most Googled Questions Answered

  • Yes — when it’s led by a trained clinician, EMDR is considered a safe, evidence-based treatment for trauma and distressing memories. Safety and pacing are core parts of our approach; nothing happens without your consent and comfort.

  • There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline, but many adults start noticing shifts within several sessions. Complex trauma may take more time; simple, single-incident work can move more quickly. Think progress, not speed.

  • Nope. EMDR doesn’t require you to relive every detail. You bring the memory into your awareness, and the bilateral stimulation helps your brain do the processing without a play-by-play emotional marathon.

  • Some people do notice temporary emotional or physical sensations after sessions — vivid dreams, tiredness, or reflections on old memories. These are common and usually short-lived when supported by good resourcing and care. Our clinicians help you prepare and stabilise before and after the work.

  • With traditional talk therapy, you explore thoughts and feelings to make sense of them. EMDR is more neurobiological: it helps the brain reprocess stuck memories, so your body and mind react differently over time. Many clients find it more efficient for trauma that hasn’t shifted with talking alone.

  • Absolutely. While it’s rooted in trauma treatment, EMDR often helps with anxiety, depression, self-criticism, and emotional reactivity — because it targets the source of the distress, not just the surface symptoms.

Ready to See What EMDR Can Do for You in Sydney Central Business District?

Healing doesn’t have to be brutal — it just has to be brave, supported, and guided by someone who gets it, and is well trained.


Book an EMDR consultation with one of our Sydney EMDR therapists today and take the first step toward feeling less stuck and more like you.

Schedule an EMDR Session in Sydney