What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapeutic approach designed to help the brain process distressing memories, overwhelming experiences, and strongly held emotional responses. Rather than talking through every detail, EMDR gently helps your nervous system “digest” difficult experiences so they no longer impact your day-to-day life in the same way.
For neurodivergent people whose sensory processing, emotional responses, and stress systems may work differently, EMDR can be an especially useful approach when past experiences continue to show up as anxiety, avoidance, overwhelm, or physical reactions in the present.
How EMDR works with Neurodivergent Brains
Neurodivergent teens and adults often experience:
- Heightened sensory responses
- Emotional regulation challenges
- Persistence of intense memories
- Anxiety linked to events that may not have felt “big” to others
- Difficulties with transitions, changes, or expectations
EMDR doesn’t try to make someone “less neurodivergent” or minimise their experience. Instead, it supports the nervous system to resolve past distress so that real-time reactions become less intense, the body feels safer, and emotional responses are less triggered by memories or environments that once felt threatening.
In sessions, we:
- Honour your unique sensory and processing needs
- Work at a pace that feels safe and tolerable
- Use neuroaffirming language and choices throughout
- Stay grounded in what your nervous system can manage
- Support both emotional and physical experience (not just thoughts)
Who EMDR can help
EMDR is particularly supportive when:
- Anxiety feels anchored in past experiences
- School, social, or work environments trigger intense reactions
- Emotional regulation feels overwhelming
- You notice the same memories or feelings getting “stuck”
- You want relief from the impact of distress, not to erase your story
This includes neurodivergent teens and adults who want to feel less controlled by the past and more in charge of their present day without having to shut down, mask, or push through.
What to expect in an EMDR session
EMDR is collaborative, paced, and respectful of your autonomy and comfort. Typical EMDR sessions:
- Begin with preparation – grounding, safety, pacing
- Work on targets that feel manageable and meaningful to you
- Use bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones)
- Help your brain re-process distressing material in a new way
- End each session with support and time to settle
You stay in control at all times, nothing happens without your consent.
Fee: £85 per session
Why choose this approach with me?
As a counsellor specialising in neurodivergent teens and adults, I integrate EMDR with a deep understanding of:
- Sensory processing differences
- Autistic and ADHD experiences
- Nervous system regulation
- Trauma-informed, non-pathologising care
- Safe pacing and choice-based practice
Our work isn’t about “fixing” you, it’s about supporting your nervous system to feel calmer, more regulated, and less triggered by past experience so you can thrive in the present.
If EMDR feels like it might be the right next step for you or your young person, I’d love to talk about it with you in a free initial phone conversation. Use the link on the homepage to schedule a time for us to talk more.