Many children and adults carry emotional experiences that feel too big, too intense, or too confusing to process on their own. Stressful events, moments of fear, early-life challenges, sudden changes, or ongoing pressures can overwhelm the nervous system.
Over time, these unprocessed experiences can show up as anxiety, emotional reactivity, sleep difficulties, avoidance, or a general sense of being “on alert.”
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach that helps the brain reorganise and heal these experiences, often more gently and efficiently than traditional talking therapy alone.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR is a structured therapy that uses bilateral stimulation, such as left-right eye movement, or bilateral tapping or sounds, those are use to activate the brain’s natural healing capacity.
When we experience something overwhelming, the brain can store the memory in a raw, unprocessed form. These memories remain “stuck,” and the body reacts as if the danger is still happening, even when the event is long over.
EMDR helps the brain process the memory more effectively, so it becomes less emotionally charged and less disruptive.
People do not forget what happened, but the memory becomes less painful, and the emotional part around it is more manageable.
How EMDR Helps Adults
Adults often come to EMDR when they:
- Feel “triggered” by reminders of past events
- Struggle with anxiety, panic, or chronic stress
- Carry early childhood experiences that still affect them
- Experience relationship patterns they want to change
- Feel stuck despite previous therapy
- Have been through trauma, medical events, grief, or sudden life changes
EMDR enables the adult brain to process old emotional wounds in a safe, grounded way. Clients often report feeling lighter, calmer, and more present, with increased resilience and emotional flexibility.
How EMDR Helps Children
Children may not always have the words to explain what they feel, and sometimes they don’t need to; we can see when something goes wrong. EMDR is highly effective with children because it taps into their natural processing of experiences: sensation, imagery, and emotion.
EMDR can help children who are dealing with:
- Anxiety and Fears
- Sleep problems or nightmares
- Stress at school
- Separation difficulties
- Bullying
- Loss, transitions, or family changes
- Traumatic events – both big and small, such as DV, divorce and separation, medical or dental, grief and loss, and more.
After EMDR sessions, parents often notice positive changes, such as improved regulation, reduced fears, better sleep, and increased confidence.
What EMDR Sessions Look Like
Whether with a child or an adult, EMDR begins with safety and regulation.
We build the inner tools needed for grounding, emotional understanding, and connection. Only when a sense of stability is established do we begin the reprocessing stages.
Bilateral stimulation helps the brain process the memory and move it from “stuck” to “processed”. However, it is only one component of the EMDR approach.
EMDR also includes identifying negative cognitions, feelings, and physical sensations that the client may have; those will be processed as part of the holistic EMDR approach, alongside building safety, enabling positive cognitive, and increasing trust and self-esteem.
Where Play Therapy Connects — For Children
For children, EMDR often naturally weaves into the language of childhood: play.
Through drawing, storytelling, sand trays, pretend play, or movement, the child expresses their feelings. Playful EMDR supports the brain processing the big events and reorganize the emotional material to become less triggering and the little person will be better regulated.
This combination allows healing to happen in a developmentally appropriate, regulated, and deeply supportive way.
Hagit Kirshner-Shalom 