EMDR Therapy

Specialist online EMDR and trauma-focused psychological therapy for adults in Ireland.

Sometimes an experience is over, but part of us continues to respond as though the danger, fear or distress is still happening.

You may understand logically that you are safe now, yet find yourself experiencing anxiety, panic, shame, intrusive memories, strong emotional reactions or patterns that seem difficult to change.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based psychological therapy that can help people process traumatic or distressing experiences that continue to affect them in the present.

At BlueSky Psychology, EMDR is provided by Dr Áine Lombard, Chartered Counselling Psychologist, EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner and EMDR Consultant in Training.

When the Past Still Feels Present

Trauma does not always mean one catastrophic event. Difficult or overwhelming experiences can affect us in different ways, particularly when they happen repeatedly, occur within important relationships or take place at a time when we have limited ability to understand or cope with what is happening.

Sometimes we know exactly which experience continues to affect us. At other times, we notice the consequences rather than having a clear sense of where they began.

You might find yourself:

What Is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.

It was developed specifically to help people process distressing or traumatic experiences and is particularly well established as a psychological treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

When experiences have not been fully processed, reminders in the present can sometimes activate emotions, physical sensations and beliefs associated with what happened in the past.

EMDR aims to help the brain process these experiences so that they can be remembered without producing the same level of distress or feeling as though they are still happening now.

The aim is not to erase your memories or convince you that difficult experiences did not matter. Instead, EMDR can help change the way those experiences are held and experienced in the present.

What Can EMDR Help With?

EMDR is particularly associated with the treatment of trauma and PTSD. Depending on your individual circumstances and psychological assessment, EMDR may be considered when working with experiences such as:

• Traumatic or frightening events
• PTSD and trauma-related symptoms
• Childhood adversity
• Relational or attachment trauma
• Distressing memories that continue to feel emotionally charged
• Experiences of loss, threat or humiliation
• Anxiety or fear linked to previous experiences
• Shame and negative beliefs about yourself connected with the past

EMDR is not automatically the most appropriate therapy for every difficulty. An initial psychological assessment helps us understand what you are experiencing and whether EMDR is likely to be a suitable approach for you.

What Happens in EMDR Therapy?

EMDR is more than simply following someone's fingers with your eyes.

Therapy begins with developing an understanding of what has brought you to therapy, your history, your current circumstances and the difficulties you would like help with.

Before processing traumatic memories, time is spent preparing for the work and considering how you currently manage difficult emotions and experiences.

When appropriate, EMDR processing involves briefly bringing aspects of a distressing memory to mind while engaging in bilateral stimulation. This commonly involves guided eye movements, although other forms of alternating stimulation can also be used.

You remain awake, aware and in control throughout the process. EMDR is not hypnosis, and you do not lose control of what you say or experience.

The work takes place at a pace appropriate to you and within the context of an established therapeutic relationship.

EMDR for Complex Trauma

Not everyone seeking EMDR has experienced a single traumatic event.

For some people, current difficulties are connected with repeated or prolonged experiences, difficult childhood relationships, emotional neglect, instability, criticism, abuse or other experiences that occurred over time.

In this kind of work, therapy may require more preparation and a broader psychological understanding before particular memories or experiences are processed.

Áine's approach integrates EMDR within trauma-informed psychological therapy rather than treating EMDR as an isolated technique. This allows the work to be adapted to your history, current needs and readiness for processing.

Specialist EMDR Therapy With Dr Áine Lombard

Dr Áine Lombard is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist and EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner.

She is also currently undertaking further specialist development as an EMDR Consultant in Training.

Áine has a particular professional interest in trauma, complex trauma and understanding the ways difficult experiences can continue to influence emotions, relationships and beliefs about ourselves.

Her approach combines EMDR with broader psychological formulation and trauma-informed therapy, allowing treatment to be tailored to the individual rather than applying the same protocol to everyone.

Read more about Dr Áine Lombard →

Online EMDR Therapy Across Ireland

EMDR therapy can be provided effectively online where this is clinically appropriate.

Online sessions allow you to attend therapy from a private and familiar environment and make specialist EMDR therapy accessible to adults throughout Ireland without travelling to a clinic.

You will need a private space, a reliable internet connection and a device suitable for video appointments.

Whether online EMDR is appropriate for you will be considered as part of the initial assessment and therapy planning process.

Is EMDR Right for Me?

You do not need to know whether EMDR is the right therapy before contacting us.

People sometimes seek EMDR because they have read about the approach or have been advised to consider it. Others simply know that something from their past continues to affect them and want help understanding what might be useful.

The first stage of psychological therapy involves developing an understanding of what you are experiencing. From there, we can consider whether EMDR or another psychological approach is likely to be most appropriate.

Considering EMDR Therapy?

If difficult or traumatic experiences continue to affect how you feel, relate to others or respond to situations in the present, you can request a brief suitability call to explore whether working with BlueSky Psychology may be appropriate for you.

Request Brief Suitability Call