EMDR Adelaide

10/07/2025

From the National Center for PTSD – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

This short self-screen can help you reflect on whether your feelings and behaviours may be related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.

10/07/2025

The science behind EMDR continues to challenge what we once believed about trauma recovery.

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, leading trauma expert, affirms what thousands of clinicians experience in practice: EMDR delivers profound change, faster than traditional talk therapy ever could. With roots grounded in multiple schools of psychotherapy, it's a method built for both flexibility and effectiveness.

✨ Explore how EMDR training can enhance your clinical outcomes: https://swiy.co/fuPR

05/07/2025

The term "pathogenic kernel statements" refers to deep, often unconscious beliefs formed in childhood in response to trauma, neglect, or other significant experiences with caregivers that causes psychological distress or dysfunction. A pathogenic kernel statement is the core verbal expression of such a belief—usually internalised early in life and carried into adulthood. These statements are not just cognitive distortions; they are emotionally charged and identity-defining, often linked to trauma or attachment wounds.

Examples include:
“I must be perfect to be loved.”
“If I speak up, I’ll be rejected.”
“I’m responsible for everyone’s pain.”

In EMDR therapy, we work to identify the memories related to these beliefs in order to reprocess them.

30/06/2025

Fact check about a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP)
A MHCP doesn’t have a fixed expiry date, but there are a few important things to keep in mind:
Medicare-subsidised sessions reset every calendar year (January to December).
A review is usually needed after the first 6 sessions.
You may need a new GP referral each year to keep accessing rebates.

If you’re unsure whether your plan is still valid or how many sessions you have left, check in with your GP or mental health provider. It’s a great way to stay on track with your wellbeing.

For more details, refer to the official Better Access fact sheet:

25/06/2025

EMDR therapy, through memory processing, facilitates the development of alternative perspectives by enabling clients to reprocess traumatic memories in a way that reduces emotional intensity, restructures negative beliefs, and allows more adaptive, realistic interpretations to emerge.
Fixed perspective: “My life is ruined. They destroyed everything.”
Alternative perspective: “My injury changed my life, but I still have agency to redefine what success or recovery looks like moving forward.”

22/06/2025

the EMDR Basic Training Refresher course
Whether it’s been months or years since your Basic Training, the EMDR Basic Training Refresher course is designed to help you reconnect with the core concepts and protocols taught in Parts 1 and 2 of the EMDR Institute Basic Training. This one-day online workshop offers a supportive space to revisit key elements of the standard protocol and strengthen your clinical confidence. If you're looking to hone your skills, deepen your understanding, and return to your EMDR work with renewed clarity and energy, this refresher is for you.

EMDR Australia Training and Consultation EMDR Basic Training Refresher - revision of Part 1 & 2 EMDR Institute Basic Training Trainer: Dr Gillian...

21/06/2025

This clip was produced by the EMDR Institute.
On the anniversary of Francine Shapiro’s passing, we are reminded of the profound and lasting impact she has made — healing the world, one person at a time.

16/06/2025

03/06/2025

Reframing Self-Talk using Neutral Statements

When we use statements like “I am…”, the brain instinctively checks whether they feel true. If there’s a mismatch between the statement and an underlying belief (e.g., saying “I am smart” while internally believing “I’m not good enough”), it can trigger cognitive resistance, tension, or even outright rejection of the message.

"I am confident" → If your internal critic says “No, you’re not,” this creates resistance or self-doubt. The solution is using descriptive, neutral, action-based language. Instead of saying “I am smart,” try simply “Smart”.
Why It Works:
Reduces dissonance between current beliefs and aspirational self-talk
By passes inner critic and avoids triggering shame or self-judgement
Supports grounding and resource development, especially in trauma-focused therapies like EMDR Therapy
Promotes integration by activating the nervous system in a safe and manageable way

17/05/2025

EMDR Therapy supports the brain in processing distressing memories through bilateral stimulation, reducing emotional intensity and helping integrate the experience and reprocessing it so it no longer feels overwhelming or stuck in the past.

🌟EMDR In Action🌟

Reprocessing
EMDR helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they no longer feel emotionally overwhelming.

Desensitization
Through bilateral stimulation (like eye movements), emotional intensity decreases, and triggers become more manageable.

Integration
The brain stores the memory in a more resolved way, and it is no longer “frozen in time.”

Empowerment
Clients report increased self-belief and resilience as they no longer feel controlled by the distressing memories.

🌱To learn more about EMDR and EMDR research and case studies, visit the link in our bio!🌱

18/04/2025

"DNA methylation changes in association with trauma-focused psychotherapy efficacy in treatment-resistant depression patients: a prospective longitudinal study"

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20008066.2024.2314913?fbclid=IwY2xjawJvtExleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFrNEJNUVIzY2kzUFVsd0FCAR7qqZs_gioSPZF5cIlGMh7V8pciyzjHNNL6tmfI1gcMh1GRQqB_B7kqp-zMiw_aem_7iNWk2czNY6FoHsjMmueBQ

Background: Stressful events increase the risk for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and trauma-focused psychotherapy can be useful for TRD patients exposed to early life stress (ELS). Epigenet...

06/11/2024

Action and inaction both have intended and unintended consequences.
Each choice, whether a proactive behaviour or a decision to refrain from acting, creates ripple effects that extend beyond the immediate outcome