In person in Plymouth · Online across the UK

EMDR & Rewind trauma therapy

When the past still feels too present

After a traumatic experience, you may understand that the event is over, yet still find your mind and body reacting as though the danger is happening now. EMDR and Rewind offer different ways of working with distressing memories, PTSD symptoms and phobias — so the past can become less intrusive and more of your attention and energy can return to the life you are living now.

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BACP AccreditedNCH AccreditedEMDR trainedSupporting clients since 2008

Does this feel familiar?

You may have moved on in life, while part of you still reacts to what happened

A memory, image, nightmare or sudden reminder brings the event sharply back into the present.
You avoid places, conversations, situations or sensations that might trigger the same reaction.
You feel watchful, easily startled or unable to fully settle even when you are objectively safe.
A particular situation — such as driving, flying, a medical procedure or an animal — now brings an intense phobic response.
You understand what happened intellectually, but your emotional or bodily response has not caught up with what you know.

You do not need to decide for yourself whether EMDR or Rewind is the “right” technique. We can first understand what is happening, what you want to change and whether focused trauma work is likely to be helpful for you.

Why the reaction can persist

A memory can belong to the past and still trigger distress in the present

Trauma is not defined only by what happened but also by how the experience is affecting you now.

After a frightening or overwhelming event, reminders can become strongly linked with threat. A sound, image, bodily sensation, place or situation may then trigger fear before you have had time to think it through. Avoidance and attempts to stay constantly prepared are understandable, but they can also limit opportunities to learn that the present is different from the past.

Sometimes your mind and body keep responding to reminders as though the danger is still present, even when you know that you are safe now. Therapy can help that response begin to change, so the memory feels more like something that happened in the past rather than something you are still living through.

The aim is not to erase what happened. It is to help the memory become something you can remember without having to relive the same level of distress.

Two focused approaches

EMDR and Rewind work differently — and the choice should fit you

Both approaches offer structured ways of working with distressing memories and fear responses that continue to affect you. Where it seems appropriate, I will often suggest Rewind first, particularly for a single traumatic event or a specific phobia, because the process can be relatively brief. If symptoms remain, or EMDR is a better fit for the difficulty, we can then use EMDR.

Rewind therapy

Imagery-based trauma work with minimal disclosure

Rewind uses a carefully structured imagery process in which you observe and mentally revisit the memory from a distanced perspective before repeatedly imagining it in a different sequence. You do not need to describe the traumatic event to me in detail.

This can be particularly appealing when privacy, professional confidentiality or the prospect of recounting an experience feels like a barrier to seeking help. It may be helpful for PTSD symptoms and some phobias when this approach fits what you are experiencing.

Minimal disclosure of the event itself
Can be delivered online as well as in person
Promising research, with a smaller evidence base than EMDR

EMDR therapy

Processing memories that still carry a strong sense of threat

EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing — is a phased trauma therapy. We identify relevant memories and work with aspects of the experience while using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or alternating taps.

EMDR does not require a detailed spoken account of every part of an experience, although we do need enough shared understanding to work safely and purposefully.

Well-established evidence for PTSD
Structured and phased rather than simply “going back into” trauma
Can be adapted to individual needs and complexity

Trauma, OCD and anxiety

When trauma is part of the picture

If you are coming for help with OCD or anxiety, there may also be experiences from the past that still feel emotionally charged or continue to affect you now. Where that is relevant, Rewind or EMDR can be included as part of the wider therapy rather than treated as a separate programme.

Within the LIBERATE Approach™, the focus stays on what is making life difficult for you now — perhaps checking, analysing, avoiding, seeking reassurance or finding it hard to trust your own judgement. If a particular memory or learned fear is adding to that distress, Rewind or EMDR may be a useful part of the work.

I will not assume that every difficulty has a trauma behind it. The important thing is that the therapy fits you, makes sense in the context of your experience and helps you move towards the life you want to be living.

Read about OCD therapy → Explore the LIBERATE Approach™ →

How we’ll work together

Trauma work should be purposeful, collaborative and paced around you

The aim is not to push you through a technique. We will start by understanding what is happening for you and what you want to be different, then decide together whether Rewind, EMDR or another part of the wider therapy is likely to be most helpful.

Understand what is happening now

We begin with your current symptoms, triggers, avoidance, strengths, relevant history, risk and what you want therapy to make possible.

Decide on fit and preparation

We discuss what is likely to fit best. For a single traumatic event or specific phobia, I will often suggest Rewind first. If symptoms do not clear sufficiently, we can move on to EMDR.

Create new learning

The work gives the memory or feared situation an opportunity to be experienced differently, without trying to force distress away.

Return the learning to life

We notice whether reminders are less disruptive, avoidance is loosening and you are becoming freer to re-enter ordinary situations, relationships and choices.

A wider view of progress

Change is not only about reducing symptoms

The goal of therapy is not just to reduce distressing memories, fear or physical reactions. We will also keep sight of what those improvements allow you to do again — whether that is travelling, sleeping more easily, feeling more present in relationships or returning to parts of life that fear has restricted.

Less intrusion

The past interrupts the present less often

Memories or reminders may still exist without automatically taking over the rest of the day or pulling you into the same level of distress.

More freedom

Avoidance can begin to loosen

Situations, journeys, conversations or ordinary activities that had become organised around fear may become easier to approach again.

More presence

Attention and energy return to now

Less of your capacity is spent scanning for reminders or managing the after-effects, leaving more room for relationships, work, rest and everyday life.

A choice of setting

EMDR and Rewind in Plymouth or online across the UK

You can work with me in person in Plymouth or online across the UK. We can discuss which option feels most practical and appropriate for the work we are doing.

In person in Plymouth

Meet with me in a calm, private therapy room in Plymouth, Devon. Face-to-face sessions may suit you if you value having a dedicated space away from home or work.

Online across the UK

EMDR and Rewind can both be adapted for secure video sessions where clinically appropriate. Online work can be particularly useful when specialist fit matters more than proximity.

Before you decide

Do I have to talk about the trauma in detail?

Not necessarily. Rewind is specifically designed to work without you describing the event in detail. EMDR also does not require a full spoken narrative of every detail, although we will need enough information to identify relevant targets, understand your responses and work safely. You remain in control of what you disclose.

How many sessions will I need?

This is a difficult question to answer because everyone is different. A single event or specific phobia may need less work than repeated or multiple trauma, and the wider context also matters. We will agree what you want to change and review progress as we go.

Can EMDR or Rewind be done online?

Yes, both can be delivered online when this is clinically appropriate. A 2023 randomised controlled trial of Rewind was carried out entirely remotely and reported encouraging results. EMDR can also be adapted for online work. We can consider privacy, your environment and what will help you feel adequately supported during and after the session.

Will trauma therapy make me relive everything?

Trauma-focused work does involve contact with aspects of a difficult memory, but the purpose is not to overwhelm you or recreate the original experience. EMDR is phased and Rewind uses psychological distance and imagery. We can pause, adapt or reconsider the approach if the work is not serving you.

Can you help with phobias as well as PTSD?

Yes. I often use Rewind for specific phobias, particularly where there is a clear learned fear response. We would first look at how the phobia affects you and decide whether Rewind is a good fit.

What if my difficulties are more complex than one traumatic event?

If your difficulties involve repeated or multiple traumas, dissociation, current instability or significant risk, we may need to work more slowly or consider whether a different or additional level of support would be more suitable. I will be open with you about that, and we can discuss the options together.

When you’re ready to do the work

Ready when a suitable space becomes available?

I’m not currently accepting new therapy clients. Join my priority list and I’ll contact you when I can offer a suitable appointment for EMDR, Rewind or related trauma therapy in Plymouth or online. Joining the list does not commit you to booking.

Contact Carolyn →