Working with Addiction and Trauma: New podcast with Hope Payson
17 December, 2024

In a new pre: EMDR UK 2025 Conference episode of our podcast series Past, Present and Future, clinical social worker and EMDR consultant Hope Payson speaks from her 30 years of experience working with addiction and trauma. Her journey with EMDR began during her time in an outreach program, where she encountered what she describes as the “wildest therapy” she had ever seen.
Though initially sceptical, she discovered EMDR was very effective, but at first only used it with clients who had periods of recovery, “I was cautioned not to do EMDR with my clients who were having the most trouble with their addiction, and so I postponed working with them when in reality they were the people who really needed it the most….
Her perspective shifted after working with a client who had hit rock bottom following a relapse and overdose. With no other options proving effective, she decided to take a leap of faith, “This gentleman said: ‘I don’t know what you’re afraid of, I have flashbacks and memories and nightmares all the time, nothing you can do is going to make that worse.’”
The result was transformative, solidifying her belief in EMDR’s power to heal, “He’s been in recovery for years and in our community as an outreach worker, and so he really fuelled my confidence to work with non-abstinence clients. Our experience together changed how I work.”
Hope emphasizes that addiction often serves as a symptom of underlying trauma, highlighting the intrinsic link between the two. She acknowledges, however, that one of the greatest challenges for EMDR therapists lies in crafting effective treatment plans tailored to each individual. At the EMDR UK Conference in March 2025, she’ll share practical strategies and insights to help fellow practitioners navigate this complex process.