In the media
Please note, various media coverage is shown here in order to share with you many different people’s experiences of EMDR treatment. For authoritative descriptions and definitions of the therapy please return to this site as the EMDR Association UK is not responsible for third party content.
13 March 2024
There has been widespread media coverage on how Earl Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse as a child. In this podcast with psychotherapist Julia Samuels, the EMDR therapy which has helped him on his healing journey, is particularly well explored and described (at around 35 seconds into the interview).
21 February 2024
In this article for Oprah Daily, a writer shares her experience of EMDR therapy which relieved her PTSD symptoms following a sexual assault.
5 December 2023
Exploring EMDR and its benefits, this article includes an interview with EMDR UK’s President, Matt Wesson, presenting the case for greater access to the therapy. Democratizing Mental Health: EMDR Therapy in the UK EMDR, the therapy spotlighted by celebrities like Prince Harry, Jameela Jamil and Miley Cyrus for its remarkable success, has been gaining momentum in the UK.
27 October 2023
A therapist describes why her initial scepticism about EMDR changed to conviction, and gives readers five key pointers about the therapy in Psychology Today:
13 October 2023
This Attitude Magazine article by leading therapist Rebecca Case provides a simple description of EMDR therapy and who it can help:
6 July 2023
In this Radio 4 Series ‘The Madness’, journalist Fergal Keane reads from his memoir about his struggle with PTSD, haunted by the horrors he bore witness to in Rwanda in 2008. In this episode he talks about his experience of having EMDR therapy (at 05:40 minutes):
14 June 2023
Men’s Health magazine takes up the theme of trauma, and describes a range of trauma therapies including EMDR:
19 May 2023
As Miley Cyrus says EMDR helped her heal from traumatic experiences, EMDR UK member Sanja Oakley answers questions about the therapy in this article for British Vogue.
26 April 2023
Comedian and performer Ruby Wax recently diarised her experience of having EMDR therapy as part of her treatment as an inpatient, in her new book ‘I’m not as Well as I thought I Was’. You can read an extract here:
10 April 2023
This article in Health News provides a simple description of the different phases of EMDR therapy:
10 April 2023
Marie Claire magazine looks at how EMDR therapy is helping women deal with postpartum depression, anxiety and other perinatal mental health issues.
20 March 2023
In this article for Harpers Bazaar, writer Hannah Fox describes how through EMDR therapy she finally recovered from complex PTSD.
13 March 2023
EMDR therapy was at the heart of Radio 4 play written by Eileen Horne, with EMDR UK member Dr Martha Ferrito credited as consultant. Here’s the synopsis: “Can past trauma rediscovered via EMDR therapy provide the key to Isla’s state of mind? Isla and Marcus escape apparently unhurt from a car accident. Marcus bounces back but Isla remains disturbed by the incident. She turns to EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) specialist Bill Shepherd to discover if a “landmine” of past trauma could hold the key.”
20 February 2023
TV presenter Sophie Morgan was paralysed from the chest down at the age of 18 following a car crash. She is now having EMDR after managing without therapy for many years, despite suffering from PTSD.
17 February 2023
Dr Robin Logie was interviewed about EMDR therapy for author Horatio Clare’s fascinating new series on BBC Radio 4, ‘Is Psychiatry Working?’ Listen here: (18:24 minutes into the programme)
2 February 2023
Although one in three women describe giving birth as traumatic, medics typically define birth issues through physical rather than psychological injuries. This article is a clear, simple introduction to birth trauma and recommends EMDR therapy for those who experience mental health issues during pregnancy, birth or postpartum.
2 February 2023
Although one in three women describe giving birth as traumatic, medics typically define birth issues through physical rather than psychological injuries. This article is a clear, simple introduction to birth trauma and recommends EMDR therapy for those who experience mental health issues during pregnancy, birth or postpartum.
1 February 2023
This amazing little girl survived the shooting at her school in Uvade, Texas in May 2022, and is now an advocate for changes to gun laws in the US. This article describes how it took a long time for her PTSD to be diagnosed and to finally find help with EMDR therapy.
31 January 2023
Whilst trauma has been well-studied in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder, there has never been a review to systematically test whether it is a risk factor for a range of mental disorders like depression and anxiety. Benedikt Amann and his team conducted the first such review, including 14 meta-analyses and a total of 106 studies, involving 16,277 psychiatric cases and 77,586 control subjects. He says “…our work underlines that psychological trauma is one of the most robust and preventable risk factors for suffering a mental disorder later on.”
21 November 2022
BBC Radio 4 ‘Woman’s Hour’ dedicated a programme to the issue of stalking, marking ten years on from a change in the law. TV presenter Isla Traquair, is interviewed about her traumatic ordeal with a neighbour which led to her suffering from PTSD. She mentions that she recently started having EMDR therapy for this. Her interview starts at around 31:50 into the programme.
30 October 2022
In this Guardian newspaper column on mental health, a man who says he has a loving wife and child, but doesn’t want to exist, is given advice which includes how EMDR therapy might help him:
2 August 2022
Article about celebrities who are choosing to have EMDR therapy, and an exploration of the therapy and its effectiveness:
26 June 2022
‘Eye Movements Could be the Missing Link in Our Understanding of Memory’: this article in Neuroscience News is by the authors of a new study published by the Royal Society. It reveals that ‘…the replay of a sequence of eye movements helps boost memory reconstruction.’ They also theorise about the implications of this research for understanding the underlying mechanisms in EMDR therapy.
22 June 2022
This comprehensive ‘what to expect’ article explains how EMDR therapy is different to talking therapies. It can be helpful not only for PTSD but for many issues from panic attacks to depression, and for all age groups.
22 June 2022
A fascinating take on ‘How and Why EMDR Works’ in Psychology Today from philosopher Bence Nanay. Based at Antwerp and Cambridge Universities, he holds a major grant to work on integrating philosophy, psychology and neuroscience.
9 May 2022
A documentary about war reporter Fergal Keane who suffers from PTSD was broadcast on BBC2 on 9th May 2022. He meets with his EMDR therapist to whom he says “I think you helped to save my life,” and broadcasts part of a session, (starting 34:38 into the programme).
9 May 2022
This article to mark Mental Health Awareness Week is about celebrities being open about their mental health issues. Prince Harry had EMDR therapy to help him deal with the trauma of grief.
9 May 2022
The Irish Sun reported on the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and named EMDR as one of the two main treatments.
8 May 2022
This article on website Psychcentral looks at PTSD, and how neuroplasticity and EMDR work to heal childhood trauma.
11 February 2022
On ‘Room 5’, BBC Radio 4, Helena Merriman interviewed journalist Gavanndra Hodge, who supressed traumatic memories of her sister’s death for more than 20 years. She talks in detail about how EMDR helped her process those memories, and her therapist is also interviewed. The part about EMDR therapy begins at 12:59 into the programme. (There are more media links about Gavanndra Hodge and her book The Consequences of Love lower down this page.)