EMDR therapy on the Central Coast
for trauma, PTSD and stuck memories
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma, PTSD and distressing memories, in person at our Gosford clinic. Preparation comes before any memory work, and detailed retelling isn’t required. You set the pace. Nothing is forced.
What EMDR therapy is, in plain terms
EMDR is designed to help the brain finish processing memories that got stuck. In a session of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), you briefly hold a memory in mind while following side-to-side eye movements, taps or tones, in short sets with breaks in between. Over time the memory tends to become less vivid and less distressing: still yours, still real, but no longer as loud. If you’d like the full picture first, you can read our full guide to how EMDR works.
At MindSure Psychology I use EMDR for trauma, PTSD and distressing memories, which is where its evidence is strongest. It sits within trauma and PTSD treatment more broadly: EMDR is one way of doing the processing part of that work, not a separate destination.
If you’re reading this page nervously, that’s normal, and worth answering plainly: EMDR doesn’t require you to retell what happened in detail, it isn’t hypnosis, and reprocessing never begins in the first session. The early work is preparation: understanding your history, building grounding skills, and agreeing how we’ll pace things, including a stop signal you can use at any time.
I’m James Wightman, a registered psychologist seeing adults at our Gosford clinic, with in-person sessions also available at our Hornsby location. You can read more about psychology support across the Central Coast. Some people specifically prefer working with a male psychologist; either way, the first sessions are about whether this feels like a good fit.
Ready to start? You can book online, or view Fees & Rebates for Medicare rebate information.
The first sessions are preparation, not exposure. We cover your history, how EMDR works, grounding skills, and a stop signal you control. Memory work only begins when we both agree you’re ready, and every session is closed down properly, whether or not a memory has finished processing.
Check availability →When a memory doesn’t file away properly
Most experiences, even hard ones, get processed and filed as ordinary memory. Sometimes that doesn’t happen. The model behind EMDR, the adaptive information processing model, proposes an explanation, and the plain version goes like this:
- 1The memory was stored rawOn this account, the brain prioritises survival over filing during an overwhelming event. The memory can be stored with the original fear, images and body sensations still attached.
- 2Reminders replay it in the presentA sound, a smell, an anniversary: anything linked to the event can reactivate the memory, and your body responds as though it’s happening again, right now.
- 3Avoidance keeps it frozenSteering around reminders makes complete sense, and it brings short-term relief. But an avoided memory never gets the chance to be updated and properly filed.
- 4It isn’t about willpowerA memory stored this way isn’t thought to be held in the reasoning part of the mind, so you can’t think or argue your way out of it. Many people have analysed the event a thousand times and still flinch at it. That’s why “just move on” has never worked.
None of this means something is wrong with you. It means a normal system met an abnormal event.
How a stuck memory tends to show up
You don’t need a PTSD diagnosis for this page to apply, and you don’t need to tick every box. These are simply the patterns I see most often.
A short explainer on how EMDR works, from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
- Preparation before processing: no memory work begins until you have grounding skills that actually work for you.
- A stop signal you control, agreed and practised before we start.
- You choose what you share. Detailed retelling is never required.
- Straight answers about whether EMDR fits your situation, and clear alternatives if it doesn’t.
Evidence-led, carefully paced, honest about fit
I’m James Wightman, Principal Psychologist and Clinical Psychology Registrar at MindSure Psychology in Gosford. I have completed accredited training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) to support clients processing trauma, and I practise it alongside trauma-focused CBT and other evidence-based approaches.
EMDR only works when you feel safe enough to let a memory surface, so I take pacing seriously. We build stabilisation skills first, practise the mechanics of bilateral stimulation on neutral material before any memory work, agree on how we’ll work before we begin, and you can pause or stop at any point. If I don’t think EMDR is the right tool for your situation, I’ll say so, and explain what I’d suggest instead.
Before founding MindSure, I worked across Queensland Health, Aurora Healthcare, Griffith University Psychology Clinic, and private practice in Sydney, the Gold Coast, and the Central Coast.
The technique matters less than whether you feel safe enough to do the work. That’s the thing we build first.
Learn more about my background & approach →Four things people ask before starting EMDR
Answered directly, so you know exactly what you’re walking into.
The kinds of experiences EMDR can help with
EMDR’s strongest evidence is for trauma and PTSD. These are the situations where I most often use it. Open a card for a little more detail.
PTSD
When flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance and feeling constantly on edge have followed a traumatic event, EMDR is a first-line recommended treatment in Australian and international guidelines.
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Avoidance
- On-edge
Single-incident trauma
One event that changed things: a car accident, an assault, a robbery, a natural disaster. Often the most straightforward starting point for EMDR, because there’s a clear memory to target.
- Accidents
- Assault
- Disasters
Childhood experiences
Memories from growing up that still shape how you see yourself: frightening moments, harsh environments, things no one helped you make sense of at the time. We can work with memories that are old, partial or imperfectly remembered, and we go slowly and prepare well.
- Shame
- Fear
- Self-worth
Complex or repeated trauma
When trauma happened many times or over years, EMDR can still help, but preparation matters more and treatment usually takes longer. Australian guidelines recognise complex PTSD as needing an adapted approach, and that’s how I work with it.
- Prolonged
- Layered
- Paced
Workplace and critical incidents
First responders, nurses, teachers and others exposed to confronting events at work, including the slow accumulation of other people’s trauma. If exhaustion is the bigger picture, see stress & burnout support.
- Paramedics
- Nurses
- Teachers
Medical and birth trauma
Frightening medical events, emergencies, intensive care, a birth that became distressing: experiences that were meant to be routine, or joyful, and weren’t.
- Hospital
- Emergency
- Birth
Traumatic loss
When grief is tangled up with the circumstances of a death: sudden loss, an accident, things witnessed. EMDR can target the distressing memories tied to the death; whether that helps grief settle is something we assess together rather than assume.
- Sudden
- Witnessed
- Unresolved
Violence and abuse
Trauma from family violence, relationship abuse or assault. Safety and stability always come first; memory work only begins when your circumstances support it.
- Safety-first
- Paced
- Confidential
Distressing memories without a diagnosis
You don’t need PTSD, or a “big enough” trauma, for a memory to be worth assessing properly. If a memory keeps intruding and pulls you out of the present, that’s reason enough to talk it through.
- Intrusive
- Persistent
- Unfinished
Not sure what kind, or a mix
That’s common, and it’s fine. Many people recognise parts of several, or feel unsure whether what they’ve experienced “counts”. The first sessions are for making sense of what’s going on, and for deciding together whether EMDR or another approach fits best.
Where the evidence for EMDR actually stands
The Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complex PTSD, developed by Phoenix Australia and approved by the NHMRC, strongly recommend both EMDR and trauma-focused CBT for adults with PTSD. The World Health Organization’s 2013 guidelines also recommend EMDR for adults with PTSD, alongside trauma-focused CBT, and the Australian Psychological Society’s evidence review lists both at Level I, its highest evidence rating. I offer both, and we choose based on your situation and preference.
EMDR
Reprocesses stuck memories using short sets of bilateral stimulation, without detailed retelling or homework. Supported by more than 30 randomised controlled trials for PTSD. Read more →
Trauma-focused CBT
Works with the thoughts, meanings and avoidance that keep trauma alive, through structured, gradual steps. Recommended equally strongly in the same guidelines. Some people prefer one, some the other, and choosing is part of our planning. Read more →
No psychological therapy helps everyone, and results vary between individuals. These recommendations reflect the strength of the research, not a guarantee.
What a course of EMDR treatment looks like: three stages, eight phases
Formally, EMDR has eight phases. In practice they group into three stages, and this is what each one involves.
- Your story, shared at your pace
- Grounding and calming skills that actually work for you
- Bilateral stimulation explained fully, and practised on neutral material first
- A stop signal, agreed and practised
- Brief focus on the memory, not detailed retelling
- Eye movements, taps or tones: your choice
- We strengthen a more accurate belief: “it’s over; I got through it”
- A body scan checks for leftover tension
- No session ends mid-process
- We review what shifted between sessions
- Remaining memories or triggers are addressed
- We plan for the future, not just the past
The phases are a structure, not a conveyor belt. Preparation takes as long as it needs to, and nothing moves forward without your go-ahead.
Your first session, and how you’ll know it’s helping
What actually happens
- A conversation, not a procedure. No eye movements, no memory work. The first session is about understanding you.
- You control the depth. We talk about what brings you in, and you share only what you’re ready to share.
- History and context. How the memory affects your sleep, work, relationships and how you see yourself.
- A plain explanation of EMDR. How it works, what the evidence says, and what it asks of you.
- An honest recommendation. Whether EMDR fits, whether we should build stability first, or whether another approach would serve you better.
Reprocessing only ever begins after preparation, and only with your agreement.
How to tell EMDR is working
- The memory loses vividness: it starts to feel further away, more like a photograph than a film
- Your body stays settled when something reminds you of it
- Fewer intrusions: less replaying, fewer nightmares
- Avoided things become possible again: routes, places, dates, conversations
- Sleep may improve
- The belief underneath softens: “it was my fault” starts to sound less true
- You can tell the story differently, if and when you choose to tell it
The memory stays. What changes is how much power it has.
A gentle reflection: where might you be starting from?
People arrive at EMDR from very different places. Tap whichever feels closest today. There’s no right answer and nothing is saved; it’s just a way of noticing.
Preparation is the work, not a delay
If daily life feels overwhelming, EMDR doesn’t start with memories; it starts with steadiness. The preparation phase is a legitimate place to spend time, building grounding skills and enough stability that memory work becomes safe and useful. Nothing about EMDR requires you to be “ready” on day one, and there’s no set timetable for moving on.
This is the classic EMDR starting point
Stable enough to function, but the memory still hijacks you when triggered: this is the situation EMDR was designed for. After preparation, we’d begin working through the memory in short, paced sets, at whatever rate your system allows.
Worth finishing properly
When a memory has partly settled, it’s tempting to leave it there. If it still shapes your choices, sleep or relationships, it may be worth assessing whether focused reprocessing would help it settle further, and we’d look at that honestly rather than assume.
You don’t need to know where you fit to start
Most people can’t place themselves neatly, and nothing about starting requires it. The first session is a conversation designed to map this together, and no memory work happens there anyway.
EMDR in Gosford, for the whole Central Coast
Sessions run from Gosford CBD (Suite 112, 159 Mann St, inside John’s Place), walkable from Gosford train station.
Evenings, weekends, Hornsby and telehealth
Gosford hours: Wed & Fri 2–7:30pm · Sat 11am–5pm · Sun 9am–7pm
I also consult from our Hornsby clinic, convenient for Wahroonga, Waitara, Asquith, Normanhurst, Thornleigh and Berowra.
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
EMDR can be delivered by telehealth. We’ll check the fit together first, and in-person sessions in Gosford or Hornsby are always there if you’d prefer to do memory work face to face.
Clear costs, before you book
EMDR sessions are standard psychology appointments: same fee, same Medicare rebates, no packages, no programs.
$138.45 per session
Out-of-pocket cost on weekdays with a Medicare rebate
The full fee is $240 per 50-minute appointment. With a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan, Medicare currently rebates $101.55 per session. A $20 weekend surcharge applies. There’s no separate EMDR fee.
EMDR questions, answered
Is EMDR evidence based?⌃
Yes, for trauma and PTSD. EMDR is recommended for adults with PTSD in the Australian NHMRC-approved guidelines developed by Phoenix Australia, in the World Health Organization’s 2013 guidelines, and by NICE in the UK. The Australian Psychological Society’s evidence review lists it at Level I, the highest rating, for adult PTSD. For concerns beyond trauma the research is still developing, and I’ll always be upfront about what the evidence does and doesn’t support. Our guide to EMDR covers the research in more detail.
Is what I share confidential?⌃
Yes, with the standard limits that apply to all psychologists (such as immediate risk of harm, child safety, or legal requirements). You also control how much you share in the first place: EMDR doesn’t require you to describe the memory in detail for it to be worked on. Records are stored securely in line with Australian Privacy Principles.
How many sessions does EMDR take?⌃
It varies, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Clinical guidelines describe a typical course of around 8 to 12 sessions for PTSD, with some people benefiting from fewer, and more usually needed for complex or repeated trauma. The first sessions are always history-taking and preparation rather than memory processing, and we review progress together as we go rather than locking in a number up front.
Is EMDR like hypnosis?⌃
No. You stay fully awake, alert and in control the whole time. There’s no trance and no suggestion. EMDR is a structured, interactive procedure: we talk between every set of eye movements, and you have a stop signal you can use at any point.
Is EMDR safe? Does it have side effects?⌃
EMDR is generally well tolerated, but it’s honest to say that processing distressing memories can be temporarily unsettling. Some people notice vivid dreams, tiredness or heightened emotions between sessions, particularly early in reprocessing. This is expected, planned for, and usually settles. We build coping skills before processing begins, close every session down properly, and if you need more stabilisation time, we take it. EMDR also isn’t right for everyone or every moment; part of my job is telling you honestly if now isn’t the time, or if another approach fits better.
Do I need a referral, and how do Medicare rebates work?⌃
No referral is needed to book. Medicare rebates apply to eligible psychology sessions, including EMDR, under a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, which currently supports rebates for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. Current fees and rebate amounts are on our fees and rebates page.
Can EMDR be done by telehealth?⌃
Yes. Telehealth appointments are available anywhere in Australia, and EMDR can be delivered by telehealth. We’ll still check the fit together first, including how much support you’re likely to need with grounding, and in-person sessions in Gosford and Hornsby are always available if you’d prefer to do memory work face to face.
Will EMDR make me forget what happened?⌃
No. EMDR doesn’t erase memories, and it doesn’t make you indifferent to what happened. Reprocessing aims to reduce how vivid and distressing a memory is when it comes to mind; the facts of what happened stay with you. When reprocessing is successful, people can typically recall the event without their body going into alarm.
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Ready to start EMDR therapy?
You don’t need to have it all figured out before the first session. We start where you are and build from there.