EMDR for Children: What It Is, How It Works, and Who It Can Help
If your child has been through something difficult, something frightening, overwhelming, or painful, and you’ve noticed it still affecting them long after the event itself has passed, you might be wondering what kind of support would actually help.
EMDR is a therapy that comes up increasingly in these conversations.
It can sound complex, and parents often aren’t sure what it involves, whether it’s suitable for children, or where to begin.
This blog post aims to answer those questions simply and honestly.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.
It is a psychological therapy originally developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has since been extensively researched and used with adults, young people, and children across the world.
It is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment for PTSD and is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an effective therapy for children and young people who have experiences traumatic or distressing events.
How Does EMDR Work?
The brain is designed to process experiences and store them as memories.
However, sometimes when an experience is frightening or overwhelming, or happens at a moment when a child feels alone with it, that natural process gets disrupted.
The memory become stuck.
Rather than being stored safely in the past, it stays close to the surface, raw and vivid, as though it is still happening.
This is why a child who experienced something difficult months or even years ago might still be having nightmares, flashbacks, or intense emotional reactions to things that seem unrelated.
The original experience hasn’t been properly or fully processed and filed away.
EMDR works by helping the brain complete the processing it couldn’t do at the time.
Using bilateral stimulation, typically eye movements, gentle tapping, or sounds that alternate from side to side, the therapist guides the child to revisit the difficult memory in a safe and carefully structured way.
This stimulation appears to help the brain’s natural processing system restart, allowing the memory to be integrated and stores in a way that reduces its emotional intensity.
Over time, what was once a raw and overwhelming memory becomes something the child can recall without being flooded by the original distress.
Is EMDR Suitable for Children?
Yes, and it is particularly well suited to children for an important reason.
Unlike many other therapies, EMDR does not require a child to describe their experience in detail or talk through what happened repeatedly.
For younger children, or those who find it difficult to put feelings into words, this makes it genuinely accessible for all children.
EMDR sessions with children are adapted to their age and developmental stage.
For toddlers, pre-schoolers, and children with neurodevelopmental differences and/or learning difficulties, the therapist may use drawing, storytelling, and other creative methods alongside bilateral stimulation.
Parents are often involved in the process, particularly with younger children, to ensure the child feels safe and supported throughout.
What Can EMDR Help With?
EMDR is most widely known for its effectiveness with trauma and PTSD, but research supports its use across a broader range of difficulties in children and young people, including anxiety and phobias, distressing or intrusive memories, emotional dysregulation, low self-esteem rooted in difficult experiences, and the aftermath of accidents, medical procedures, bullying, bereavement, or parental separation.
One study found that almost 92% of children aged 8-18 who had developed PTSD after a single traumatic incident no longer met the criteria for PTSD after approximately four EMDR sessions. They remained free of PTSD symptoms one year later.
How Many Sessions Does EMDR Take?
The number of sessions varies depending on the child, the natural of their experiences, and what is being worked on.
For a single, clearly defined traumatic event, significant improvement can sometimes be seen in a small number of sessions.
For children who have experienced more complex or ongoing difficulties, a longer course of treatment is usually more appropriate.
At Perceptive, every piece of EMDR work begins with a thorough psychological assessment and formulation. This is a careful process of understanding the whole child, their history, their strengths, and their needs, before any processing work begins.
This ensures that EMDR is always delivered safely, thoughtfully, and at the right pace for each individual child.
What Makes Perceptive’s Approach Different?
Dr Jemma Anderson is a Doctorate-level Educational and Child Psychologist with advanced training in EMDR for children and young people (0-25).
Jemma brings a deep understanding of child development, cognition and learning, neurodiversity, and the educational systems that impact children’s lives, alongside her EMDR practice.
This means that EMDR at Perceptive is always formulation-driven. It is never applied as a standalone technique in isolation.
It sits within a broader psychological understanding of the child, their developmental history, their attachment relationships, the environments they move through, and what their behaviour and emotional responses are communicating.
How Do I Find Out if EMDR is Right for my Child?
An initial consultation with Dr Jemma Anderson is the best place to start.
This is a brief, 20-minute conversation via Microsoft Teams, where you can share your concerns, ask questions, and get a sense of whether Perceptive’s approach feels right for your child and family. No referral needed.
If EMDR is likely to be helpful, Jemma will discuss next steps, including a more detailed intake assessment before any therapeutic work begins.
Jemma offers EMDR in-person in Dumfries or online to families across the UK and internationally.
Getting Started
If your child has been through something difficult and you’re looking for support that goes beyond talking alone, EMDR might be worth exploring.