Services
EMDR — Processing the memories that won’t let go
Trained EMDR practitioners offering support online across the UK and face-to-face in England. A structured, evidence-based approach to working with the past.
NCPS Organisational Member
Professionally registered therapists
Free 15-minute consultation
★ ★ ★ ★ ★“I had carried things for years that I had given up trying to resolve through talking alone. EMDR worked at a different layer — and it changed something.”
EMDR client
5,000+
People supported
90+
Qualified therapists
5 ★
Website Testimonials
20+
Counties across England
What is EMDR?
If something from the past still affects you in ways that feel out of proportion — anxiety that flares up unexpectedly, emotional reactions that don’t seem to match the situation, a sense of being stuck or on edge — you’re not alone. Many people carry experiences that the mind hasn’t fully processed, and those experiences can stay with you long after the event itself.
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing — is a structured, evidence-based therapy that works with the way your brain naturally processes memories. It was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro, and has since been recognised by both the World Health Organization and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as an effective approach for trauma and PTSD.
But EMDR is not only for people who identify as having experienced “trauma” in a dramatic sense. Many people find it helpful for distress that has built up gradually over time — difficult childhood experiences, relationship patterns that repeat, or a sense that the past is still shaping how you feel today.
Unlike traditional talking therapy, EMDR does not require you to describe your experiences in detail. Instead, it uses a technique called bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements, but sometimes taps or sounds — to support your brain’s own capacity to process and integrate difficult memories. The goal is not to erase what happened, but to help those memories lose the emotional charge that keeps them feeling present.
How EMDR works
You may have noticed that certain things — a smell, a tone of voice, a situation — can bring feelings flooding back as though something difficult is happening right now, even when it isn’t. That’s often a sign that the original experience hasn’t been fully processed by the brain.
EMDR is based on the idea that the brain has a natural ability to process experiences and file them away as part of your story. When something overwhelming happens, this process can get disrupted. The memory gets stored along with the emotions, physical sensations and beliefs that accompanied it — and later in life, those can be triggered with surprising intensity.
During an EMDR session, you focus on a specific memory while your therapist guides you through bilateral stimulation. This creates a state of dual attention — you are present and grounded in the room, while also allowing the brain to access and reprocess the memory. It’s a process that has some similarities to what happens during REM sleep, when the brain naturally consolidates and integrates experiences.
Over time, many people find that the memory still exists but no longer carries the same weight. The emotional charge reduces, and the experience begins to feel more like something that happened in the past — rather than something that keeps intruding into the present.
What can EMDR help with?
EMDR is best known for its effectiveness with trauma and PTSD, but its applications have expanded significantly. You don’t need to have experienced a single defining traumatic event for EMDR to be helpful — many people benefit when distress has accumulated over time or when patterns from the past keep repeating.
Our EMDR-trained therapists work with people experiencing:
Is EMDR right for me?
If you’ve been carrying something from the past and talking about it hasn’t fully shifted how you feel, EMDR may offer a different way in. It can be particularly helpful if you find it difficult to put experiences into words, or if you notice that your emotional responses seem to be driven by something deeper than the present moment.
EMDR suits many people, but it isn’t right for everyone. Your therapist will carry out an initial assessment to understand your history, your current situation, and whether EMDR is the most appropriate approach. If it isn’t, they’ll recommend something that may be a better fit — our team offers counselling, CBT, mindfulness and other evidence-based approaches.
It’s also worth knowing that EMDR is not hypnosis. You remain fully conscious, aware, and in control throughout every session. You can pause or stop the process at any point. Your therapist works at your pace, and preparation — including learning grounding and stabilisation techniques — is a key part of the process before any memory work begins.
A free 15-minute consultation is a good place to explore whether EMDR might be right for you — with no pressure and no commitment.
Our EMDR-trained therapists
Everyone in our EMDR team has completed specialist EMDR training and holds additional qualifications in psychotherapy. Several are also accredited cognitive behavioural therapists (CBT), which means they bring a breadth of clinical skill to their work with you — not just one approach.
We match you carefully based on your needs, your preferences, and the kind of experience you’re looking for. With over 90 therapists across the team, we can usually find a good fit quickly — and if the match doesn’t feel right, we’ll find someone who does, at no extra cost.
What Our Clients Say
Real experiences
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
It helped me a great deal and made me feel better after every session. I feel my counsellor understood my problems and gave me lots of tools to manage fears and anxieties.
Client who sought support for anxiety
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
After a life-changing trauma, I needed help understanding who I am. My therapist was amazing and very perceptive. I learnt so much about myself and have been able to move forward with my life.
Client who sought support after trauma
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
It really helps address issues such as anxiety and depression but is also good for anyone regardless of whether they have any mental health needs.
Therapy client
Client experiences are unique. Results vary between individuals.
Getting Started
What to expect
Taking the step to try something new can feel daunting. Here’s how it works.
1
Book your free consultation
A brief, relaxed 15-minute conversation to explore what’s going on and whether EMDR could be the right approach for you. No pressure, no commitment.
2
We match you to a therapist
Based on your needs and preferences, we connect you with an EMDR-trained therapist from our team — someone whose skills and style suit what you’re looking for.
3
Preparation and processing
Your therapist will take time to understand your history, build a safe foundation, and teach you grounding techniques before any memory processing begins. Sessions move at your pace — you’re always in control.
Most clients hear back from us the same working day, and typically begin sessions within a week of the free consultation — depending on your preferences and therapist availability.
Standards you can trust
How we match you with the right therapist experienced in EMDR
Choosing a therapist is a personal decision, and we take time to get the match right.
A careful match, not a long list
Therapist availability changes from week to week, so rather than asking you to choose from a directory, we take time during your free 15-minute consultation to understand what you are looking for — and then match you with a therapist suited to your needs.
During the consultation, we will ask about:
- What you would like the work to focus on, and any specific concerns you would like support with
- Whether you would prefer face-to-face counselling, online sessions, or a combination of the two
- Any preferences around therapy approach (counselling, CBT, EMDR, hypnotherapy, mindfulness, ACT, compassion focused therapy and others)
- Day and time availability that works around your life
- Any specialisms that matter to you — for example LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy, neurodiversity-affirming support, or particular life experiences
- Practical preferences — for example therapist gender, age range, or shared lived experience where that matters to you
All therapists we work with are qualified and registered with appropriate UK professional bodies, and we will confirm the most suitable options with you before any sessions begin.
Professional standards across our team
Hope Therapy & Counselling Services has been operating since 2014, and we hold Organisational Membership with the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). We work in line with the NCPS Code of Ethics and BACP Good Practice, and our wider clinical standards include:
- Qualified, professionally registered therapists across the team — registrations vary per therapist and are confirmed before matching
- Ongoing clinical supervision in line with professional body requirements
- Continuing professional development to maintain and develop practice
- Clear confidentiality standards, with limits explained before sessions begin
- Client-centred, non-judgemental and inclusive practice across all areas of identity and experience
- Founder-led clinical oversight from Ian Stockbridge — MBACP (Senior Accredited) – who continues to lead the practice and oversee its standards
Whether you choose face-to-face counselling near you or online therapy from anywhere in the UK, you can expect to be matched with a therapist who is appropriately qualified and suited to the support you are looking for.
Transparent Pricing
Our fees
No hidden costs. Your fee is confirmed during your free consultation.
EMDR
From £95
per session
- Trained EMDR practitioners
- Online via Zoom or telephone
- Face-to-face where available
- Sessions typically 60–90 minutes
Individual Counselling
From £65
per 50-minute session
- Counselling, CBT, mindfulness
- Online or face-to-face
- Mon–Fri, limited weekends
- Ideal alongside or instead of EMDR
Full details on our fees page. Reduced rate options may be available — just ask during your free consultation.
London clients: Location-adjusted rates may apply. Please ask during your free consultation and we will confirm the exact fee before you commit to anything.
A printable overview of our EMDR therapy service — useful to keep or share.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions about EMDR
How many EMDR sessions will I need?
It depends on what you’re working through. Some people notice a shift after a few sessions; others benefit from a longer course, particularly if the experiences are complex or long-standing. Your therapist will discuss this with you after your initial assessment, and you can review progress together as you go.
Is EMDR available online?
Yes. Our EMDR-trained therapists offer sessions online via Zoom, using adapted bilateral stimulation techniques designed for remote delivery. Research supports the effectiveness of online EMDR, and many of our clients choose this option for accessibility and convenience.
Is EMDR confidential?
Yes. Sessions are confidential in line with professional ethical standards. There are some limited exceptions — for example, where there is a serious risk of harm to you or others, or where there is a legal obligation to disclose. Your therapist will explain these clearly before you begin working together.
Does EMDR mean I have to talk about what happened in detail?
No. One of the things many people value about EMDR is that it does not require you to describe your experiences in detail. You remain aware of the memory during processing, but the focus is on how the brain processes it — not on a detailed verbal account. You are in control of how much you share.
What does EMDR actually feel like?
Experiences vary. During processing, you may notice shifts in thoughts, images, emotions or physical sensations — sometimes quickly, sometimes gradually. Some people describe it as feeling like the memory is moving further away or losing its intensity. Others notice a sense of clarity or relief. Your therapist will check in with you throughout, and you can pause or stop at any time.
How much does EMDR cost?
EMDR sessions start from £95. Your therapist and fees are discussed during your free 15-minute consultation so you are clear before committing. Reduced-rate sessions may be available — just ask during the consultation.
Still have questions? The free consultation is the easiest way to ask them — no pressure to book sessions.
You do not have to have it all figured out
You do not need to know which approach is right for you. You do not need to be able to explain what is wrong. A free 15-minute consultation is simply a conversation — a chance to talk about what you have been experiencing and find out whether we can help.
If any of this has felt familiar, book a free consultation or call us on . We answer the phone 9am – 9pm.
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Meet Our Founder
Built by someone who saw the need from the inside
★
SCoPEd Band C
MBACP & SNCPS Senior Accredited
“Having worked for more than 25 years in senior management, I saw the same thing repeatedly — people struggling with mental health and relationship challenges, and so often struggling to access the right support when it was needed. It was out of this recognition of human need that Hope was born.”
Ian Stockbridge founded Hope Therapy after 25+ years leading large commercial teams – watching colleagues carry stress, anxiety, and personal difficulty with nowhere to turn. He retrained rigorously, now holding Senior Accredited status with both the BACP and NCPS, alongside SCoPEd Band C — the highest independent competence verification in the UK counselling profession.
He remains a practising therapist, clinical supervisor, published author of PMDD Uncovered, and co-presenter of The Talk Room Podcast. Hope Therapy was built on the things he saw were most broken – and designed, from the ground up, to do better.
MBACP (Senior Accredited)
SNCPS (Acc)
SCoPEd Band C
BSc (Hons) CBT
PGCert Supervision L7
Quality Award 2024 — 95%+
You do not have to keep carrying it on your own
A free, no-obligation 15-minute conversation. No pressure, no script — just a chance to be heard, ask questions, and see whether we feel like the right fit.
Get in Touch
Start your enquiry
Not sure where to start? Send us a message and a member of our team will get back to you. All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“From the very first phone call, I felt heard. They didn’t rush me — they helped me work out what I needed.”
Hope Therapy enquiry feedback
NCPS Organisational Member
Est 2014
90+ Qualified Therapists
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies
Individual registrations vary per therapist. Last reviewed: May 2026.