Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

 Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based trauma therapy designed to help the brain and nervous system process distressing experiences that have not been fully resolved. These unresolved experiences can continue to affect emotional regulation, sense of safety, self-beliefs and relationships long after the original events have passed.

EMDR is widely recognised and endorsed by leading organisations, including the World Health Organization, Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, and Medicare Australia, for the treatment of trauma and trauma-related difficulties.

When adapted for complex trauma and attachment-related experiences, EMDR is delivered in a gentle, carefully paced way. Therapy places strong emphasis on safety, stabilisation and the therapeutic relationship. You are not required to relive or recount traumatic events in detail. Instead, the work supports your nervous system to gradually process what has been overwhelming, at a pace that feels manageable and respectful.

EMDR helps address how earlier experiences—often rooted in relationships—continue to influence present-day emotional responses, patterns of connection and beliefs about yourself and others. By engaging the brain’s natural capacity for healing, EMDR supports the integration of traumatic memories so they no longer hold the same emotional or physiological charge.

Over time, this process can support greater emotional stability, increased self-compassion, improved relationships, and a deeper sense of safety and resilience in daily life.

For more information about EMDR, visit www.emdraa.org.

 My therapeutic approach is integrative, trauma-informed  and relational, drawing on attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology and evidence-based psychotherapies. 

I understand emotional and psychological distress as arising within the context of relationships, life experiences and the nervous system, rather than as isolated symptoms.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy  (IPT) is an important part of this framework. IPT focuses on how current relationships, life transitions, losses and interpersonal challenges influence emotional wellbeing. From an attachment-informed perspective, it recognises that early relational experiences can shape how we relate to others, communicate needs, and manage emotions in the present.

In therapy, we explore how interpersonal patterns, role changes, unresolved grief, or relational conflicts may be contributing to distress such as anxiety, low mood, or a sense of disconnection. 

IPT provides a structured and compassionate way of strengthening communication, improving relationships, and increasing meaningful social support.

This interpersonal focus is often integrated with trauma-informed and nervous-system-based approaches such as EMDR, Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), neurofeedback, and experiential methods. Together, these approaches support both emotional processing and relational repair, helping clients develop greater clarity, regulation, and capacity for connection.

Therapy is collaborative, carefully paced and tailored to each individual, supporting healing, resilience and lasting change within both internal experience and relationships.

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), developed by Dr Frank Coorigan,  Consultant Psychiatrist based in Scotland, is an evidence-based,  neuroscience-informed and trauma-focused therapeutic approach designed to address shock and attachment trauma by targeting the brain’s earliest threat-response mechanisms which thought to occur at the brainstem level.

DBR goes to the roots of trauma and works with pre-conscious orienting responses and neurophysiological sensations that occur prior to emotional or cognitive processing, supporting resolution of trauma .  A defining feature of DBR therapy is its embodiment of an intrinsic healing process that aligns with the evolutionary development of the brain and nervous system.

Magdalen is a Level 3 DBR practitioner.

More information on DBR can be found on DBR website https://deepbrainreorienting.com

 Neurofeedback therapy, also known as EEG biofeedback, is a non-invasive approach that supports the brain and nervous system to function in a more regulated and stable way.

It works by providing real-time information about brain activity, allowing the brain to gradually learn to adjust and move towards more integrated patterns of functioning. 

This process supports the brain’s natural capacity for self-regulation and can lead to improvements in emotional regulation, attention, sleep and overall functioning.

Neurofeedback is based on the principle of neuroplasticity, recognising the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganise over time. Rather than targeting symptoms directly, the approach supports underlying regulation, which can have a broad impact on psychological, cognitive and physiological wellbeing.

In the context of trauma, neurofeedback can support the nervous system to shift out of states of hyperarousal or dysregulation towards greater stability and a sense of safety. This process does not require detailed recounting of distressing experiences and allows change to occur in a gradual and contained way.

Neurofeedback may be helpful for a range of presentations, including attention and neurodevelopmental differences such as ADHD and autism, anxiety, mood and sleep difficulties, neurological conditions including epilepsy and brain injury, as well as supporting focus and performance in academic, professional and high-performance settings.

During a session, sensors are placed on the scalp to monitor brainwave activity. These sensors do not deliver any stimulation. Instead, the brain receives feedback, typically through visual or auditory cues, as it moves towards more regulated patterns. Over time, this supports the brain in maintaining these changes.

Within a trauma and relational framework, neurofeedback can support stabilisation of the nervous system, providing a foundation for deeper therapeutic work and integration.

A course of sessions is recommended to support lasting change, with progress reviewed according to individual needs.

Further information about the Othmer Method Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback can be found at:
http://www.eeginfo.com/what-is-neurofeedback.jsp

 Magdalen offers consultancy, training, and clinical supervision for mental health practitioners who wish to deepen and extend their clinical practice, particularly in trauma- and attachment-informed work.

Her work supports clinicians to thoughtfully integrate neuroscience-informed, relational, and experiential approaches into their therapeutic repertoire, with a strong emphasis on safety, ethical practice, and reflective clinical thinking.

Consultancy and supervision provide a collaborative and supportive space to:

• Reflect on complex and challenging clinical presentations
   
• Strengthen trauma-informed and attachment-focused practice
   
• Integrate modalities such as EMDR, neurofeedback, Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), and Small Figures Work
   
• Support professional development, clinical confidence, and sustainable practice
   

Training offerings include experiential workshops and professional development programs designed to enhance clinical skills, deepen therapeutic engagement, and support meaningful and lasting change in client outcomes.

Magdalen also delivers Small Figures Work Training, running annual workshops for therapists who wish to expand their clinical repertoires beyond talk-based therapies. This work supports transformative and systemic change across clients’ internal emotional worlds and relational systems.

Further information is available at www.smallfigureswork.com.