EMDR therapy — Melbourne & telehealth

EMDR: when a memory still feels like it’s happening now.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their charge. If something from the past keeps intruding on the present, EMDR works directly with how that memory is stored — at a pace you control.

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The upstairs therapy room at Unison’s Carlton practice, with warm natural light

Who this is for

Adults carrying single-incident or complex, developmental trauma
People who notice flashbacks, hypervigilance, shutdown, or a memory that still feels present
Anyone who has done talk therapy but finds certain experiences stay “stuck”
People who want a structured, phased approach with clear consent and pacing

What to expect

A careful preparation phase first — safety, resourcing, and shared goals before any reprocessing
Bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones) used within the standard eight-phase EMDR protocol
You stay in control of pace and depth throughout — EMDR is collaborative, not something done to you
Delivered by EMDR-trained clinicians, online across Australia or in person at our Carlton office

Why Unison, not a generalist clinic?

EMDR sits within a broader trauma-informed practice at Unison — our clinicians combine it with DBT skills, somatic and relational work where that fits you, rather than treating it as a one-size protocol. We’ll help match you with an EMDR-trained therapist and an approach that feels workable.

Therapists who work in this space

Malan van der Walt

Registered Psychologist · he/him

Malan is an AHPRA-registered psychologist with a decade in mental health, working with adults through anxiety, depression, ADHD, grief, and trauma. As a queer practitioner, he brings genuine lived understanding to work with LGBTQIA+ clients and communities. His approach is warm and relational, drawing on EMDR and ACT alongside psychodynamic approaches, and moving at the client's pace.

Full profile

Ready when you are.

Start with a free 15-minute fit call — a real conversation with a therapist, not a sales pitch. If it isn’t the right fit, we’ll say so and point you somewhere better.

Unison is not a crisis service. If you are in immediate danger call 000, or contact Lifeline 24/7 on 13 11 14.