Anxiety can touch our lives at any age and it doesn’t always look obvious. Anxiety sometimes shows up as racing thoughts, tension in the body, restless sleep, or a lingering sense of unease. For many, anxiety becomes a constant background presence: hard to name, and harder still to quiet.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we at Leone Centre are highlighting one powerful approach to working with anxiety: EMDR for Anxiety (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).
For those living with anxiety, many have already found meaningful support through talking therapies, mindfulness, or medication. EMDR offers an additional pathway; one that works not just through reflection and insight, but by helping the body and nervous system process and release stored emotional experiences. At its heart, EMDR can support something that often feels out of reach during anxious times: a real, embodied sense of calm and safety.
“Anxiety isn’t just fear – it’s the absence of felt safety.”
— Deb Dana, clinician and author on Polyvagal Theory
Enjoying reading this post?Subscribe to stay updated with the latest blog posts from Leone Centre.
What is EMDR for Anxiety and How Does It Work?
Originally developed to support recovery from trauma, EMDR is now widely used for a range of emotional difficulties, including anxiety, even when that anxiety stems from experiences that aren’t traditionally labelled as “trauma.”
EMDR is grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which suggests that when distressing events are not fully processed, they can become “stuck” in the nervous system. These memories may continue to influence feelings, thoughts, and behaviours—sometimes years after the original event.
In EMDR sessions, bilateral stimulation—such as side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or sound—is used to help the brain safely process these memories. This structured yet flexible approach helps reduce the emotional charge of difficult experiences, freeing individuals to feel more present, resilient, and calm.
Today, EMDR is recognised and recommended by organisations including the NHS, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Trauma and Anxiety
Many people experiencing anxiety have never identified with the word “trauma”; however, unresolved experiences are often at the root of persistent anxiety. When we live through situations that overwhelm our ability to feel safe (no matter if these moments are big or small), they can leave lasting imprints on our nervous system.
This might include:
- Experiences of bullying, humiliation, or exclusion
- Feeling unsafe at home, in relationships, or in public spaces
- Developmental disruptions early in life
- Repeated criticism or emotional unpredictability in caregiving relationships
- Living through periods of societal instability, war, or displacement
- Experiencing significant losses without adequate emotional support
- Facing discrimination, prejudice, or systemic injustice over time
- Growing up in environments where emotional needs weren’t consistently met
- Witnessing family conflict, illness, or instability
- Coping with major life transitions without feeling emotionally resourced
Even if these memories are not consciously clear, the body remembers. This is true across all ages. A young person might experience anxiety rooted in early events they never fully processed or understood. An older adult might find that memories of past experiences are blurred or fragmented, making it difficult to pinpoint a clear source. Regardless of age, unresolved experiences can shape how we respond to others, the situations we avoid, and the way we move through the world.
How EMDR Therapy Supports Trauma and Anxiety Healing
While traditional talking therapies can help build insight, coping skills, and emotional understanding, EMDR for anxiety works on a different layer: the stored bodily and emotional memories that underlie many anxiety patterns.
Anxiety often isn’t just “in the mind”; it lives in the body, expressed through sensations such as:
- Chest tightness or shallow breathing
- Muscle tension in the jaw, forehead, or shoulders
- Restlessness or a constant need to be busy
- A persistent sense of fear, mistrust, or “waiting for something bad to happen”
By helping the brain and body reprocess these stored experiences, EMDR can reduce the intensity of anxiety at its source, not just its symptoms.
What to Expect in EMDR for Anxiety
At Leone Centre, EMDR sessions are collaborative, structured, and tailored to you. You won’t be required to recount every detail of difficult experiences. Instead, with your therapist’s guidance, you’ll focus on specific images, feelings, or beliefs that trigger distress.
A typical EMDR for anxiety process includes:
- Identifying a core negative belief (e.g., “I’m not safe” or “I’m powerless”)
- Locating associated emotions and body sensations
- Using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones) while observing responses
- Allowing the brain to naturally reprocess the experience, integrating new, more adaptive beliefs (e.g., “I am safe now” or “I can handle this”)
We also use simple measures like the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) to track progress in a way that feels clear and supportive.
As processing unfolds, many find that memories and triggers lose their emotional charge—and that situations which once caused anxiety can be faced with calm and confidence.
EMDR and Talking Therapies: A Complementary Approach
It’s important to emphasise that EMDR is not a replacement for traditional talking therapies. In fact, many people find that EMDR for anxiety complements talking therapy beautifully. While talking therapies can provide vital space for reflection, understanding, and relational healing, EMDR can work on a different level. It works by helping the nervous system to process and release stored emotional material that may be difficult to reach through words alone.
For some, EMDR becomes the next step after benefiting from talking therapies. For others, it can be part of an integrated approach. Both pathways honour the complexity of healing and growth.
Reclaiming a Sense of Safety
One of the most transformative aspects of EMDR for anxiety therapy is reconnecting with what it feels like to be genuinely safe, both physically and emotionally. For individuals who have lived with anxiety for a long time, this sense of safety can feel unfamiliar or even inaccessible.
Through EMDR, the body begins to let go of protective responses that are no longer needed, and the mind integrates new experiences of resilience and calm. Over time, trust in oneself—and in life—can be gently rebuilt.
At Leone Centre, our therapists are here to walk this journey with you, at your pace, with care and compassion.
EMDR for Anxiety Can Change Your Future
One of the most powerful aspects of EMDR for anxiety is its ability to help the brain learn to separate the present or future from past threats.
If you feel anxious about upcoming events such as public speaking, social situations, medical appointments or travel, EMDR can help reduce that anticipatory anxiety before it has a chance to escalate.
Is EMDR Right for You?
You might consider exploring EMDR for anxiety if:
- You feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, despite previous support
- Your anxiety feels overwhelming, irrational, or shows up physically
- You have experiences that still feel unresolved, even if they are not clear memories
- You find it hard to relax, trust, or feel safe, even during peaceful times
- Talking therapies have helped, but something deeper still feels “stuck”
You do not have to fit a checklist to benefit. Many people explore EMDR out of curiosity—and find it opens unexpected doors to healing.
Begin Your Journey with EMDR Therapy at Leone Centre
If anxiety has been running your life, there is a different way to feel. This Mental Health Awareness Week, you might not need more strategies. You might need something that helps shift the feeling at its root, and that’s what EMDR can offer.
EMDR is not a quick fix, but it can create deep, lasting change. You’re not alone; our experienced therapists are here to help you.
Follow the links below to learn more and book a session:
🔹 Book an initial session at Leone Centre
🔹 Meet our EMDR therapist
🔹 Learn more about EMDR therapy
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Co-founder and director of Leone Centre, 20+ years of experience supporting people, and offering valuable knowledge through Couples Counselling and Individual Counselling. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in the financial sector.