When Somatic Work Meets EMDR

Being trained in EMDR back in 2000 in the UK, and later in Somatic Psychotherapies, I’ve realised that there is a beautiful synergy between EMDR and somatic therapy. EMDR gives us a structured way to reprocess trauma, while somatic work helps us pause, soften, and listen to the body’s quieter truths.

Often, beneath the fear and the trauma response lies something more tender—grief, sadness, aloneness. Somatic practices help us stay present with these deeper layers, offering a gentle holding rather than working through. When EMDR meets this somatic presence, the processing can move with more flow and compassion.

And the reverse is true: EMDR’s bilateral rhythm can support somatic exploration, helping the body release what it has long carried. Together, they form a partnership that is both powerful and profoundly human—moving us not just beyond fear, but toward the healing that comes from finally being able to feel, and to let go.

Some of my most powerful work with clients has involved moving from one to the other in flow as is needed moment-to-moment or session to session. I’m grateful to have both available to me; together they seem to address the muti-layered experience of being human!