EMDR Association UK - Past, Present and Future: Recent Episodes
EMDR Association UK
Past, Present and Future is a series of Podcasts for the EMDR UK Association where Dr. Russell Hurn, Counselling Psychologist interviews some of the most influential figures in the EMDR International Community. The programme looks at their journey into EMDR, what they are currently doing and what they hope to be doing in the future and their hopes for the development of EMDR.
EMDR UK Association's new patron, Darren McGarvey, is a writer, columnist, broadcaster, social commentator, and hip-hop recording artist (Loki).
Darren grew up in Pollok on the south side of Glasgow and has lived through extreme poverty, addiction, and homelessness.
In this episode, he shares his story with Russell Hurn, detailing how he began EMDR therapy as a teenager following the sudden death of his mother. He highlights the importance of his relationship with his therapist, Marlyn, and offers his thoughts on the current discourse surrounding trauma on social media. Darren also gives us a glimpse into his conference presentation at the EMDR UK 2025 conference in Liverpool.
In 2009, he founded Volition Scotland, an organisation that was designed and run by the young people who used it. He was part of the Poverty Truth Commission that was hosted in Glasgow in the same year. McGarvey became the Violence Reduction Unit’s first ever ‘Rapper-in Residence’ in 2015 and continues to work across Scotland in some of its most challenged communities.
He was recently inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, which deemed his books on social inequality to be of 'outstanding literary merit'.
His new book Trauma Industrial Complex: Oversharing in the Age of Lived Experience is available for pre order and due for release on 14th August 2025.
Tickets for his 60 minute show at the Edinburgh Fringe Show 2025 https://www.thestand.co.uk/fringe/2459/darren-mcgarvey-trauma-industrial-complex-the-live-show
11/08/25 Trauma Industrial Complex is Book of the Week on Radio 4 and you can listen again on BBC Sounds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m002gztq
In a world where disinformation about personal trauma abounds, Darren McGarvey asks if the stories we tell ourselves are liberating us - or keeping us trapped
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and presenters and are not endorsed by the Association.
EMDR UK presents a pre-conference 2025 podcast with
Licensed Clinical Social Worker and EMDR Consultant Hope Payson.
Hope draws on over 30 years of experience working with addiction and trauma, firmly believing they are deeply interconnected. Her journey with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) began during her time in an outreach program, where she encountered what she describes as the "wildest therapy" she had ever seen. Though initially skeptical, her perspective shifted after working with a client who had hit rock bottom following a relapse and overdose. With no other options proving effective, she decided to take a leap of faith, setting aside her fear of triggering another relapse. The result was transformative—her client achieved a remarkable recovery, solidifying her belief in EMDR's power to heal.
Hope emphasizes that addiction often serves as a symptom of underlying trauma, highlighting the intrinsic link between the two. She acknowledges, however, that one of the greatest challenges for EMDR therapists lies in crafting effective treatment plans tailored to each individual. At the 2025 conference, she will share practical strategies and insights to help fellow practitioners navigate this complex process.
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and presenters and are not endorsed by the Association.
At the EMDR European Conference in Dublin, Russell Hurn grabbed a few minutes with Clinical Psychologist and senior trainer, Robin Logie as he came off stage to talk to him about his 'Wilderness Years' and his current book, EMDR Supervision- A Handbook, published by Routledge.
https://www.routledge.com/EMDR-Supervision-A-Handbook/Logie/p/book/9781032102832
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and presenters
and are not endorsed by the Association.
In this special episode, Ludwig Cornil and Olivier Van Limbergen talk to Russell Hurn about their individual and very different journeys into EMDR. just before the EMDR UK conference in York in 2024.
They give us a flavour of their presentation on relational trauma and the role of affect in reprocessing based on the original Shapiro texts. They will also share their hopes for the future of EMDR and how they would like to see it as a psychotherapy in its own right, using EMDR more flexibly, perhaps using it alongside psychedelics.
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and presenters
and are not endorsed by the Association.
In this Past, Present and Future EMDR UK pre-conference podcast, Russell Hurn talks to Femke Bannink Mbazzi about her presentation at the EMDR UK Conference in March 2024 on cultural adaptations.
Femke is originally from The Netherlands and studied anthropology and psychology but now lives and works in Uganda. In this episode, she talks about her journey into EMDR therapy, her difficult work with abducted children and the adaptations she makes in EMDR therapy to make it more culturally appropriate for the communities in Africa.
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and presenters
and are not endorsed by the Association.
In this special edition of Past, Present and Future, Russell Hurn interviews Olatunde Spence and asks "Is EMDR an anti-racist therapy" and how can we be culturally informed when working with our clients? Olatunde talks about her experiences of racism as a Black therapist, campaigner and activist who is also autistic.
Link to Olatunde's ETQ article
https://etq.emdrassociation.org.uk/2023/10/16/is-emdr-an-anti-racist-therapy/
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and presenters
and are not endorsed by the Association.
This episode with trainers and EMDR Consultants Caroline Van Diest and Naomi Fisher was recorded a few months after their successful presentation at the 2023 Glasgow conference on working with EMDR and autism.
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and presenters
and are not endorsed by the Association.
Rebecca Kase is a licensed social worker, EMDR therapist, consultant, and trainer who integrates all of the 8 phases in EMDR therapy with Polyvagal Theory. In this episode, she explains how she uses the Polyvagal theory throughout the eight phases of EMDR therapy and why we should befriend our nervous system
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
Dr Derek Farrell former President of EMDR UK, Psychologist and Principal Lecturer at the University of Worcester is a major contributor to the development of EMDR around the world.
In this episode, he discusses his work with adult survivors of clergy sexual abuse, Hillsborough, Grenfell and the concept of moral injury and his Humanitarian Trauma Capacity Building work.
Dr Farrell also talks about EMDR research and why he thinks EMDR works as a therapy, particularly with shame-based trauma.
This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.
Episode 1
EMDR Consultant Millia Begum looks at the origins of working memory theory, the research behind the model and its applications and links to EMDR therapy. In this episode, she talks to Professor Jackie Andrade from the University of Plymouth about the concept of working memory.
This is a Past, Present, and Future special edition where Russell Hurn presents some of the highlights from the past year of webinars from the Child and Adolescent Committee with leading clinicians from around the world.
In episode one of series 2 of Past, Present and Future, the EMDR UK's podcast, Russell Hurn interviews Dr Deborah Korn about her early career, working with baby loss and how she was encouraged to train in EMDR Therapy. Her thoughts on dual attention and the function of bilateral stimulation, the release of her new book "Every Memory Deserves Respect" and some of the developments from The Council of Scholars.
Recorded in June 2020 during the pandemic, Russel Hurn interviews EMDR UK Association President-Elect, Matt Wesson. It includes interesting details of his EMDR journey from combat to the couch, his work with service personnel, and why he thinks it's important that the EMDR community comes together to fight against challenges posed by Cognitive Behavioural Thaerapy.
In this episode , Consultant Trainer and founding member of the association Sandi Richman recalls her first experiences of EMDR and the building blocks of the association.
In this special episode, Russell Hurn talks to Kathy Steele and Ana Gomez about trauma across the lifespan from an EMDR perspective. Kathy who works with adults and Ana who specialises in working with children are well known for their work with Complex PTSD, dissociation, and attachment disorders share examples of their work in advance of the EMDR UK 2022 conference in Cardiff.
This is the first podcast for EMDR UK recorded in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Mike O' Connor talks about how his life changed on 13th March 1996, the day of the Dunblane Shootings. How, after that, conducting research showed the prevalence of trauma and loss in children and subsequently how important it is to work with them at an early stage. He discusses his vision for EMDR UK at the start of his presidency and the challenges of Covid-19 and remote working.
EMDR Europe President Isabel Fernandez talks about her career providing treatment for the military, law enforcement, and emergency personnel. She was awarded the title of Knight Commander by the President of Italy, for her contribution to society, public health and for the Early EMDR interventions in the aftermath of mass disasters.
In this entertaining and emotive podcast, Russell Hurn speaks with Dr Nacho Jarero about the origins of the EMDR Integrated Group Treatment Protocol and the much-loved Butterfly Hug (BH) method for Bilateral Stimulation. Dr Nacho recounts some of the moving stories which helped shaped the development of these approaches. He also gives us some insider information on his new research and the success of the ASSYST program.
Ana Gomez talks passionately about her extensive experience delivering EMDR creatively with children, the importance of play in the AIP model and the exciting work of the Global Child EMDR Alliance
Charismatic International Trainer and Author Dr Phillip Manfield discusses his personal experiences of EMDR. He speaks about the importance of effective preparation, the power of the Flash Technique which he developed, and his exciting new plans to help care workers following the COVID -19 Crises.
Russell Hurn talks to Clinical Psychologist Arianne Struik about her work with children and The Sleeping Dogs Method which is a treatment to engage resistant and unmotivated children into trauma-focused treatment. Originally from the Netherlands , Arianne is now working with indigenous populations and mining communities in remote areas in Australia where she is known as the "flying psyche".
The event mentioned in this podcast is now in the past.
Dr Michael Paterson OBE is a former police officer who served within the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland during the conflict years.
In 1981, during an IRA rocket attack on his armoured police Land Rover, he sustained significant and life-changing injuries, losing both arms and suffering severe lacerations to his lower limbs. Michael lost his police career and faced an uphill struggle to change his life.
In this episode he talks about his own experiences of trauma and the powerful effects of re-processing that set him on his EMDR journey. Michael went on to become a leading expert in EMDR in the UK and Ireland.