Hi everyone, it’s Dr. Caroline Lloyd here, and in this week’s episode of The EMDR Doctor Podcast, I’m talking about what I call “teeny tiny targets” in EMDR therapy — those small, everyday irritations or moments that don’t seem like a big deal… until they quietly take up space in your mind.

This episode was inspired by a friend who asked me, “What’s the smallest target you’ve ever worked on?” It got me thinking, because while most of my clients work on big, life-changing events, I often use EMDR for myself on the little things — a snarky comment, a frustrating traffic moment, or even learning how to take a compliment without squirming.

I share how these small targets can be surprisingly powerful for emotional wellbeing, why they’re worth processing, and how EMDR techniques — like walking EMDR — can help shift even the tiniest irritations so they don’t stick around and spoil your day.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

How EMDR can be used for everyday irritations and “micro-upsets” — not just big trauma.

Why unresolved small annoyances can build up and affect your mood and wellbeing.

The story of how I processed a minor traffic frustration using walking EMDR.

How to spot when you’re deflecting compliments — and why that’s worth working on.

A simple EMDR-based protocol for learning to accept and internalise positive feedback.

Key Highlights:

Teeny tiny targets are the small moments of irritation or discomfort that can quietly accumulate stress if we don’t process them.

Walking EMDR is a simple, on-the-go way to work through mild distress.

Learning to take a compliment is more than a social skill — it’s a way to strengthen self-worth and positive belief systems.

Even when the “big trauma” feels more urgent, small wins in therapy can build the emotional capacity needed for deeper work.

Self-care isn’t just bubble baths and meditation — it can also be clearing away the little irritations before they pile up.

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Make sure you’re following The EMDR Doctor podcast so you never miss an episode! Next week, we’ll be exploring even more ways EMDR can transform your life — from deepening your relationships to building a stronger sense of self.

Each episode is packed with expert insights, real stories, and practical tools to help you on your path to recovery.

Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she unpacks trauma, demystifies PTSD, and shares how EMDR can support real, lasting healing.

Hi everyone, it’s Dr. Caroline Lloyd here and in this week’s episode, I’m diving into a metaphor that came up in session recently: a child describing her mum’s depression as like living with a zombie. Not a Halloween monster, but that vacant, checked-out presence that feels terrifying when you're a child relying on your parent for safety and love.

In this solo episode, I’m reflecting on what happens when children grow up in households where a parent’s mental illness becomes the silent centre of the home. I talk about emotional survival, parentification, and the hidden costs of growing up too fast. It’s a deep one, but an important one.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Children of depressed parents often develop a distorted sense of responsibility, suppressing their own emotions to protect the parent.

Becoming "the grown-up" too early can lead to adult issues like anxiety, boundary difficulties, people-pleasing, and sibling conflict.

Secrecy and shame around mental illness can isolate children and delay healing well into adulthood.

EMDR therapy can help reveal and reprocess these early childhood experiences in a safe, contained way.

Healing the inner child involves validating that their needs mattered then — and still do now.

Key Highlights:

A client’s powerful image of her mother with depression as a "zombie" opens up a deeper conversation about how kids experience parental mental illness.

Exploring the concept of children walking on emotional eggshells — not due to violence, but to avoid burdening an emotionally fragile parent.

How kids often suppress their own emotional needs to survive in unstable environments.

The pattern of parentification — where children become caregivers too early.

Long-term emotional toll on children who appear "capable" on the outside but carry heavy internal burdens.

Shame, secrecy, and fear surrounding parental mental illness — and how EMDR helps bring these "zombies" out of the cupboard safely and begin to heal.

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Make sure you’re following The EMDR Doctor podcast so you never miss an episode! Next week, we’re diving even deeper into how EMDR can shape your healing, your relationships, and your sense of self.\

Each episode is packed with expert insights, real stories, and practical tools to help you on your path to recovery.

Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she unpacks trauma, demystifies PTSD, and shares how EMDR can support real, lasting healing.

Hey there, in this episode, I’m answering a great little question from one of my clients: “Can you actually be traumatised by a horror movie?”

Spoiler alert — yes, you can. And I share my own (slightly mortifying) horror movie trauma story from when I was 14 and watched The Exorcist at a sleepover. It stuck with me for decades… literally. But this episode goes deeper than jump scares and creepy scenes — we explore how horror movies, like real-life traumas, can lodge themselves into our nervous systems. And how EMDR — and the power of imagination — can help shift even the stuff that doesn’t technically “happen to us.”

Whether you’ve had a horror movie moment, lived through someone else’s trauma story, or are curious about how EMDR works with imagined and vicarious trauma — this one’s for you.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Trauma doesn’t have to come from “real life” — imagined or second-hand experiences (like horror movies or others’ traumatic stories) can leave a lasting impact

The brain doesn’t always know the difference between what’s real and what’s vividly imagined — and that’s where EMDR can help

Our imagination can retraumatise… but it can also heal

Intergenerational and vicarious trauma are real — and EMDR can support those experiences too

Even birth trauma can show up like a horror movie in our nervous system — whether we lived it or just heard it

Key Highlights:

Dr. Caroline shares a personal story of horror movie trauma (and how long it stayed with her!)

Why certain life stages (like adolescence or stressful times) make us more vulnerable to trauma

How imagination-based techniques in EMDR help “rewrite” traumatic scenes

The impact of intergenerational trauma and vicarious trauma — even when the event wasn’t ours

Why horror movie-like stories around birth can be traumatising for women

Upcoming webinar on EMDR and birth trauma in partnership with Moms Matter Psychology

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Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she demystifies PTSD and provides hope for recovery, showing that healing is possible with the right tools and support. 

In this episode, I’m answering a question I’ve heard a lot lately: “How can I support someone after they’ve had an EMDR session?” And honestly, I love this question — because it comes from such a caring place.

We don’t often talk about what happens after EMDR. People go into sessions, things get stirred up, and then… what? If you’re the partner, the parent, the friend, or even just the person making the cup of tea afterward — you might be wondering how to help without doing too much, or getting it wrong.

So, I’m walking you through what that support can look like. From giving space to being present, from what not to say, to how to simply sit beside someone with kindness. EMDR can be intense, and the healing doesn’t stop when the session ends.

This episode is for anyone who's ever thought:
"I want to help. I just don’t know how."
You're not alone — and you're doing better than you think.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Healing doesn’t end when the EMDR session does — support afterward really matters.

You don’t need to fix anything; just being present is often the most powerful support.

It’s okay to not have the perfect words — calm, quiet presence goes a long way.

Respect the person’s pace — some people want to talk, others need space.

Supporting someone through trauma healing is brave, gentle work in itself.

Key Highlights:

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Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she demystifies PTSD and provides hope for recovery, showing that healing is possible with the right tools and support. 

This week, I’m leaning into metaphors again — this time, inspired by a children’s classic: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. You’d be surprised how much wisdom is tucked inside those rhythmic pages. This episode is all about why we can’t go over or under our trauma — we have to go through it. And why that’s not just terrifying, but incredibly brave… and worth it.

So, if you’ve ever found yourself asking, “Why do I have to feel the pain to move forward?” — this one’s for you. We’re diving into the hidden costs of avoidance, how trauma sneaks into our present, and how EMDR helps us build something radical and empowering: self-trust.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

The ‘Bear Hunt’ metaphor: Why you can’t avoid trauma — and how going through it leads to real healing

Avoidance as a trauma strategy: Helpful short-term, but exhausting and limiting in the long run

The black box effect: How suppressed trauma leaks out as anxiety, phobias, OCD-like behaviours and more

The emotional payoff of EMDR: Not just healing the memory, but reclaiming trust in yourself

Self-trust as freedom: Once you know you can face the hard stuff, you unlock hope, strength, and a future that feels possible again

Key Highlights:

Why avoidance makes sense — and why it keeps us stuck

How trauma can quietly influence daily life in unexpected ways

What it really means to go “through” the memory, not just talk about it

How EMDR can transform painful memories into something manageable and safe

Why working through trauma restores trust in yourself, and how that changes everything

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Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she demystifies PTSD and provides hope for recovery, showing that healing is possible with the right tools and support. Thanks for listening!

In this metaphor-rich episode, Dr. Caroline Lloyd takes us into the world of trauma and healing through stories and images that just make sense — even when emotions don’t. If you’ve ever struggled to explain what trauma feels like, or what EMDR actually does, this one’s for you.

From inflatable beach balls that won’t stay submerged to the heavy wheelbarrow of life’s burdens, Dr. Caroline paints a vivid picture of how trauma lives in our body and mind — and how EMDR helps gently deflate, unburden, and rewire.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Why trauma keeps resurfacing no matter how hard we try to suppress it

The “beach ball” metaphor: how trauma slaps us in the face when least expected

The “wheelbarrow” metaphor: why life feels so heavy and how trauma therapy can lighten the load

How EMDR works to safely process and resolve painful memories

What it feels like during and after an EMDR session (think: trains, tunnels, and snow globes)

The importance of processing trauma, not just managing symptoms

Key Highlights:

Beach ball analogy: Suppressing trauma takes effort. EMDR releases pressure, making memories less overwhelming.

Wheelbarrow metaphor: Everyone carries something. Whether it's sand, pebbles, or boulders—EMDR helps lighten the emotional load.

Train + tunnel imagery: EMDR may feel like a train ride through difficult terrain, but there’s a light at the end — and you don’t have to go it alone.

Catalogue flipping: Trauma memories may feel scattered, but EMDR helps sort, understand, and file them away.

Snow globe effect: Post-session processing is real. Be gentle with yourself as things settle.

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Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she demystifies PTSD and provides hope for recovery, showing that healing is possible with the right tools and support. Thanks for listening!

In today’s episode, we’re diving into something that comes up all the time in therapy: the resistance to looking back at the past.
Maybe you’ve thought it yourself — “Why do I have to dig up old memories? My anxiety is about the future, not the past!”
I get it. Going back can feel pointless, painful, or even terrifying. But here’s the thing — the past holds the blueprint for so many of our current struggles. In this episode, I’m breaking down why avoidance is such a key feature of PTSD, how our earliest experiences shape the way we see ourselves today, and why healing can’t really happen unless we gently revisit and process those memories.
It’s not about reliving the pain — it’s about finding the freedom on the other side of it. Let’s talk about how trauma-informed therapy helps us do exactly that.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Why people often avoid thinking about their past — and how this shows up as part of PTSD.

How past experiences shape current anxiety, self-beliefs, and mental health.

Why healing requires revisiting the past — but only with the right support and approach.

The role of EMDR and other trauma-informed therapies in helping process painful memories safely.

That we can’t truly believe positive things about ourselves without addressing the negative beliefs we’ve carried since childhood.

Key Highlights:

The common misconception: “My anxiety is about now — why dig up the past?”

A simple breakdown of the three main components of PTSD.

Caroline’s personal story about a violin teacher’s comment and how it impacted her belief system for decades.

The importance of understanding the origin of our negative self-beliefs.

A shout-out to the bravery of clients who face their trauma head-on.

Why repeating mantras and logic-based CBT techniques can’t fully replace trauma processing.

The power of EMDR and other modalities to bring true, lasting change.

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Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she demystifies PTSD and provides hope for recovery, showing that healing is possible with the right tools and support. Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to the EMDR Doctor Podcast! In this week’s powerful episode, Dr. Caroline Lloyd dives into something we’ve all felt at one point or another — pain. But this isn’t just about stubbed toes and sore shoulders. We’re going deeper, exploring how pain shows up in the body during EMDR sessions and unpacking the complex world of chronic pain. Dr. Lloyd offers compassionate guidance, myth-busting insights, and practical tips to help listeners reframe and soften their pain experience — emotionally and physically.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Why your pain is real, even if it’s rooted in memory.

How EMDR therapists work with physical sensations in sessions.

Why chronic pain isn’t just a physical issue — and how trauma plays a role.

Simple but evidence-backed ways to reduce pain through lifestyle and mindset shifts.

Key Highlights:

Why pain during EMDR sessions is totally normal: How your body remembers trauma through sensations — like nausea, tension, or that old shoulder ache — and how these sensations often fade as memories process.

The anatomy of a memory: How our brains store experiences with all five senses — from sounds and smells to emotions and physical pain.

What chronic pain really is: Pain is not just about injury. It’s also deeply connected to your nervous system, stress levels, past trauma, and beliefs about your body.

The power of lifestyle in managing chronic pain: Sleep, food, relaxation, and (yes) exercise aren’t just fluff — they actively reshape your brain and can reduce pain perception.

Rewiring your brain with EMDR and exercise: Both can change neural pathways, helping you build new beliefs like “I’m safe,” “I’m strong,” and “I can cope.”

Central Sensitisation explained: When the brain gets stuck in “pain mode” even after the body has healed.

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Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she demystifies PTSD and provides hope for recovery, showing that healing is possible with the right tools and support. Thanks for listening!

In this thoughtful and deeply human episode of The EMDR Doctor podcast, Dr. Caroline Lloyd unpacks a complicated emotion many of us were taught to avoid: anger.

Why is it that anger feels so off-limits—especially for women? What if, instead of being something to hide or fix, anger was actually a sign of wisdom… of protection… of boundaries being drawn?

Dr. Lloyd explores how our culture silences anger, the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways it’s scrubbed from our emotional and physical expressions, and why reclaiming this emotion is such a vital part of trauma recovery. Through client reflections, personal insights, and therapeutic wisdom, she explains how EMDR therapy can help us safely explore anger and get to what’s often underneath it: sadness, grief, and healing.

Whether you’re someone who fears your own anger, suppresses it, or feels overwhelmed by it—this episode offers a compassionate, eye-opening path forward.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Why anger often masks deeper emotions like sadness or betrayal

How EMDR helps uncover and resolve unprocessed emotions in a safe, regulated way

The difference between healthy anger and harmful expression

How acknowledging your anger can be a step toward reclaiming your voice, your safety, and your sense of self

Why anger doesn’t make you broken—it makes you human

Key Highlights:

A powerful reframe: anger as a protector, not a problem

How culture teaches us—especially women—to hide or erase anger

Botox culture and the emotional cost of smoothing over our expressions

The distinction between anger (emotion) and aggression (behaviour)

Client stories that show how trauma often pushes anger underground

The therapeutic power of EMDR in working through anger safely

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Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she demystifies PTSD and provides hope for recovery, showing that healing is possible with the right tools and support. Thanks for listening!

After a brief break over Easter and ANZAC Day, Dr. Caroline is back—and this week, she’s taking listeners behind the scenes as she prepares for her presentation at the upcoming EMDR Association Conference. With humour, honesty, and a healthy dose of self-reflection, she explores how EMDR can support performance enhancement—whether it's public speaking, elite sports, or simply pushing through procrastination. She also shares a very human moment from her past (yes, there’s a theatre mishap involved!) and explains how those forgotten memories can quietly shape our confidence today. If you've ever felt like fear was standing between you and your potential, listen to this episode.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

EMDR can be used for performance anxiety by targeting unresolved past events, current triggers, and building confident future templates.

Procrastination is often a fear response, not just laziness or poor planning.

Memories we think we’ve “moved on” from can still quietly shape our self-perception—until we process them.

Performance issues in sport, speaking, or work often stem from core beliefs like “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll mess this up.”

Therapy should focus on the client’s personal goals for performance, not the therapist’s idea of what “should” be worked on.

Key Highlights:

Dr. Caroline opens up about procrastination and the fear behind her own conference prep.

She shares a surprising memory from her teenage years on stage—and how it resurfaced during EMDR.

Real talk about imposter syndrome, inner critics, and how even experienced professionals feel the pressure.

A thoughtful discussion about how birth order might influence performance patterns.

Insight into how injuries can create mental blocks for athletes, even after physical healing.

A timely reminder that high performance and good mental health don’t always walk hand-in-hand.

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Join Dr. Caroline Lloyd as she demystifies PTSD and provides hope for recovery, showing that healing is possible with the right tools and support. Thanks for listening!