In this week’s episode of The EMDR Doctor Podcast, we’re diving into something many people quietly relate to — the struggle to form or maintain friendships after trauma.

What happens when connection feels unsafe, or when friendship becomes more exhausting than fulfilling? And what does it really mean when someone says, “I don’t do friends”?

This episode unpacks how early relational wounds, social exclusion, and even subtle emotional injuries can shape how we connect with others as adults — and how EMDR therapy can help us rebuild safety, trust, and authenticity in our relationships.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

How early experiences of rejection, bullying, or conditional love can shape our adult friendships.

Why some people withdraw socially — not from preference, but from emotional exhaustion or fear.

The difference between solitude (a healthy choice) and isolation (a protective response to pain).

How EMDR helps untangle the past wounds that make connection feel risky.

The role of people-pleasing in friendships — and why healing may mean losing some unbalanced relationships along the way.

Key Highlights:

“I don’t do friends” is often not a preference — it’s a legacy of relational trauma.

EMDR helps reprocess painful memories of exclusion, betrayal, or bullying that shaped our sense of worthiness and belonging.

Healing people-pleasing patterns may temporarily change friendships — but it also creates space for healthier, mutual connections.

Neurodivergent individuals may find friendships draining due to masking or performance — EMDR can support self-acceptance and boundary setting.

True connection begins with authenticity — the ability to show up as ourselves without fear of rejection.

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Join me, Dr. Caroline Lloyd, as we unpack trauma, explore the science of EMDR, and share real stories of recovery and resilience.

This week on The EMDR Doctor Podcast, we’re talking about something we’ll all face eventually — getting older, and more importantly, staying happy as we do. Inspired by my mum’s 85th birthday (and her recent overseas adventure!), I found myself reflecting on what it really means to age well — beyond just staying active or eating our vegetables.

It turns out, the secret to happiness in later life isn’t just health or money… it’s belonging. Research shows that social connectedness — how many groups we belong to and how supported we feel — is the strongest predictor of happiness in retirement. But what if, like me, you’re more introverted, or you find joining new groups awkward? That’s where EMDR can help.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Happiness is learned — and practiced. EMDR helps clear away old beliefs that block joy and connection.

You can rewire how you relate to others. Healing early experiences of rejection or self-doubt opens space for genuine connection.

EMDR isn’t just for trauma. It’s also for personal growth, confidence, and creating a more connected future.

It’s never too late to change. Whether you’re planning for retirement or just wanting a richer social life now, healing old patterns can make a huge difference.

Key Highlights:

Why happiness in later life is closely tied to social connectedness — not wealth, health, or housing.

The challenges introverts face when building or maintaining friendships and communities.

How EMDR can help reduce anxiety and self-judgment around socializing.

The role of EMDR in resolving old beliefs like “I don’t belong” or “I’m socially awkward.”

How replacing these beliefs with positive ones — like “I can be myself” or “I deserve connection” — can transform your sense of belonging.

Practical ways to bring these new beliefs to life, from joining book clubs to volunteering or simply reconnecting with old friends.

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

This week on The EMDR Doctor Podcast, we’re exploring a truly fascinating (and unexpected) use of EMDR — helping with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

If you’ve ever experienced pregnancy nausea, you’ll know how relentless it can feel. But hyperemesis takes it to another level — constant sickness, dehydration, and an inability to eat or drink without vomiting. Yet, research now shows that EMDR therapy may help stop this cycle — not by treating the stomach, but by calming the brain’s learned response to triggers like smells, tastes, or even sights associated with nausea.

In this episode, I unpack a series of remarkable case studies where women hospitalised with hyperemesis experienced dramatic improvement — some able to eat and go home after just one or two EMDR sessions. We’ll talk about how this works, what it tells us about the mind-body connection, and why EMDR continues to surprise us with its reach and potential for healing.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

What hyperemesis gravidarum is — and why it’s more than “just bad morning sickness.”

How the brain learns to associate certain smells and sensations with danger, triggering nausea.

The science behind how EMDR helps “reset” those learned responses and calm the body.

Why EMDR can sometimes bring rapid relief — even in physical conditions linked to trauma or fear.

How understanding the mind-body connection can help reframe the way we think about healing.

Key Highlights:

EMDR can interrupt the body’s nausea response by breaking the brain’s link between smell, fear, and sickness.

Research shows that even one or two sessions of EMDR may significantly reduce symptoms of hyperemesis.

The brain’s protective mechanisms — like heightened smell sensitivity in pregnancy — can sometimes overreact, leading to physical distress.

EMDR isn’t just for trauma memories — it can also soothe the body’s learned responses to stress and danger.

The power of EMDR lies in its simplicity: no medication, no IVs, just the brain’s natural healing ability guided in the right direction.

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Join me, Dr. Caroline Lloyd, as we unpack trauma, explore the science of EMDR, and share real stories of recovery and resilience.

If you’ve ever been called a “strong, independent woman” (or man!) and felt a quiet exhaustion behind the compliment, this episode will speak to you.

In this week’s episode, I’m unpacking something many of us carry without realising it — hyper-independence. That deep belief that you have to do everything on your own — not because you want to, but because somewhere along the way, you learned that asking for help wasn’t safe or worthwhile.

We’ll explore where this pattern comes from, how it quietly shapes our relationships and sense of belonging, and most importantly, how trauma therapy — especially EMDR — can help soften those edges. Because healing doesn’t just mean surviving alone. It’s about learning to trust, to connect, and to let others in again.

If you’ve ever felt lonely in your strength, this one’s for you.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Independence can be healthy — until it starts to isolate you.

Hyper-independence is often a trauma response, not a personality trait.

EMDR therapy helps uncover and heal the old wounds that created the need to “do it all alone.”

True strength isn’t about avoiding help — it’s about allowing it.

Letting others in can be one of the most healing experiences of all.

Key Highlights:

What hyper-independence really is — and how it hides behind “strength”

The roots of self-reliance in childhood trauma, neglect, or betrayal

How hyper-independence shows up in adulthood: work, relationships, and loneliness

Why accepting help can feel uncomfortable — and what that reveals

How EMDR therapy can release the pain driving over-independence, helping you open up to trust and connection again

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

This week’s episode is a special one — we’re revisiting one of the most popular topics of all time: What actually is EMDR?

Whether you’ve just discovered EMDR therapy or you’re curious about how it works, this episode breaks it all down — from what “Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing” really means to how it helps your brain process trauma and move toward healing.

I’m also thrilled to share that The EMDR Doctor Podcast has officially made it to the Top 100 Mental Health Podcasts in Australia! Thank you to everyone who’s tuned in, rated, and shared the show — your support truly helps this healing conversation reach more people who need it.

If you’ve ever wondered how EMDR helps turn painful memories into “just something that happened that time,” this episode is for you.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Traumatic memories get “stuck” in the emotional part of the brain — EMDR helps them move safely into long-term memory.

Healing doesn’t mean erasing what happened — it means reducing its emotional charge.

You don’t need to process every single painful event — working on key memories helps the whole network heal.

EMDR isn’t just for PTSD — it can help with anxiety, depression, phobias, eating disorders, and more.

The brain’s capacity to heal is powerful — EMDR simply helps it do what it’s naturally meant to do.

Key Highlights:

How EMDR helps the brain reprocess traumatic or distressing memories.

The role of bilateral stimulation — and why moving your eyes from side to side can actually calm the emotional brain.

How EMDR transforms trauma from a current crisis into a past event.

Why EMDR works across many diagnoses — because it’s memory-based, not diagnosis-based.

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

This week on The EMDR Doctor Podcast, I’m taking you on a slightly different kind of journey. As I pack my bags for a holiday adventure, I couldn’t help but think about how EMDR itself is an adventure too. It’s a therapy that invites us to step into the unknown, follow the brain’s natural pathways, and sometimes even get creative with imagination and new perspectives. Just like any great adventure, it’s full of surprises, discoveries, and the potential for transformation.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Healing can be an adventure — curiosity and openness often lead to breakthroughs.

Creativity isn’t separate from therapy; it’s a powerful part of how our brains heal.

Imaginative resources (like nurturing figures) can help us feel safe when facing tough memories.

You don’t have to “have it all figured out” before EMDR — your brain knows where it needs to go.

Simple preparation tools, like practicing calm or safe place visualisations, can make EMDR more effective and less overwhelming.

Key Highlights:

How EMDR unfolds after the setup: client-led, fluid, and organic.

The role of creativity in EMDR — from re-scripting moments to introducing nurturing or wise figures.

Why imagination can help unlock stuck points in healing.

Ways EMDR connects current distress to earlier memories, uncovering deeper roots.

Practical tips on how to prepare for EMDR sessions (like calm place visualisations).

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

This week, I want to share something powerful that I recently learned at an EMDR Association of Australia training event. It’s a new way of looking at violence against women — not just through the cycle of violence, which many of you might already know, but also through the vortex of violence model, which offers a deeper understanding of how violence impacts survivors over time.

As a therapist working with women who’ve experienced trauma, I’ve seen how naming and understanding these patterns can be life-changing. When survivors recognize the cycle and the vortex, they often feel relief — because it’s no longer just “their fault,” but part of a much larger pattern.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through both models, explain how they can help survivors understand their experience, and share how EMDR therapy can support healing by restoring safety, strength, and self-worth.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Why violence in relationships so often follows a cycle — and how to recognize the phases.

How the “vortex of violence” explains the losses survivors face, from health to confidence to relationships.

Why education is vital: understanding these frameworks can give survivors knowledge and language to protect themselves.

How EMDR can help survivors process trauma, release fear and grief, and rebuild a sense of safety and strength.

Key Highlights:

The cycle of violence: what it looks like and why it keeps repeating.

The vortex of violence: a new model that shows how violence spirals, pulling in safety, trust, and health while spinning off hope and stability.

How recognizing these patterns can empower women to understand it’s not their fault and spot the signs earlier.

The role of EMDR therapy in healing after violence — restoring confidence, rebuilding self-worth, and helping women feel safe again.

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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. 

Please reach out if you need help: 

Police 000
1800 RESPECT
Kids helpline 1800 55 1800
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
WIRE (Women's Information and Referral Exchange) 1300134130
13YARN 13 92 76

Hi everyone,  in this week’s episode of The EMDR Doctor Podcast I’m diving into a topic that so many of us wrestle with — Imposter Syndrome. Whether you’re a doctor, a teacher, in corporate, or even just starting something new, that nagging voice of “I’m not good enough” or “I don’t belong here” can feel overwhelming. In this episode, I unpack what imposter syndrome really is (and isn’t), share some of my own experiences with it, and explore how EMDR therapy can help you rewrite those old, unhelpful beliefs into something much more supportive and freeing.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Imposter syndrome doesn’t mean you’re unqualified — it means old wounds are still shaping your present.

Thoughts are not truths — that critical voice doesn’t define your reality.

EMDR therapy helps uncover and reprocess the origins of imposter beliefs, reducing their power.

Strengthening positive experiences is just as important as resolving painful ones.

Confidence isn’t about never feeling anxious — it’s about removing the blocks that stop you from stepping into your flow.

Key Highlights:

Honest conversations with young doctors feeling stretched thin by fear, anxiety, and “not good enough” thoughts.

Why imposter syndrome isn’t about lack of skill — it’s about deep, old beliefs that resurface in adulthood.

How imposter syndrome can hide behind perfectionism, overwork, or constant fear of being “found out.”

My own journey with imposter syndrome early in my career and how I carried those fears for years.

The difference between normal job anxiety and true imposter syndrome.

EMDR approaches that help — from reprocessing early shame to bolstering positive beliefs and allowing yourself to actually feel praise.

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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 week’s episode of The EMDR Doctor Podcast, I’m answering a thoughtful listener question: “Who should not do EMDR?” It’s a great one, because while I truly believe EMDR can benefit almost everyone, there are some important physical considerations to keep in mind. From high blood pressure and heart conditions, to epilepsy, eye disorders, pregnancy, chronic illness, and even post-surgery recovery, I’ll walk you through what to look out for and how EMDR can be adapted safely.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Why having high blood pressure doesn’t mean EMDR is unsafe — as long as it’s well managed.

How EMDR can be safely adapted for elderly clients, including pacing and titrating memories.

The role of agitation and blood pressure during trauma processing — and why healing ultimately benefits physical health.

Safety considerations for pregnancy and postpartum trauma work.

Adjustments for epilepsy and eye disorders (e.g. using tapping or auditory bilateral stimulation).

EMDR and surgery, chemotherapy, and chronic illness — tailoring the pace and process to support both body and mind.

Key Highlights:

EMDR is highly adaptable — physical conditions rarely mean exclusion, just adjustments.

Trauma resolution can improve both mental and physical health.

Informed consent and collaborative decision-making are key in tailoring EMDR for each individual.

Age is never a barrier to healing — it’s about pacing and support.

With thoughtful modifications, even those with chronic illness or ongoing treatments can benefit from EMDR.

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

This week, I wanted to talk about something that comes up a lot in therapy and in life: the way shame and self-pity get tangled together. So often, when we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves, shame quickly follows — telling us we’re weak, indulgent, or that we shouldn’t be feeling that way at all.

But here’s the thing: self-pity is usually a sign that something inside us really needs care. And when we meet that place with compassion — real, genuine compassion — something powerful happens. Instead of staying stuck in fear, helplessness, or injustice, we can come out feeling nurtured, strengthened, and even loved.

In this episode, I explore how compassion transforms the way we experience shame and self-pity, and why this shift matters so much for healing.

 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Compassion is not indulgence — it’s a healing force.

Self-pity doesn’t mean weakness, it means something inside us needs tending.

When we meet shame with compassion, we shift from helplessness to hope.

Key Highlights:

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