It’s Christmas… and I’m embracing my inner Grinch just a tiny bit this week. In this episode, we’re unpacking the Christmas Blues — the stress, the chaos, the pressure, the grief, the perfectionism, the money stuff, the complicated families… all of it. Because honestly? A lot of people don’t love Christmas, and there are so many valid reasons why.

From impossible expectations to old wounds that get stirred up, we’re taking a gentle, honest look at why this time of year can feel overwhelming — and how you can soften the edges, protect your energy, and give yourself permission to do the holidays your way.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Why Christmas can be emotionally overwhelming (and you’re not imagining it!)

How old patterns, trauma, and family dynamics get activated this time of year

Practical ways to lower the pressure, drop the perfectionism, and simplify

How to navigate grief, loneliness, or complicated feelings with more compassion

Why EMDR can help with the deeper, stickier stuff Christmas brings to the surface

How to create a calmer, more authentic holiday experience — without guilt

Key Highlights:

How Christmas pressure — time, expectations, and perfectionism — quietly ramps up stress.

Why family gatherings can feel emotionally loaded, especially when old wounds get stirred.

How grief, loss, or loneliness often resurface this time of year (and why that’s normal).

The financial and emotional fatigue that makes December feel heavier than it looks on paper.

Simple, compassionate ways to soften the season and make Christmas feel safer, calmer, and more “you.”

Resources Mentioned:

Heal Your Past Online EMDR Program: For those looking to explore EMDR as a tool for healing, Dr. Lloyd’s online course offers support in processing trauma, especially betrayal trauma. Find more at emdrdoctor.com.au/heal 

EMDR Therapy for Betrayal Trauma: If you're in Australia and want personalized support, Dr. Lloyd’s individual or group therapy sessions may be right for you.

EMDR Doctor Membership: If you’ve worked with Dr. Lloyd before and need ongoing support, check out the EMDR Doctor Membership page for monthly opportunities to continue EMDR therapy.

Contact and Feedback:

If you’ve been affected by betrayal trauma, or if you want to discuss how EMDR can help you heal from past wounds, get in touch with Dr. Lloyd at emdrdoctor.com.au . Remember, healing from betrayal trauma is a journey — you don’t have to do it alone.

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

Be sure to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Each week, we dive into the powerful ways EMDR therapy can help you heal, grow, and reclaim your life. If you’ve found today’s episode helpful, share it with someone who could benefit from this information.

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

In this week’s episode of The EMDR Doctor Podcast, we’re diving deep into one of the most painful and complex issues people face in relationships: lies. Whether it’s a small fib or a web of deception, lies can be devastating, especially when they come from the people we trust the most. Betrayal trauma and the aftermath of being deceived can feel like a loss of reality itself, and healing from that is no small feat.

Today, we’ll explore why people lie, the pain of betrayal trauma, and how EMDR therapy can help untangle the webs of deceit that keep us trapped in hurt and confusion. We’ll also talk about the impact of lies on self-worth, trust, and healing, and how to work through the difficult feelings of shame and self-blame.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

The difference between prosocial and antisocial lies and why people lie for different reasons — from making others feel good, to protecting themselves, to avoiding consequences.

How betrayal trauma from lies can upend your sense of stability and self-worth, leaving you feeling disoriented and distrustful.

Why lies often come with half-truths and how to spot the signs of deceit, especially when a person is a practiced liar.

The emotional toll of being lied to and the complexities of trauma when you feel like your reality is being manipulated.

The healing journey after betrayal trauma — how to rebuild trust in yourself, your relationships, and the world around you, with the help of EMDR.

Key Highlights:

Lies are everywhere: Lies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small “white lies” designed to protect someone’s feelings, while others serve to protect the liar or gain an advantage. But even the “harmless” ones can leave us feeling disconnected from reality.

Betrayal trauma from lies is deeply painful: When the person you trust most betrays you with lies, it’s a wound that goes beyond just being deceived. It’s a loss of trust in yourself and in others, and the pain can feel all-consuming.

The big lie often hides deeper pain: Lying is sometimes a defense mechanism, stemming from unresolved past trauma. People who lie frequently may have deeply buried truths about their own past that are too painful to face.

The child’s dilemma with truth-telling: When children are faced with difficult truths — like reporting abuse — the consequences of lying or withholding the truth can be staggering. Protecting someone else’s feelings may come at the expense of their own safety or well-being, which leaves deep scars.

The paradox of telling the truth: While telling the truth is difficult, especially when the consequences are severe, it ultimately leads to healing. Lies, on the other hand, can erode self-esteem and happiness, leaving a person in a constant state of inner conflict.

How to spot a liar: There are some classic signs of deception — like excessive details, avoiding eye contact, or changing the subject — but the best way to know if someone is lying is to fact-check or catch them in a contradiction.

Healing betrayal trauma with EMDR: Betrayal trauma can absolutely be healed, but it requires deep work. EMDR therapy helps process the emotional pain, rebuild trust, and help you reclaim a sense of stability. While you can’t change the past, you can change how you respond to it and rebuild your self-worth and confidence.

Resources Mentioned:

Heal Your Past Online EMDR Program: For those looking to explore EMDR as a tool for healing, Dr. Lloyd’s online course offers support in processing trauma, especially betrayal trauma. Find more at emdrdoctor.com.au/heal 

EMDR Therapy for Betrayal Trauma: If you're in Australia and want personalized support, Dr. Lloyd’s individual or group therapy sessions may be right for you.

EMDR Doctor Membership: If you’ve worked with Dr. Lloyd before and need ongoing support, check out the EMDR Doctor Membership page for monthly opportunities to continue EMDR therapy.

Contact and Feedback:

If you’ve been affected by betrayal trauma, or if you want to discuss how EMDR can help you heal from past wounds, get in touch with Dr. Lloyd at emdrdoctor.com.au . Remember, healing from betrayal trauma is a journey — you don’t have to do it alone.

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

Be sure to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Each week, we dive into the powerful ways EMDR therapy can help you heal, grow, and reclaim your life. If you’ve found today’s episode helpful, share it with someone who could benefit from this information.

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

Welcome back, everyone — and yes, I owe you an apology for disappearing last week! Life threw a few curveballs (as it tends to do right before the year wraps up), and the podcast had to take a tiny unplanned holiday. But I’m here, tea in hand, and diving straight into a topic that touches every single one of us whether we like it or not… money.

We don’t usually talk about money honestly — not with friends, not with partners, and definitely not with our therapists. Yet our money beliefs, habits, fears, and even the chaos in our bank accounts are often shaped by some of our earliest experiences and unhealed emotional wounds. Today we’re unpacking all of it: the guilt, the avoidance, the “I don’t deserve it,” the overspending, the under-spending, the financial trauma, and the sneaky little messages we absorbed when we were too young to know better.

And of course, we’ll talk about how EMDR helps untangle those old money stories so you can relate to finances without fear, shame, or self-sabotage.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Your money patterns aren’t random — they’re rooted in early emotional experiences and learned beliefs.

Financial trauma is real, and it shapes how we save, spend, and set boundaries.

You can rewire how you relate to money just like any other trauma response.

EMDR helps reduce the emotional charge around past financial wounds, making practical change easier.

It’s safe to have money, safe to enjoy it, and safe to keep it — those beliefs can be learned.

Financial stability and emotional safety are deeply connected.

Healing money beliefs can improve boundaries, decision-making, and self-worth.

You deserve to feel confident, capable, and empowered when it comes to money.

Key Highlights:

The hidden cultural prejudices around wealth, especially in Australia.

Why so many helpers (including therapists!) feel guilty about earning well.

How money trauma shows up in behaviour: overspending, hiding bills, avoiding accounts, maxing cards.

How EMDR helps shift money beliefs from fear and shame to safety and empowerment.

What it actually looks like to heal your emotional relationship with money.

Resources Mentioned:

Contact and Feedback:

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

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

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.

Resources Mentioned:

Contact and Feedback:

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

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.

Resources Mentioned:

Contact and Feedback:

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

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.

Resources Mentioned:

Contact and Feedback:

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

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

Resources Mentioned:

Contact and Feedback:

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

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.

Resources Mentioned:

Contact and Feedback:

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

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).

Resources Mentioned:

Contact and Feedback:

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

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.

Resources Mentioned:

Contact and Feedback:

Subscribe & Stay Connected:

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