Understanding EMDR

The Unique Trauma of Police Work: Insights from EMDR Therapy

With Guest Krystal Hawkins

In the challenging world of policing, officers face years of traumatic experiences that can lead to significant mental health challenges. In the previous Episode, former NSW police officer and author, Justyn Backhouse, spoke movingly about his experience of PTSD and the role EMDR has played in his journey of recovery.  In this Episode, Krystal Hawkins, an EMDR consultant and mental health social worker, shares what she’s learned as a therapist working extensively with police and other First Responders. She provides insights into the unique trauma experienced by police, how to tailor EMDR to their needs, and the importance of collaboration, early intervention, and systemic support.

Keywords: EMDR, police trauma, mental health, early intervention, trauma therapy, PTSD, first responders, neurobiology, trauma processing

Upcoming training on EMDR with Police and First Responders

If you work with, or would like to feel more confident supporting police officers and other first responders, join Krystal Hawkins for our exclusive half day webinar Understanding EMDR with Police and First Responders on 27 November 2026. Proudly sponsored by EMDR Academy Australia.

Registrations and information available at: https://emdracademy.com.au/events/

Episode Resources

To access an article Krystal wrote for the National FireFighter Magazine, Summer Edition 2024, pp34-39 use the link below

https://www.thenationalfirefighter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TNF-Summer-24-PRINTREADY_compressed.pdf

Understanding EMDR podcast is Proudly sponsored by EMDR Academy Australia.

Leading providers of EMDR training across Australasia. Specialist training in Early Intervention, Group EMDR, Adaptations for Children and Adolescents and international guests. Online and in-person trainings available.

https://emdracademy.com.au

Follow us on Social Media

LinkedIn:  /emdracademyaus      

Instagram:    /emdracademyaus

Guest Justyn Backhouse - former police officer, author of Hidden Scars: From Crime Scenes to Crisis, The Price of Service

In this episode of Understanding EMDR, Jenny Dwyer speaks with Justyn Backhouse about the achievements of his 25-year policing career, the hidden toll of repeated trauma, and the journey from denial to recovery. Justyn shares how his secure and loving childhood led him into policing, where he found adventure and opportunities; but also traumatic events, cumulative stress, and eventually PTSD.

They discuss the culture of policing, the stigma around mental health, and why early intervention matters. Justyn explains how EMDR became a turning point in his recovery, helping him process years of unprocessed experiences and reduce the intensity of traumatic memories. The conversation also highlights the importance of family support, trusted colleagues, and honest conversations about mental health.

If you’re an EMDR therapist and interested in knowing more about how you can support police officers and other first responders, listen in to the next episode. I’ll be joined by Krystal Hawkins, a mental health social worker and EMDR consultant who has worked for many years with police in NSW, supporting them through their journey of recovery with EMDR.

Key themes in this episode

• Cumulative trauma and delayed recognition of PTSD in police
• Shame, stigma, and silence as barriers to healing
• The role of EMDR in processing disturbing memories
• Early intervention
• Family, support networks, and rebuilding life after trauma

Resources

To learn more about Justyn and to follow him on social media, visit his website

https://justynbackhouse.com

EMDR Academy

This podcast is proudly sponsored by EMDR Academy Australia. For information on Dr Jenny Dwyer, training, consultation and resources visit our website and follow us on social media

https://emdracademy.com.au

https://www.linkedin.com/company/emdracademyaus/

In the final episode of our Healing versus Justice series, we hear directly from Dr Katie Bird. It was Katie's case, first reported by the ABC, that exposed a serious problem in the Australian legal system: victim-survivors who had received EMDR therapy were being denied justice because of misconceptions about the therapy.

Katie shares her journey through the trauma of abuse, her healing with EMDR, and her advocacy to change the law. Although her own case has concluded, her work is helping other victim-survivors come forward and challenging the outdated assumptions about EMDR that continue to influence legal decisions.

Katie also makes a compelling case that people should never have to choose between healing and preserving their legal rights. Rather than limiting access to effective therapy, she argues that the responsibility for change lies with the legal system.

If you haven't listened to the first three episodes in this series (Episodes 3, 4 and 5), they provide important background on the legal issues, how EMDR has been viewed in Australian courts, and practical guidance for EMDR therapists working with clients who may be involved in legal proceedings.

Related articles and media

The original ABC article that featured Katie's case:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-09/mental-health-emdr-therapy-may-have-cost-katie-justice/106425114

ABC Law Report:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lawreport/does-emdr-therapy-taint-witness-recollection/106595274

Other victim-survivors speak out:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-01/calls-for-legal-system-to-change-approach-to-emdr-and-witnesses/106856868

Article by Hurst, Dominguez and Harvey, 2026

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-do-australian-courts-still-distrust-a-proven-trauma-therapy

Sponsors

Understanding EMDR is proudly sponsored by EMDR Academy Australia. Providing Accredited EMDR training throughout Australia and online.

For training and other resources www.emdracademy.com.au

Inspired by the advocacy of Dr Katie Bird, who was denied access to justice after she had EMDR therapy, this 3-part series has explored a critical question - can EMDR therapists support their clients in healing without jeopardising their future access to justice?

In this episode, Dr Jenny Dwyer reflects on the nature of trauma, the likelihood of delayed and partial disclosure, and the circumstances that make it possible, even likely, that the legal system and EMDR may intersect for many clients.

Drawing on current discourse in the EMDR community, legal context and emerging consensus, she provides some much needed guidance for therapists. While acknowledging the real difficulties in this area, she cautions against therapists becoming unnecessarily intimidated by the legal system; and outlines a set of 'Principles for Practice' that can inform therapy and guide reflection.

Resources

This podcast is proudly sponsored by EMDR Academy Australia

For a copy of the Principles for Practice, contact us: https://emdracademy.com.au/contact-us/

Articles of interest - Challenging the false memory myths of EMDR

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1366137/full

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334584387_Lateral_Eye_Movements_Do_Not_Increase_False-Memory_Rates_A_Failed_Direct-Replication_Study#fullTextFileContent

Media coverage of EMDR and the law

ABC News 9 March 2026

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-09/mental-health-emdr-therapy-may-have-cost-katie-justice/106425114

The Law Report ABC Radio National:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lawreport/does-emdr-therapy-taint-witness-recollection/106595274

This is the second episode in our series exploring the intersection of EMDR with the Justice system. It follows a decision by the Commonwealth DPP to discontinue a case of sexual assault because the complainant had EMDR before making her report to police.

In this episode Anthony Hurst, Chair of EMDRAA, explores the way EMDR has been understood, and sometimes misunderstood in Australian courts. Beginning in the early 1990's, where EMDR was conflated with hypnosis, he leads us through cases where EMDR was an issue, and courts considered admissibility and reliability of evidence.

Anthony highlights the difference over time between states, statutes and case law, and offers his own views on what this means for EMDR therapists. He shares his current ideas about how EMDR therapists can protect our client's interests and highlights some considerations for clinical practice.

Sponsors

Understanding EMDR is proudly sponsored by EMDR Academy Australia.

EMDR Academy partners with like-minded individuals and organisations to provide innovative programs, high quality training, and support for new and experienced EMDR therapists.

For training and other resources www.emdracademy.com.au

This is the first of 3 episodes where we explore the intersection of EMDR with the Justice system. It follows a decision by the Commonwealth DPP to discontinue a case of sexual assault because the complainant, Dr Katie Bird, had EMDR before making her report to police. This obviously raised many issues for EMDR therapists, but most importantly, for victims/survivors.

Following publicity about the case, many EMDR therapists were concerned their clients would have to choose between Healing and Justice. Some organisations were pausing EMDR therapy if clients might make a future statement to police. We wanted to understand how the legal system makes decisions about cases like Katie's; and how EMDR therapists could help our clients heal, without risking their right to justice.

In this episode Jenny gives a brief over view of Katie's case and important concepts of "admissibility" and "reliability" of evidence in courts. Then she is joined by Harriet Murphy, a lawyer, who walks us through the Australian legal system – a user friendly overview – what happens when someone reports an alleged crime? Who makes decisions about whether the matter will be investigated, or prosecuted? What happens if it gets to court?

The links below contain resources and information relating to this case, and themes discussed in this episode:

The original ABC report about Dr Katie Bird's case:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-09/mental-health-emdr-therapy-may-have-cost-katie-justice/106425114

An article that challenges some of the misconceptions underlying the CDPP decision:

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-do-australian-courts-still-distrust-a-proven-trauma-therapy

A Victorian County Court Fact sheet that has useful information on the criminal trial process:

https://www.countycourt.vic.gov.au/files/documents/2020-07/factsheet-6-criminal-trial-process.pdf

Further information on EMDR training and resources by

Dr Jenny Dwyer is available at https://emdracademy.com.au/

In this episode, Rolf Carriere shares his journey as a development economist who spent decades leading large-scale health and nutrition programs with UNICEF; to his remarkable discovery of EMDR, as he searched for scalable trauma interventions. We explore how he applied the lessons he learned in the Child Survival Revolution, to ways EMDR could help address the needs of the estimated 500 million people affected by trauma. In this insightful and thought provoking conversation, Rolf shares his vision for how task shifting and simplified trauma care can help address the global mental health crisis, especially in resource-limited settings.

Rolf Carriere has led a distinguished career.

He studied philosophy in the 1960s and has had a lifelong interest in spirituality. From 1971 till 2005, he worked in the UN system, mostly with UNICEF and the World Bank, in health and nutrition programs, including more than 10 years in India. Rolf's main interest has been in the design and the scaling up of programs in malnutrition control, selective primary health care, maternal mortality, elimination of child labour, trauma recovery and educational reform.

In the mid 1970s, Rolf co-founded the International Council on the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders to eliminate goiter and cretinism worldwide.

Following his last UNICEF positions as country director in Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia, he established the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition in Geneva and served as its first executive director.

Now in retirement, since 2005, he's been advising on a pro bono basis, civil society organisations like Nonviolent Peace Force and EMDR's humanitarian assistance program, now Trauma Aid.

And in 2017 he founded the Global Initiative for Stress and Trauma Treatment (GIST-T) to promote the scaling up of simplified trauma treatment, carried out by trained and supervised paraprofessional workers in what he describes as 'task shifting'

Resources

Dr Jenny Dwyer provides training in scalable EMDR group and early intervention protocols. For further information and future training dates visit EMDR Academy Australia - https://emdracademy.com.au

For more information about Global Initiative for Stress and Trauma Treatment (GIST-T) - https://gist-t.org

If you have EMDR programs and projects that you think are of interest to our community, inside and outside of EMDR, contact Jenny Dwyer through EMDR Academy https://emdracademy.com.au/contact-us/

Sponsors

Understanding EMDR is proudly sponsored by EMDR Academy Australia.

EMDR Academy partners with like-minded individuals and organisations to provide innovative programs, high quality training, and support for new and experienced EMDR therapists.

Join Jenny Dwyer in conversation with Ana Gomez, world renown EMDR therapist, author and pioneer in working with children. In this thoughtful discussion, Ana reflects on her personal and professional journey, revealing unique insights into EMDR's evolution and her own development as a therapist.

As she describes her childhood curiosity about the meaning of life, her years exploring the body through choreography and dance, and her discovery of EMDR and trauma therapy, Ana reveals the profound influences on her current work.

And if she could choose her therapeutic legacy? Hear her passionate reflection on the role of implicit reprocessing in EMDR therapy.

If you want to learn more from Ana:

She is providing a series of online workshops with EMDR Academy Australia for the Australasian regional time zone.

https://emdracademy.com.au/events/

For training and consultation with Dr Jenny Dwyer visit

https://emdracademy.com.au/events/

This podcast is proudly sponsored by EMDR Academy Australia – Healing, Helping and Educating

https://emdracademy.com.au

Welcome to Season Two of Understanding EMDR with your new host Dr Jenny Dwyer. 

In this brief introduction, Jenny gives insights into her professional and personal background, and how these will undoubtedly be reflected in the podcast.  She reflects on her experience as a social worker, and the lessons she learned from her childhood in a large family raised by a single mum.   Expect to hear conversations about EMDR that range from big picture issues like social justice and equality, to the intimate world of the self, and the many ways EMDR is transforming lives around the world.

 Whether you've already been following Understanding EMDR, or are new to the podcast, welcome to this new chapter.  And while Jenny gets to host the conversations, she would love to hear your ideas, questions and comments.

In this Episode Tracy shares the news that she will be handing over Understanding EMDR to Jenny Dwyer from EMDR Academy.

Jen and Tracy share memories, learnings and visions - Past and Future prongs!

You can keep in touch with Tracy via her website Tracylynch.com.au and tune in as Jenny takes it from here with her first guest Anna Gommez in Feb 2026.