Deciding to start EMDR therapy after years in the Australian Defence Force, policing, firefighting or paramedicine often comes with its own questions. What actually happens in a session? Will you have to describe everything out loud? Here is what to expect from EMDR at Deakin Private Hospital's PTSD & Trauma Support Unit, for people with exactly your background.
In short: EMDR sessions at Deakin Private Hospital are delivered by clinicians trained specifically in trauma work, within a program built around the culture and pressures of military and first-responder service. Sessions build gradually, starting with trust and grounding skills before any memory work begins, and EMDR does not require a detailed verbal account of what happened. For a fuller explanation of the therapy itself, see our PTSD & Trauma Support Unit page.
Early sessions are less about the traumatic memory itself and more about building trust with your Clinician and practising grounding skills, so you feel steady before any memory work starts. Once you are ready, your clinician has you bring the memory to mind while guiding you through short sets of bilateral stimulation, usually side-to-side eye movements. Many people notice, over repeated sets, that the memory starts to feel less raw and more like something that happened in the past.
Because EMDR does not depend on describing every detail of an event out loud, people with a service background often find it a more comfortable starting point than therapies built around extended verbal retelling. Clinicians in the PTSD & Trauma Support Unit understand the culture and pressures of service work, so you are not starting the conversation from scratch.
Care in the unit runs in a structured, trauma-informed and confidential setting, with privacy treated as a genuine priority given the particular sensitivities that can come with a military or first-responder career. A psychiatrist oversees your care for the length of your admission, while EMDR is delivered by a Clinician trained specifically in trauma work.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 000 for emergency assistance, Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Open Arms, Veterans and Families Counselling, on 1800 011 046 for support specific to current and former ADF members and their families.
Will I need to describe what happened in detail?
No. EMDR is built around bilateral stimulation while you hold the memory in mind, rather than a detailed spoken account, which is one reason many people with service-related trauma find it easier to engage with.
How many sessions does EMDR usually take?
There is no fixed number; a single, more recent incident often settles faster than trauma built up over a longer career. Your clinician will give you a realistic sense of timing once they understand your history.
Can I access this while still serving?
Yes, our Admissions Team can speak to you about your circumstances; they can talk through what is involved for currently serving members alongside veterans and former first responders.
If service-related trauma is affecting your sleep, relationships or day-to-day life, you do not have to manage it alone or explain your background from the beginning. To ask about a referral to the PTSD & Trauma Support Unit at Deakin Private Hospital, contact our Admissions Team on 02 5114 8100 or by email at dkn.admissions@imh.com.au.
