EMDR for
Workplace Trauma & Professional Burnout
When talking about it hasn't resolved it. For professionals whose bodies are still stuck in moments their minds have tried to move past.
Online Therapy Across the UK | Based in West Yorkshire
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That redundancy two years ago that still makes your chest tight when your manager says "can we talk."
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The presentation that went wrong. Now you over-prepare to the point of exhaustion, but the anxiety doesn't ease.
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That boss who undermined you. Their voice still echoes when you're about to contribute in meetings.
You've tried traditional therapy.
It helped you understand where the anxiety comes from.
But it hasn't stopped your body from reacting like the threat is still current.
That's where EMDR is different.
EMDR processes workplace trauma at a neurological level - not just helping you think differently about it, but resolving how your brain has stored it.
Your body stops reacting.
The memory remains, but it loses its grip on you.
Who I Am
I'm Cathy Waterhouse, a BACP-accredited psychotherapist, qualified coach, and EMDR practitioner with 25 years experience in corporate sales and team management.
I understand workplace trauma because I've lived it.
The impossible targets.
The toxic management.
The public failure that replays on loop.
The imposter syndrome that says you're one mistake from being exposed.
I spent 25 years at companies like American Express and FedEx, where I carried the weight of team performance and relentless expectations.
I know what it's like to appear capable on the outside while falling apart inside.
After retraining as a psychotherapist, I kept seeing the same pattern: high-achieving clients who understood their anxiety, had tried CBT, had awareness of their anxiety, but their bodies were still reacting.
That's why I trained in EMDR.
Because understanding workplace trauma isn't the same as resolving it.
What Makes EMDR Different?
Traditional therapy helps you understand your anxiety.
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You learn where it came from, what patterns you're repeating, why certain situations trigger you.
That's valuable. But understanding doesn't always equal resolving.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works differently.
It helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they're stored as "something that happened" rather than "something that's still happening."
The memory remains, you don't forget what occurred, but your body stops reacting like the threat is current.
Your chest doesn't tighten. Your mind doesn't go blank. The incident becomes what it actually is: past.
Research shows EMDR is as effective as CBT for trauma, often working faster.
Most workplace incidents can be processed in 6-8 sessions.
Is This You?
EMDR works particularly well when:
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There's a specific workplace incident you can point to—redundancy, public failure, toxic boss, performance review that crushed you
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You've tried talking therapy and it helped you understand, but didn't stop the physical reaction
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Your body responds before your brain catches up: racing heart, tightness, mind going blank, freeze response
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You replay the incident even though you logically know you've moved on
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Certain situations trigger disproportionate anxiety—meetings with senior leaders, presenting, performance reviews
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You avoid situations that remind you of the incident, even when it limits your career
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You're tired of understanding it without being able to shift it
Workplace Trauma I Specialise In
After 25 years in corporate life, I understand these aren't "just work stress."
But they're experiences that change how you show up professionally:
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Redundancy trauma - especially when unexpected or handled poorly
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Workplace bullying - bosses who undermined, criticised publicly, or created impossible standards
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Public humiliation - presentations that went wrong, visible mistakes, being criticised in front of colleagues
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Performance failures - missing targets, losing clients, projects that collapsed
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Imposter syndrome incidents - moments that confirmed your fear of being "found out"
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Toxic management - environments that made you question your sanity, your worth, your competence
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Role changes and restructures - losing status, being demoted, team eliminations
These aren't minor setbacks.
They're neurological events.
Your brain stored them as threats.
EMDR helps reprocess them so your nervous system can finally catch up with your logic.
How I Work: EMDR & Therapy & Coaching
I'm not just an EMDR therapist. I'm a BACP-accredited psychotherapist and qualified coach.
This means you get:
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EMDR for trauma resolution - processing the incidents keeping you stuck
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Psychotherapy for deeper patterns - understanding perfectionism, imposter syndrome, chronic anxiety, self-criticism
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Coaching for forward momentum - practical strategies, boundary-setting, confidence rebuilding after trauma is processed
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Psychoeducation throughout - understanding what's happening in your nervous system, why you react the way you do, what shifts are possible
Every session combines emotional understanding with practical shifts.
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You'll know what we're working on and why.
You'll leave with tools you can use immediately, alongside the deeper work of resolving what's underneath.
This isn't endless processing.
It's therapy that moves you forward.
What Working Together Looks Like
Stage 1 - Assessment & Preparation:
We start by talking about what you're experiencing and identify the specific incidents to target. I teach you grounding techniques so you feel safe before memory work begins.
You're in control. You decide when you're ready.
Stage 2 - EMDR Processing:
This is where the memory work happens. You'll briefly focus on the distressing incident while using bilateral stimulation (eye movements or tapping). Between sets, you report what you notice.
The memory typically becomes less vivid, less triggering. Most clients describe it as feeling "smaller" or "further away."
You don't have to describe every detail. The processing happens internally.
Stage 3 - Integration & Ongoing Support
Once the trauma is processed, we can work on rebuilding confidence, addressing perfectionism or imposter syndrome, or integrating coaching for career transitions.
Some clients finish after EMDR. Others continue with therapy or coaching. It depends on what you need.
Investment
EMDR for Workplace Trauma: £95 per 60 minutes
Most workplace trauma can be processed in 6-8 sessions. Total investment: £570 - 760.
This is typically faster than traditional therapy (which often takes 12-20+ sessions for trauma).
The hourly rate is higher, but total cost is often less because EMDR works more quickly.
Integrative Psychotherapy: £80 per 60 minutes
For ongoing work with anxiety, perfectionism, burnout recovery, or when EMDR isn't the right fit.
Professional Coaching: £80 per 60 minutes
For leadership development, career transitions, or performance work without a trauma component.
All sessions are online via secure video. Sessions fit around your schedule - no commute, no waiting rooms.
Why Work With Me
Most EMDR therapists can treat your trauma.
I can treat your trauma AND understand the corporate context it happened in.
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25 years corporate experience - American Express, FedEx, senior roles in sales and leadership. I've lived the environment that created your trauma.
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Dual qualification - BACP Accredited psychotherapist & Certified Life Coach. If EMDR brings up broader patterns (perfectionism, oster syndrome, burnout), we can work with them. If you need practical strategies for moving forward, I can integrate coaching.
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Direct but warm - I don't waste your time. Every session has a clear plan. You'll always know what we're working on and why.
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Practical & emotional - You get tools to use immediately alongside deeper emotional understanding. This isn't just insight. It's insight plus action.
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I work online only - Based in West Yorkshire, supporting professionals across the UK. Accessible, affordable, fits your schedule.
I'm based in West Yorkshire and work exclusively online.
This means you can access specialist EMDR support from anywhere in the UK - London, Manchester, South East, anywhere -without London price tags.
Research shows online EMDR is as effective as in-person. You use self-administered tapping or audio bilateral stimulation instead of following my eye movements.
Sessions fit around your schedule. No commute. No waiting rooms. Just support that works for your life.
Online Therapy Across the UK
What Clients Are Really Looking For
Many of the professionals I work with arrive feeling tired of being so hard on themselves.
They're not looking for a different life.
They're looking for a different way of living inside their life.
They want to feel less fragile beneath the competent exterior.
They want to stop carrying everything alone.
They want their body to finally believe that the threat is over.
This isn't about coping better with an unsustainable situation.
It's about resolving what's underneath so you can build something more sustainable.
Ready to Start?
I offer a free 20-minute consultation so we can talk about what you're experiencing and explore how I can support you.
There's no pressure, no commitment - just an honest conversation about whether we're the right fit.
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Book your free consultation by using my booking calendar below or email me at cathy@cathywaterhouse.co.uk
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Please note: To book your introductory session, you’ll be asked to set up a free Kiku account.
This only takes a minute and ensures you can securely manage and reschedule your appointments anytime.
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About This Site
This website is written by Cathy Waterhouse, a UK-based EMDR psychotherapist and coach specialising in stress, burnout, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and anxiety in professionals and leaders. With 25 years of corporate experience and dual qualifications in EMDR, psychotherapy and coaching, Cathy offers online therapy across the UK, combining emotional depth with practical strategies. Based in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, Cathy provides affordable, accessible online support for professionals who appear fine on the outside but feel overwhelmed behind the scenes.