Rewind, Reflect, Release: Gentle Tools for Trauma and Emotional Healing

Over the years, my practice has evolved as I’ve continued to learn and deepen my understanding of what really helps people heal. Whether I’m working with trauma, anxiety, phobias or patterns that feel stuck and hard to shift, I’m always looking for approaches that are effective, respectful, and safe for the nervous system.

Recently, I updated training in something called Rewind Therapy — a powerful yet gentle way of working with trauma and PTSD symptoms. I’ve also been reminded just how effective IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy) can be, especially for emotional imprinting and identity-level issues.

In this blog, I wanted to share a little more about both techniques — what they are, how they work, and when I might use them in my practice.

What is Rewind Therapy?
Rewind Therapy is a non-intrusive technique often used to help people process trauma, PTSD, phobias, and anxiety. It works by guiding the client into a calm and relaxed state, then using the imagination to gently revisit the traumatic event — but from a safe distance.

The idea is to help the brain “reprocess” the memory so that it’s no longer stuck on a loop, no longer triggering the fight-flight-freeze response. Once the memory is filed away as something in the past, the emotional charge attached to it significantly reduces or disappears.

What I love about this method is that you don’t have to talk through the trauma in detail. For many people, that’s incredibly reassuring. It allows space for healing without the need to relive or retell painful experiences.

Rewind is effective, well-researched, and often surprisingly quick — usually taking just a few sessions.

A Reminder of IEMT: Working with Emotional Imprints and Identity Patterns
IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy) is another technique I use that offers deep shifts, often quite rapidly. While it’s not a therapy in itself, it’s an approach I integrate into my work where appropriate — especially for issues like:

Flashbacks

Anxiety and panic responses

Emotional overwhelm

Guilt, shame or regret

Unhelpful identity labels (e.g. “I’m broken”, “I’m not enough”)

Using specific eye movements, we can help the brain shift how it stores certain emotional memories or beliefs. It’s not about digging deep into the past — it’s about changing how the past is held in the present.

Clients often report a sense of “unhooking” from feelings they’ve been carrying for years. And again, like Rewind, it doesn’t require a full retelling of the story.

Which is Right for You?
Both Rewind and IEMT offer unique benefits, and part of my role is to assess — collaboratively and gently — which approach might be most helpful for you at any given time.

Rewind tends to be most suitable for trauma or PTSD symptoms where a single event (or series of events) is stuck in the nervous system, causing flashbacks, nightmares or a constant sense of being unsafe.

IEMT is ideal where you find yourself stuck in loops of emotional reaction, even if you don’t know where they’re coming from — or where you’re carrying identity-level beliefs that limit you.

And sometimes, a blend of both works best.

Integrating These Tools Into Therapy
As a counsellor and hypnotherapist who is trauma-informed and integrative in approach, I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. Every client is different. What matters most to me is working at your pace, with tools that feel right for you.

While I offer traditional counselling for those who prefer to talk and explore in more depth, I also integrate techniques like:

Rewind Therapy

IEMT

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)

Relaxation and visualisation

Creative tools like sand tray and therapeutic cards

And where appropriate — elements of energy work, such as Reiki or guided body-based practices

Above all, my approach is compassionate, intuitive, and grounded in experience.

Final Thoughts:
If you’ve been carrying something for a long time — a traumatic memory, a fear that won’t leave you, or a pattern of emotional responses you can’t seem to shift — you don’t always need to talk it all through again.

Sometimes, your mind and body already know what to do to heal. They just need the right support.

If you’re curious about whether Rewind or IEMT might help you, feel free to reach out for a no-pressure, 10/15-minute call. I’m always happy to chat about how I work and whether it’s the right fit for you.