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EMDR Therapy for Grief 

Professional headshot of Dr. Millia Begum, DHA-licensed psychiatrist in Dubai, expert in trauma therapy, EMDR, and IFS.This blog post is on EMDR Therapy in grief. Written by Dr. Millia, consultant psychiatrist based at the First Psychiatry Clinic, Dubai and trauma therapy specialist with expertise in Internal Family Systems Therapy and EMDR. Author: Dr. Millia Published: 25 August 2025

Key Takeaways

  • Unresolved Grief: Sudden, unexpected, and traumatic losses can lead to unresolved grief.
  • IFS and EMDR Therapy: Both therapies are safe and effective for addressing complicated grief.
  • EMDR’s Role in Grief: EMDR helps clear traumatic memories, enabling natural grief processing.
  • Effectiveness of EMDR: Proven in alleviating grief-related PTSD, including symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and guilt.
  • Session Length: Typically requires 8-15 sessions, focusing on emotional preparation before processing grief.
  • Fear of Therapy: IFS therapy provides a gentler approach for clients concerned about starting EMDR.

Learn More About EMDR Therapy

Discover how EMDR therapy can help with grief

grief therapy in dubai

How does EMDR therapy help with grief?

Grief can get emotionally and physically locked up if circumstances of death were tragically unexpected and traumatic. The nervous system can continue to remain frozen in shock, disbelief and denial. Other emotions like anger, guilt, self-blame, and internal conflicts can add more spanner’s to the mix. EMDR therapy helps process these traumatic aspects to allow the natural flow of grief. 

How effective is EMDR therapy in alleviating grief?

EMDR therapy has evidence that it helps with Grief- related Post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In Grief-related PTSD. the person experiences symptoms like reliving the tragic scenes over and over again, flashbacks, nightmares along with feeling shock and disbelief. EMDR has been proven to help clear the traumatic elements of PTSD to give room for grief to move to its natural place. 

How many EMDR therapy sessions do I need to resolve grief? 

The number of EMDR therapy sessions varies. Grief following a traumatic death may require anywhere between 8-15 sessions or perhaps even more. Few or many sessions can involve important work of preparation. This means working either clients to trust their inner strengths, emotional capacities and resources. This internal sense of trust and safety is necessary before moving through the processing phase. 

What if I am too afraid to undertaking EMDR therapy? 

It is understandable if you are afraid of undertaking any therapy including EMDR. In this case, you may need a slower paced more gentler approach like Internal Family Systems Therapy so all fears and concerns are addressed and internal resilience is gradually built up. IFS therapy helps with grief in much more gentler ways than EMDR. 

I have had EMDR therapy for grief, but I feel worse after this. 

Sometimes, if preparation prior to the processing phase of EMDR therapy was not adequate, fears  may show up after the session. Other times, if emotional suppression and avoidance has been a default strategy in life, this makes working through big feelings like grief harder. Conflicts about whether to move on or not, to proceed or not, may bring dilemmas that don’t let the EMDR process proceed. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy for grief works better in these circumstances. 

How does Eye Movements help with resolving grief? 

Eye Movements are part of the EMDR therapy process. The therapy does not resolve grief, but helps clear the traumatic parts of the memory that does not let grief to proceed in a natural way. How eye movements help with this is not fully known.

🎧 Learn more about why Eye Movements work in this podcast episode with Dr. Millia and Professor Ad de Jongh via the EMDR Association UK – Working Memory Theory (Part 2).

About Dr. Millia

Dr. Millia Begum is a trained trauma specialist with over 25 years of clinical experience in psychiatry and therapy. She trained in the UK’s NHS system and served the NHS in various senior roles.

She is a former EMDR Europe Approved Consultant, EMDR researcher, and board member of the EMDR Association UK. She is now a member of the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA).

Dr. Millia is a Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, bringing a compassionate, parts-informed approach to her work with clients in Dubai.

Testimonials

I truly believe that crossing paths with Dr. Millia Begum has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life. From the very first session, she created an atmosphere of trust, empathy, and genuine care that immediately put me at ease. She doesn’t just listen—she understands in a way that makes you feel seen, validated, and supported at every level. Dr. Millia has an exceptional ability to balance professionalism with warmth. Her insights are deeply intuitive and grounded in clinical wisdom, and every conversation with her feels like a step forward. What stands out most is her unwavering presence—she remembers every detail, tracks progress closely, and holds space for even the most difficult emotions without ever making you feel rushed or judged. Her guidance has helped me navigate some of the most emotionally complex and challenging periods of my life, and I have come out of them feeling stronger, clearer, and far more connected to myself. She empowers you to grow, to heal, and to move forward—not just as a patient, but as a whole person. I am incredibly grateful to have her as my psychiatrist. She is a rare gem in this field, and I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone seeking not just treatment, but true emotional healing

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