EMDR Therapy Quarterly

Katie Egan is an EMDR consultant who was awarded the Dorothy Mandelstam Award at the annual Association of Continence Professionals National Conference 2026.  

How did you become an EMDR therapist? 

I became an EMDR therapist when the opportunity arose to attend EMDR training while I was working in an NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service in Bristol. Fortunately, my first EMDR case went well, and I quickly became immersed in the approach. 

I became an accredited EMDR practitioner in 2018 and an EMDR Consultant in 2022. Since then, I have used EMDR across a range of NHS specialist services, including a specialist pain service, an NHS Staff Psychology Service, and a Specialist Mesh Complications Centre. Working in these diverse settings has shown me just how adaptable and effective EMDR can be in helping people not just recover from trauma, but consequently, in some cases, improve physical symptoms. 

Why is EMDR relevant to continence? 

EMDR can help process disturbing memories, experiences, and future fears linked to being incontinent. Shame, embarrassment, disgust, and grief are common feelings linked to incontinence. It isn’t unusual for patients to have lots of safety and avoidance behaviours, which means their world gets smaller and smaller. For example, a future target or worst-case scenario that a patient might process is a ‘fear of their stoma bag exploding in a restaurant’. The negative cognition could be “I can’t cope [with the humiliation]”. By processing this target, the patient would feel better able to cope if the situation were to occur, and would therefore no longer need to avoid socialising and eating out. In turn, this can help mood because they would not miss out on pleasurable activities or connecting with others. 

What did the conference attendees know about EMDR? 

Not much, as far as I could tell. Many people seemed interested, however, and asked me follow-up questions throughout the rest of the conference. 

What is the Dorothy Mandelstam Award? 

The Award in Memory of Dorothy Mandelstam acknowledges Dorothy’s pioneering continence work as a founding member and first chair of the ACP. She was the first non-medical member to be admitted to the International Continence Society in 1975. Dorothy contributed to the development of pelvic floor muscle training and helped recognise the importance and advancement of non-surgical continence care. She was affectionately known as the “Queen of Continence.” 

Why were you awarded it? 

I presented on ‘Psychological approaches to incontinence’ and ‘Using EMDR for medical trauma in patients under a Specialist Mesh Complications Service’. Apparently, the award was for those presentations and the work I do every day helping patients adjust and manage their difficult thoughts, feelings and behaviours linked to their continence. I support people to reduce the impact of past trauma where appropriate and build lives that are guided by their values rather than their symptoms. It is a privilege to help patients improve their quality of life and regain a sense of confidence, purpose, and control despite ongoing health difficulties. 

What is the next step for you? 

It would be fantastic to contribute to research in this area, as it remains significantly under-researched. I would love to help build the evidence base and highlight the broad range of ways that EMDR can be highly effective, particularly for people experiencing medical trauma and long-term health conditions. 

In addition, I hope to become an EMDR trainer. I am incredibly passionate about EMDR as an effective therapy and would love the opportunity to support and inspire other clinicians to develop their skills so that more and more patients can benefit from this approach.