This week on The EMDR Doctor Podcast, we’re exploring a truly fascinating (and unexpected) use of EMDR — helping with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

If you’ve ever experienced pregnancy nausea, you’ll know how relentless it can feel. But hyperemesis takes it to another level — constant sickness, dehydration, and an inability to eat or drink without vomiting. Yet, research now shows that EMDR therapy may help stop this cycle — not by treating the stomach, but by calming the brain’s learned response to triggers like smells, tastes, or even sights associated with nausea.

In this episode, I unpack a series of remarkable case studies where women hospitalised with hyperemesis experienced dramatic improvement — some able to eat and go home after just one or two EMDR sessions. We’ll talk about how this works, what it tells us about the mind-body connection, and why EMDR continues to surprise us with its reach and potential for healing.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What hyperemesis gravidarum is — and why it’s more than “just bad morning sickness.”

• How the brain learns to associate certain smells and sensations with danger, triggering nausea.

• The science behind how EMDR helps “reset” those learned responses and calm the body.

• Why EMDR can sometimes bring rapid relief — even in physical conditions linked to trauma or fear.

• How understanding the mind-body connection can help reframe the way we think about healing.

Key Highlights:

• EMDR can interrupt the body’s nausea response by breaking the brain’s link between smell, fear, and sickness.

• Research shows that even one or two sessions of EMDR may significantly reduce symptoms of hyperemesis.

• The brain’s protective mechanisms — like heightened smell sensitivity in pregnancy — can sometimes overreact, leading to physical distress.

• EMDR isn’t just for trauma memories — it can also soothe the body’s learned responses to stress and danger.

• The power of EMDR lies in its simplicity: no medication, no IVs, just the brain’s natural healing ability guided in the right direction.

Resources Mentioned:

• EMDR for Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Case Series by Onder Kavakci and Gonca Imir Yenicesu
• Dr. Lloyd’s Heal Your Past online EMDR program – Register at emdrdoctor.com.au/heal

Contact and Feedback:

• Interested in exploring EMDR for pregnancy-related anxiety, trauma, or physical symptoms? Reach out to Dr. Lloyd at emdrdoctor.com.au.
• Note: This podcast provides general information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalised recommendations.

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• Make sure to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Each week, I dive into new and sometimes surprising ways EMDR can support healing — from easing anxiety to transforming how we respond to pain and stress.
• See me in person over on my YouTube channel — it’s a great way to connect face-to-face, learn more about EMDR, and get a sense of how we might work together in therapy.
• Each episode is packed with expert insights, real stories, and practical tools to help you on your path to recovery.

Join me, Dr. Caroline Lloyd, as we unpack trauma, explore the science of EMDR, and share real stories of recovery and resilience.