EMDR Association UK - Past, Present and Future

Child Psychologist Mike O’Connor talks to Russell Hurn about the Dunblane tragedy in 1996, the impact on the community, and how the experience led him to train as an EMDR therapist.

EMDR Association UK Season 1 Episode 1

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0:00 | 26:24

Recorded in March 2020, at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first podcast produced for EMDR UK. In this episode, Mike O’Connor reflects on how his life and career changed on 13 March 1996 — the day of the Dunblane school shootings.

An hour after the Dunblane tragedy in 1996, child psychologist Mike O’Connor was called to support the grieving community — a moment that would change the course of his professional life and lead him to EMDR. He speaks about the profound impact of that experience, and how subsequent research revealed the widespread prevalence of trauma and loss in children. From this work came a deeper understanding of how vital early psychological support can be.

Mike also shares his vision for EMDR UK at the start of his presidency, and discusses the unexpected challenges facing the organisation at that time — including the rapid shift to remote working during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a Laura Beech production for EMDR UK.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and presenters and are not endorsed by the Association.