An important new UK research trial is examining whether Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help people who have experienced trauma and are receiving support from Early Intervention in Psychosis services.
The EASE trial was launched at an online event hosted by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) on Friday 2 October 2026. Members of CHARM attended the launch, which brought together researchers and therapists involved in the study from across England. The event was particularly relevant to CHARM’s continuing work to promote trauma-informed, rights-based and non-medical approaches to deep distress.
Recognising the importance of trauma
Many people who hear voices, experience unusual beliefs or receive a diagnosis of psychosis have also lived through significant trauma. These experiences can include childhood abuse, violence, neglect, racism, poverty, loss and harmful encounters with services.
Despite this, trauma is not always adequately recognised or addressed within mental health services. People may be offered medication and support aimed at managing symptoms without having opportunities to explore what has happened to them or how their experiences may relate to trauma.
EMDR is a structured psychological therapy most commonly used to help people experiencing post-traumatic stress. It supports a person to process distressing memories while engaging in forms of bilateral stimulation, often guided eye movements. The aim is not to erase memories, but to reduce the intense distress and sense of present danger associated with them.
What will the EASE trial examine?
EASE stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy in Early Psychosis. The new study follows an earlier feasibility trial which found that an adapted form of EMDR for psychosis—known as EMDRp—could be delivered safely and was generally well received by participants.
The larger trial will involve 314 people who have experienced trauma and are receiving care from Early Intervention in Psychosis services across five NHS sites in England. Half will be offered up to 16 sessions of EMDRp alongside their usual support. The other half will continue to receive their usual care. Participants will be followed for 12 months.
Researchers will examine whether EMDRp improves people’s experiences and wellbeing when compared with usual NHS care. They will also explore how the therapy may work, including whether it helps people process traumatic memories and change distressing beliefs about themselves, other people and the world.
Participants will be invited to talk about their experiences of receiving the therapy. A linked study will also offer EMDRp through an interpreter to 15 people who need language support, gathering the perspectives of participants, interpreters, therapists and researchers.
What did the earlier study find?
The initial EASE feasibility study involved 60 people with recent experiences of psychosis and a history of trauma. It showed that people were willing to take part, that most participants remained involved in the research assessments and that EMDRp could be delivered safely.
The researchers also reported encouraging early signals in areas including trauma-related distress, experiences associated with psychosis, depression, anxiety, general wellbeing and people’s own sense of recovery. However, the feasibility study was not large enough to establish whether EMDRp is an effective treatment. That is the question the new trial is intended to examine.
Why this matters to CHARM
CHARM welcomes research that takes trauma seriously and expands the range of support available beyond medication and symptom management. The EASE trial may help strengthen the case for services that listen to people’s life stories and understand voice-hearing and other unusual experiences within their personal, social and cultural contexts.
At the same time, EMDR should be offered as a choice rather than presented as the answer for everyone. Not every person who hears voices understands their experiences through trauma, wants therapy or wishes to eliminate their voices. Support must be guided by the person’s own understanding, priorities and hopes for their life.
It will therefore be important for the trial and any future implementation to include meaningful lived-experience involvement, culturally responsive practice, language access and careful attention to what participants themselves define as helpful. If EMDRp proves effective, GMMH and other NHS trusts will also need to consider therapist training, supervision and service capacity so that promising research leads to genuine access in everyday services.
CHARM will follow the progress of EASE with interest. We hope GMMH will continue to share learning openly and involve local voice hearers, service users, families and community organisations in considering what the findings should mean for future trauma-informed support across Greater Manchester.
