Navigating Complex Therapies: Inside the Forensic Psychology Journey; With Matthew Wesson.

The episode features returning guest Matt Wesson discussing pragmatic EMDR practice in HMP Liverpool, a largely male remand prison where instability, noise, short stays, and missed appointments require flexible, evidence-led, short-term trauma-focused work. He challenges common assumptions about lengthy stabilization and the primacy of therapeutic relationship, emphasising building quick alliance to the model and targeting the most impairing memories first to create ripple effects and a positive therapy experience. Matt contrasts prison therapy with outpatient forensic services aimed at reducing reoffending, where longer-term work combines schema therapy (modes/parts and coping responses rooted in childhood adversity) with EMDR. He describes emerging, limited evidence-informed approaches for some sexual offenders, including processing maladaptive “positive” abuse memories to shift beliefs, increase remorse, and potentially reduce arousal, while noting current recidivism improvements are modest and research funding is difficult. He highlights supervision, teamwork, and diversifying roles for clinician wellbeing, and outlines EMDR Academy’s accredited UK training options. Send us Fan Mail  Instagram, Facebook, | Linktree