EMDR for Depression and Trauma: Dr Lara Barbir on Trauma & Recovery

If you’ve been living with depression that never quite lifts, or you suspect there’s unresolved trauma underneath it, this episode of Don’t Get a Therapist Yet is for you. Host Wendy Castelino sits down with clinical psychologist and author Dr Lara Barbir to explore EMDR for depression — how it works, why it can succeed where other treatments haven’t, and what recovery actually looks like.

About the Guest

Dr Lara Barbir is a clinical psychologist based in California, where she runs a private practice, Transcendent Therapy, specialising in complex trauma, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain in higher-functioning adults. She holds a faculty appointment at the Chicago School, where she trains clinical psychology doctoral students, and is the author of EMDR for Depression: Overcome Trauma-Related Symptoms and Free Yourself from the Past, published by New Harbinger.

What This Episode Covers

This conversation is for anyone who’s tried the usual routes for depression and still feels stuck, or who wants to understand how EMDR for depression actually works. Topics include:

• How to recognise depression, including symptoms that don’t look like classic sadness
• Why depression is so often missed, misdiagnosed, or masked by other behaviours
• What EMDR is, and how bilateral stimulation helps the brain process stuck memories
• The link between unresolved trauma, childhood attachment, and adult depression
• Generational trauma, and how it’s passed down without anyone intending it
• Why EMDR for depression can succeed where CBT or medication alone hasn’t
• Working with hopelessness, shame, and low self-esteem in therapy
• The “sweet spot” exercise for reconnecting with positive emotion
• A real example of rebuilding confidence and hope after long-standing depression
• Five practical, evidence-based steps to support recovery from depression

Why It’s Worth Listening To

Depression is often treated as a chemical or behavioural problem to be managed, without ever asking where it came from. This episode goes deeper, with a clinical psychologist explaining — in plain, compassionate language — how EMDR for depression works at a nervous-system level, and why healing often means resolving the past rather than just coping with the present. It’s an especially useful listen for anyone who’s tried other treatments without lasting change, or who suspects their depression is tied to something that happened a long time ago.

Listen or Watch

Don’t Get a Therapist Yet, hosted by Wendy Castelino.
Guest: Dr Lara Barbir, Transcendent Therapy — drlarabarbir.com

Episode timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro & Meet Dr Lara Barbir
• 00:52 – About Dr Barbir’s Work & Practice
• 02:53 – What Is Depression? Recognising the Signs
• 07:53 – When Depression Is Missed or Misdiagnosed
• 08:14 – What Is EMDR? An Introduction
• 14:36 – EMDR for Depression: The Evidence
• 16:37 – Childhood Trauma & Adult Depression
• 20:35 – Understanding Generational Trauma
• 30:24 – Working With Hopelessness in Therapy
• 39:12 – EMDR, Shame & Low Self-Esteem
• 44:35 – The Sweet Spot Exercise
• 49:13 – A Real Story of Rebuilding Hope & Confidence
• 55:47 – Five Practical Steps to Support Recovery
• 1:07:17 – Where to Find Dr Barbir’s Book & Resources

Connect with Dr Lara Barbir

Want to explore more on EMDR for depression? Dr Barbir’s book, courses, and resources are available below:

• Website — drlarabarbir.com
• Instagram — @drlarabarbir
• EMDR for Depression: Overcome Trauma-Related Symptoms and Free Yourself from the Past — Get the book here

Related Resources on This Site

• 12 Easy Steps to Overcome Stress, Anxiety & Overwhelm — Wendy’s eBook for anyone juggling it all
• More episodes of Don’t Get a Therapist Yet
• Read more on the blog