emdr Therapy

 EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a type of psychotherapy most often used to help people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences.

Sometimes, the brain doesn’t fully process a painful or overwhelming experience. Instead of becoming a normal memory from the past, it stays “stuck” and can keep causing emotional reactions, body sensations, or negative beliefs in the present (like “I’m not safe” or “It was my fault”).  EMDR helps the brain reprocess those stuck memories so they can be stored in a healthier, less distressing way.

During EMDR, a therapist guides you to briefly focus on a distressing memory while also engaging in bilateral stimulation—usually side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or sounds. This dual attention seems to help the brain do what it naturally does during sleep and healing: organize, integrate, and resolve experiences.

EMDR is structured and happens in phases. You are not just thrown into painful memories.

In general, EMDR includes:

• History taking
• Learning coping and grounding skills first (resourcing)
• Identifying a specific memory, belief, emotion, or body sensation to work on
• Briefly recalling the memory while following eye movements or another bilateral stimulus
• Noticing what comes up, without needing to analyze or explain it in detail
• You don’t have to give long descriptions or relive everything out loud. Many people find this helpful if they struggle to talk about what happened.

Over time, the memory usually becomes:

• Less emotionally intense
• Less physically activating
• More clearly recognized as something that happened in the past

Researchers don’t all agree on one single explanation, but several well-supported theories help explain why EMDR is effective.

1. The Brain’s Natural Healing System: The brain is designed to process experiences and store them as memories. Trauma can overwhelm this system. EMDR appears to restart or unblock the brain’s natural ability to process information, similar to what happens during REM sleep.
2. Working Memory Theory: When you recall a memory while doing something that requires attention (like eye movements), the brain’s “working memory” gets taxed. This makes the memory less vivid and less emotionally intense, which reduces distress over time.
3. Nervous System Regulation: Bilateral stimulation appears to calm the nervous system, shifting it out of a constant threat response. As the body settles, the brain can reassess the memory and realize: “I survived, and I’m safe now.”
4. Belief Change: Trauma often creates negative core beliefs (e.g., “I’m powerless,” “I’m broken,” “I can’t trust anyone”). EMDR helps these beliefs naturally shift to more adaptive ones, without forced positive thinking.

Yes. EMDR is considered an evidence-based treatment by major organizations, including:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) 
• The American Psychological Association (APA)
• The Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense

Multiple studies show that EMDR can reduce trauma symptoms as effectively as, and sometimes faster than, traditional talk therapies for trauma.

EMDR is best known for treating PTSD, but it can help with many other issues, especially those connected to past experiences.

• Trauma and Stress 
• PTSD and complex trauma
• Childhood abuse or neglect
• Sexual assault
• Domestic violence
• Medical trauma
• Accidents or natural disasters
• Substance use
• Anxiety and Mood Issues
• Panic attacks, phobias
• Social anxiety, generalized anxiety
• Depression linked to past events
• Relationship and Self-Worth Issues
• Attachment wounds, fear of abandonment
• Chronic shame or guilt
• Low self-esteem
• Repeating unhealthy relationship patterns
• Performance and Life Challenges
• Performance anxiety (sports, public speaking, exams)
• Grief and complicated loss

• It is not hypnosis
• You are fully awake and in control
• You don’t have to relive trauma in detail
• The therapist does not put thoughts into your mind

Trauma is a file that never finished downloading. EMDR helps the brain finish the download so the memory can be stored properly, without continuing to cause distress.