What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based approach for processing trauma and distressing memories. Through bilateral stimulation - eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds - paired with focused attention on traumatic memories, EMDR helps your brain process what's been stuck.
The theory is that trauma gets locked in your nervous system in a way that keeps the distress alive. EMDR helps your brain naturally process these memories so they lose their emotional charge. You're not reliving the trauma - you're helping your brain finish processing it.
EMDR can feel unusual if you've never experienced it. But many people find it remarkably effective, sometimes in far fewer sessions than talk therapy alone.
What EMDR can help with
- PTSD and trauma responses
- Difficult memories and flashbacks
- Anxiety rooted in past experiences
- Grief and loss
- Panic attacks and phobias
- Shame and negative self-beliefs formed through difficult experiences
What to expect in an EMDR session
EMDR sessions follow a specific structure. Your therapist will help you identify the memory or experience that's causing distress. You'll also identify what belief you hold about yourself related to that memory.
Then comes the bilateral stimulation while you focus on the memory. You might follow your therapist's finger with your eyes, or feel alternating taps on your knees, or listen to alternating tones. The stimulation helps your brain process the memory differently.
Between "sets" of bilateral stimulation, you report what comes up - images, sensations, feelings, new insights. Over the course of the session and across sessions, the distress associated with the memory decreases and new, more adaptive beliefs emerge naturally.
Common questions
Is EMDR hypnosis?
No. You're fully aware and in control the entire time. You might feel deeply focused, but you're not in an altered state.
Will I have to relive the trauma?
No. You're focusing on the memory, but the bilateral stimulation helps your brain process it in a way that feels contained and safe, not retraumatizing.
How many sessions does EMDR take?
It varies. Some people see significant shifts in 4-8 sessions. Others need more. It depends on the complexity of what you're processing.
Ready to process
what's been stuck?
A free consultation gives you a chance to talk about your experience and see if EMDR feels like the right approach.
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