EMDR THERAPY

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

When talking about your story isn’t enough.

Painful past memories and old traumas can be stored in your body and affect your life and daily functioning.

Sometimes these memories can make us feel stuck, and ignoring the pain seems easier. 

However, reminders such as people, places or events can continue to cause distress long after the event is over.

EMDR therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, provides a path to break free from this cycle by helping the brain reprocess these memories, so that it can store them in a less distressing way. Often clients can feel relief in one or two sessions, but for more severe conditions like PTSD, it may take longer.  Releasing old pain and memories is possible; there is hope to be able to move on from painful events, even from years ago. The goal is that the memory becomes just that - a memory - and is no longer something you feel actively happening in your mind and body. 

Are you someone who:

  • Feels stuck just talking about pain or hurts from the past and wants to move on, once and for all?

  • Has experienced trauma whether in the past or present and you can’t stop replaying these memories over and over?

Or if you experience any of these:

  • Panic Attacks

  • Complicated Grief

  • Disturbing Memories

  • Phobias

  • Pain Disorders

  • Performance Anxiety

  • Addictions

  • Stress Reduction

  • Sexual and/or Physical Abuse

Trauma isn’t just stored in your head - it’s also stored in the body and you can have physical symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, stress, headaches, physical pain, or feelings of disconnection to life and self.  

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a therapy approach designed to help individuals work through distressing memories and experiences, particularly those associated with trauma.  

EMDR has been found effective in treating various conditions - not just PTSD - including anxiety disorders, phobias, and certain mood disorders. 

There are 8 phases to EMDR:

  • In this session we’ll spend time getting to know each other, so that we canr establish a trusting and safe relationship.  I’ll spend time gathering information about any traumas or situations that have brought you into therapy. 

  • In the preparation phase, I will explain the EMDR therapy process, different terms or words you’ll hear me say, and set expectations about the process. This is a great time for you to ask questions and talk about any concerns you have. During this phase, you’ll also learn grounding techniques to help you manage the reactions and emotions you may experience during EMDR sessions.

  • We’ll identify a memory or trauma that’s causing you distress, along with the images, beliefs, emotions, and physical sensations that you associate with the event. 

  • We’ll use tapping devices that you hold in each of your hands. The devices create gentle vibrations that go back and forth, from one of your hands to the other, creating what’s called bilateral stimulation.  As you hold the tappers, you’ll focus on the traumatic event until we decrease each of the negative associations you have with the event.

  • Once we are finished with reprocessing, we create and strengthen positive beliefs about yourself.

  • During the body scan, you’ll call to mind the event we’re working on together, and the positive belief you created, while scanning your body from head to toe. Any lingering negative sensations from the body will be addressed and released.

  • Every session will end with a closure phase, even if we haven’t fully processed the targeted event. It’s important, before ending a session, to always return to a place of calm in the present moment.

  • In the follow-up session we will check in about targeted memories in order to make sure your distress is low enough to move on.

Here’s a helpful video that explains how EMDR works. For more information about EMDR, visit EMDRIA.org.

Informational video about EMDR, from the EMDR International Association.