EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy designed to help people relieve their emotional distress from traumatic life events. The basic principle of EMDR is that our brains have the capacity to heal themselves when given the opportunity to do so. Most people who are familiar with EMDR know that it involves bilateral stimulation, which means activating both sides of the brain through simple, gentle movements or other stimulus. Moving your eyes back and forth with the guide of a lightbar, holding a vibrating buzzer in both hands, or hearing tones in alternating ears activates both brain hemispheres and allows you to maintain a dual awareness of the present moment and to consider a painful memory simultaneously. This allows you to process your trauma in a way that encourages all the healthy and adaptive information to link up with the traumatic memory, allowing your brain the chance to use its healing properties for you to feel better about yourself and safer in your world.

What does this look like in practice?

Before beginning trauma processing, we will first establish coping resources to promote safety, emotional regulation, and grounding. You will learn skills to manage distress, remain present, and maintain stability, supported by a strong self-care routine and support system.

We will then review your history to identify relevant experiences for reprocessing and determine an appropriate treatment sequence. Because trauma responses vary, understanding your triggers helps guide this process.

During processing, you will identify associated beliefs, emotions, physical sensations, and levels of distress. Bilateral stimulation is used to reduce distress, strengthen adaptive beliefs, and restore a sense of safety. Each session concludes with strategies for managing triggers or emotional responses between sessions.

Subsequent sessions begin with a check-in to address any new material, triggers, or stressors that have emerged. Treatment will continue to address past experiences, current challenges, and future situations requiring new skills or responses.

For additional information about EMDR, please view the video below.