EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: a structured therapy that helps the brain finish processing memories it got stuck on, so they lose their charge.
What it is
When something overwhelming happens, the memory can get stored raw: the images, body sensations and beliefs from that moment stay live and keep firing years later. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps or tones) while you briefly hold the memory in mind. That combination lets the brain re-file the experience as something that happened, not something that is happening. EMDR is recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization, the VA/DoD and the American Psychological Association.
What a session looks like
EMDR follows eight phases. The first sessions are history, planning and building resources so you have steady ground to return to. During reprocessing, you focus on a target memory for short sets while following my fingers or a light bar, then we check in. You don’t have to narrate the details. We rate how disturbing the memory feels (0 to 10) and how true a healthier belief feels (1 to 7) so you can see the shift session to session.
Who it helps
- PTSD and complex trauma from childhood, assault, accidents or medical events
- First responders, veterans and healthcare workers
- Grief that won’t settle
- Phobias and panic with a clear origin
- Chronic pain and illness with a traumatic component
- Anxiety and depression that have not responded to talk therapy
Good to know
EMDR can be done in person or by secure video, and both work. Some memories are too intense to approach directly at first; that’s where I use the Flash Technique to lower the intensity before we do full EMDR. EMDR has been the center of my clinical work for more than two decades.
Ready when you are
Curious whether EMDR fits what you’re carrying? Ask on the free call.