Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
Healing at the Root
If you've experienced overwhelming stress, trauma, or distressing life events that continue to affect your day-to-day life, you’re not alone — and there is hope. EMDR is a powerful, evidence-based therapy that helps people heal from emotional wounds that traditional talk therapy might not fully address.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is a structured therapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they no longer feel emotionally intense or triggering. During EMDR sessions, you'll focus briefly on a traumatic memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements, gentle taps, or sounds alternating between the left and right sides of the body. This unique combination helps the brain "unstick" the memory and file it away in a more adaptive, less distressing way. EMDR is not hypnosis, and you remain fully in control and aware during treatment.
The Neuroscience Behind EMDR
When we experience trauma or overwhelming stress, the brain's natural way of processing information through REM sleep can get disrupted. Instead of being stored as a completed, resolved event, the memory can remain "frozen" in the nervous system, along with the emotions, body sensations, and negative beliefs that came with it.
This happens in part because the amygdala, the brain’s alarm system, becomes overactive, while the hippocampus (which helps organize and make sense of memories) may shut down under extreme stress. As a result, the brain doesn’t fully process the memory, and it can continue to feel raw, present, or intrusive — even years later.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help reconnect the brain’s left and right hemispheres, supporting communication between areas involved in memory (like the hippocampus) and emotion regulation (like the prefrontal cortex). This allows the brain to “digest” the traumatic material and store it as a memory that no longer feels threatening.
In short, EMDR helps your brain do what it was naturally designed to do: heal.
Issues Commonly Treated
EMDR is widely recognized as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but it’s also effective for many other mental health concerns:
- Childhood trauma and neglect
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Depression
- Grief and loss
- Performance anxiety
- Phobias and fears
- Sexual, emotional, or physical abuse
- Attachment wounds and relationship struggles
- Self-esteem and identity issues
- Secondary traumatic stress for first responders
What to Expect in Treatment
EMDR is a structured approach to therapy that follows eight phases, each designed to build safety, support healing, and create lasting change. Sessions are tailored to your pace — we don’t move forward until you feel ready.
- History Taking & Treatment Planning: We’ll talk about your history, current concerns, your goals, and whether EMDR is a good fit at this time.
- Preparation: We’ll work on building trust and helping you feel safe and grounded. You’ll learn coping strategies and grounding techniques to use during and between sessions.
- Assessment: We identify the target memory to focus on. We explore the associated image, negative beliefs, emotions, and body sensations — setting the stage for reprocessing.
- Desensitization: This is where processing begins. While focusing on the memory, you’ll engage in bilateral stimulation. You may notice thoughts, emotions, or images shifting — and that’s part of the process. Emotional intensity usually decreases over time.
- Installation: We strengthen a positive belief that replaces the old negative one. This helps solidify new, more adaptive ways of thinking and feeling.
- Body Scan: You’ll do a mental scan of your body to check for any lingering tension or distress. If anything shows up, we continue processing until both your body and mind feel at ease.
- Closure: We end with calming strategies to help you leave feeling centered and in control. We’ll talk about how to care for yourself after a session and what to expect between sessions.
- Reevaluation: At the start of each new session, we check in to see how you’re feeling, how past targets are holding up, and what may still need attention.
Is EMDR Right for You?
EMDR can be a great option if:
- You’ve tried talk therapy but still feel “stuck”
- You’ve experienced trauma, loss, or difficult life events
- You struggle with intense emotions or reactivity
- You’re ready to heal, but don’t want to talk in detail about the past over and over again
- You want a therapy that works with both the mind and body
EMDR may not be right if you are currently in crisis, have untreated dissociation, or need more stabilization first — but we can work together to build a strong foundation before beginning EMDR.
Ready to Learn More?
If you're curious about EMDR and whether it's the right path for you, I’d love to explore it together. Reach out to
Rachel to schedule a consultation or ask any questions.
** Everything discussed in a counseling session is confidential with a few exceptions concerning suicidal or homicidal ideations, child abuse or elder abuse but these things will be discussed in depth in our first meeting.
