Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
Helping the brain process what the nervous system has not been able to leave behind.
So, what exactly is EMDR?
EMDR is one of the weirdest forms of therapy out there.
EMDR incorporates eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation into the therapeutic process. I know...it sounds a little strange. How in the world can moving your eyes back and forth help with something that happened years ago or with something that continues to trigger you today?
EMDR is based on the understanding that our brains have a natural capacity to process and integrate experience. Sometimes, however, distressing or overwhelming experiences don't get fully processed. Pieces of those experiences can remain very much alive in our present experience in the form of images, beliefs, emotions, body sensations, or reactions that continue to be triggered long after the original experience has passed.
EMDR helps facilitate the processing of this material so that what happened can become something you remember rather than something your nervous system continues to experience as though it is still happening.
What does EMDR actually look like in therapy?
During EMDR, we work with a particular memory, experience, belief, sensation, or other source of distress while using brief sets of bilateral stimulation. This most commonly involves moving your eyes back and forth, although other forms of bilateral stimulation can also be used.
Between sets, we pause and notice what is emerging. That might be a thought, an image, an emotion, a physical sensation, another memory, or something completely unexpected. Rather than trying to consciously figure everything out, we follow what your brain and nervous system bring forward and allow the processing to unfold.
And no, EMDR does not erase memories or make you forget what happened. The aim is for the experience to become more fully integrated so that you can remember it without being affected by it in the same way.
EMDR does not have to happen in isolation.
I do not necessarily use EMDR as a stand-alone technique or believe that every experience needs to fit into one particular therapy model.
Depending on what you need, EMDR may be integrated with somatic work, parts-oriented approaches, relational therapy, depth-oriented exploration, or other ways of working. At times we may use EMDR quite directly; at others, it may simply become one part of a broader therapeutic process.
The approach is shaped around you, rather than trying to shape you around the approach.
Curious to see EMDR explained another way?
The EMDR International Association offers a 10-minute introduction to EMDR therapy that also speaks to the experience of seeking therapy and how EMDR can be used to work with distressing experiences.
Wondering if EMDR might be right for you?
You do not need to know whether EMDR is the “right” therapy before you begin. We can talk about what is bringing you to therapy and explore whether EMDR, another approach, or a combination of approaches might best support the work you want to do.