What is EMDR Therapy and how does it work?
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy designed to help people heal from painful or traumatic experiences. It may look a little unusual at first—often involving moving your eyes back and forth, or using gentle tapping or sounds—but there’s real science behind why it works.
When something overwhelming happens, the brain sometimes doesn’t file the memory away properly. Instead, the sights, sounds, and feelings of the event can stay “stuck,” making it feel as if the experience is happening all over again. This is why trauma memories can show up as flashbacks, strong emotions, or body reactions that don’t seem to fit the present moment.
EMDR helps by jump-starting the brain’s natural healing process. The back-and-forth movements (called bilateral stimulation) seem to help the brain process memories in a way that’s very similar to what happens during REM sleep—the stage of sleep when we dream. During REM (rapid eye movement), our brains naturally sort through the day’s events, file away important memories, and reduce the emotional charge of stressful ones. EMDR taps into that same natural system, but in a focused and intentional way.
As the memory is reprocessed, the intensity fades. People often say, “It’s still there, but it doesn’t bother me the same way anymore.” In other words, EMDR doesn’t erase the past—it helps your brain store the memory in a healthier place, so you can move forward without feeling trapped by it.
As a Emdria trained EMDR therapist who incorporates EMDR into my work with clients, I am continually moved by the outcomes I witness. Clients often experience profound shifts—moments where stuck trauma finally feels lighter, and they can begin living more fully in the present.
Research shows EMDR is one of the most effective therapies for trauma and complex trauma, and many people also find relief from anxiety, depression, and stress. At its core, EMDR is about helping your brain do what it was meant to do: heal.
