
EMDR THERAPY
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What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy that helps people heal from from trauma and other distressing life experiences. During EMDR sessions, clients focus on specific memories while engaging in gentle, back-and-forth movements—often through guided eye movements, alternate tapping, or auditory sounds. This process helps the brain reprocess memories so they feel less vivid and emotionally charged.
Research has shown EMDR to be an effective, evidence-based approach for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It has also been found helpful for anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, and other challenges related to overwhelming experiences (EMDR International Association, n.d.).
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Who can EMDR Help?
EMDR can be an empowering way to release the emotional weight of past experiences—making space for greater peace, clarity, and confidence in the present. This form of therapy helps adults process and heal from difficult or overwhelming life experiences. Rather than just managing symptoms, EMDR works to resolve the root causes of distress—helping you feel calmer, more balanced, and more in control of your life.
Many clients find EMDR helpful for:
Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
Chronic illness and medical challenges
Dissociation or feeling “disconnected”
Body image
Grief and loss
Chronic pain
Performance or test anxiety
Personality and relationship challenges
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related issues
Healing from sexual assault or abuse
Sleep disturbances
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How Does EMDR Impact the Brain?
EMDR therapy is based on the understanding that our brains and bodies are naturally wired to heal from distressing or traumatic experiences. This process, known as the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, recognizes that the mind has an innate ability to move toward health and balance—much like the body heals a physical wound.
When something overwhelming happens, that natural healing process can become “stuck.” Instead of being fully processed and stored as a past event—the memory, the emotions, body sensations, or negative beliefs— connected to it may remain active. As a result, you might continue to feel anxious, on edge, triggered, or emotionally “frozen,” as if the event is still happening.
EMDR helps the brain reprocess these memories so that healing can resume naturally. By engaging the brain’s built-in processing system, EMDR allows distressing memories to lose their emotional charge while retaining the useful learning from the experience. The event is still remembered, but it no longer feels as intense or overwhelming.
Through this process, many people notice a shift toward greater calm, clarity, and confidence in their daily lives—reflecting the body and mind’s powerful capacity to heal when given the right support (EMDR International Association, n.d.).