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EMDR Therapy and Trauma Healing

When the Past Continues to Affect the Present

You may know that something happened years ago.

You may even believe you've "moved on."

And yet, certain situations still trigger anxiety, fear, shame, anger, or an emotional reaction that feels bigger than the present moment.

You may logically know that you're safe while another part of you doesn't seem to believe it.

This is one of the ways distressing experiences can continue to affect us.

Our minds and bodies don't always organize experiences according to what we intellectually understand.

EMDR therapy can help people process experiences that continue to feel emotionally unresolved.

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What Is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

It is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach designed to help people process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional impact those experiences continue to have.

During EMDR therapy, we identify memories, experiences, or emotional patterns that may be contributing to your current difficulties.

Through a structured therapeutic process, EMDR can help your brain reprocess information in a way that allows distressing experiences to become less emotionally overwhelming.

EMDR is not hypnosis.

You remain awake, aware, and in control throughout the process.

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EMDR May Be Helpful When You Are Struggling With:

  • Distressing or traumatic memories

  • Anxiety connected to past experiences

  • Negative beliefs about yourself

  • Shame or guilt

  • Fear responses

  • Relationship wounds

  • Experiences of betrayal

  • Childhood experiences that continue to affect your adult life

  • Loss or grief

  • Experiences that feel emotionally "stuck"

Not every difficult experience needs to meet a particular definition of trauma in order to have an impact.

Sometimes it is a single event.

Sometimes it is a series of experiences.

And sometimes it is the accumulation of years of feeling unsafe, unseen, criticized, rejected, or responsible for more than you should have had to carry.

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EMDR Isn't About Forcing You to Relive Everything

A common concern is that trauma therapy means repeatedly talking through painful experiences in great detail.

That isn't necessarily how EMDR works.

The goal is not to overwhelm you or force you to revisit experiences before you're ready.

EMDR includes preparation and stabilization, and we move at a pace that takes your emotional safety and readiness into account.

Before beginning trauma processing, we'll work together to determine whether EMDR is appropriate and help you develop the resources needed for the work.

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Virtual EMDR

EMDR can sometimes be provided effectively through secure telehealth.

Virtual EMDR allows clients to participate from the comfort and privacy of their own environment while receiving professional guidance throughout the process.

Whether virtual EMDR is appropriate depends on several factors, including your individual circumstances, therapeutic needs, environment, and clinical presentation.

During our initial work together, we'll determine the approach that makes the most sense for you.

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Healing Doesn't Require You to Forget

  • The goal of trauma therapy is not to erase your memories.

  • It is to reduce the power those experiences have over your present life.

  • A memory may still be part of your story without continuing to feel like it is happening right now.

  • [Schedule a Consultation to Explore EMDR]

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