Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a specialized approach that helps individuals process distressing memories and experiences.
What is EMDR Therapy?
Understanding How EMDR Therapy Works
The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model is the foundation of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy. It explains how your brain processes and stores information, particularly memories, and why certain experiences can feel overwhelming or stuck.
How Memories Work
When something happens to you, your brain naturally processes the experience, helping you make sense of it and move forward. Most of the time, this process works well, and the memory becomes part of your past without causing distress.
However, when an experience is traumatic or highly stressful, your brain might not process it completely. Instead, the memory, along with the emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations linked to it, gets "stuck" in its original form. This is why certain events or triggers can make you feel as though you're reliving the experience all over again.
Why This Matters
These unprocessed memories can affect how you feel, think, and react in the present. For example, a stuck memory from the past might make you feel anxious, fearful, or unworthy, even if the situation doesn’t match what’s happening now.
What EMDR Therapy Does
EMDR therapy works by helping your brain reprocess these stuck memories so they no longer have the same emotional charge. Through guided eye movements or other bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps activate your brain’s natural ability to heal. The goal is for the memory to shift from being something that causes distress to simply a memory of the past, no longer holding you back.
The Result
Once your brain reprocesses these memories, you can think about them without feeling overwhelmed or stuck. You’re better able to respond to the present moment with clarity and confidence, free from the weight of unprocessed experiences.
EMDR therapy can be a powerful tool for healing from trauma, reducing anxiety, and finding peace with your past. If you have questions about how it works or wonder if it’s the right fit for you, feel free to ask—I'm here to help!
EMDR: Transforming Lives by Processing Deep Wounds
In my practice, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy has supported my clients in navigating and healing from a wide range of emotional, psychological, and physical struggles. Here are some of the issues these therapies have helped address:
Early Life and Childhood Trauma: Healing wounds from neglect, pre-verbal trauma, and childhood abuse.
Sexual Trauma: Releasing the emotional pain and self-blame tied to sexual abuse or assault.
Abusive Relationships: Processing the lingering impact of intimate partner abuse and creating pathways to healthy boundaries.
Obsessive-Compulsive Triggers: Managing the anxiety and stress caused by intrusive thoughts or behaviors.
Negative Self-Beliefs: Letting go of persistent feelings of inadequacy, shame, or unworthiness.
- Complicated Relationships: Untangling the emotional toll of complex family or relational dynamics.
- Religious and Spiritual Trauma: Addressing harm from rigid doctrines, purity culture, clergy abuse, or oppressive power dynamics.
- Medical Trauma and Chronic Conditions: Finding relief from the emotional distress tied to medical procedures, chronic illness, or long-term pain.
- Grief and Loss: Navigating the deep sorrow and adjustment that follows losing a loved one.
- Transgenerational Trauma: Breaking cycles of inherited pain and trauma passed through generations.
- Identity-Based Harm: Addressing trauma related to race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ability.
- Workplace and Secondary Trauma: Supporting healthcare providers, mental health professionals, clergy, and first responders in processing the toll of their work.