What Type of Therapy is EMDR?
If you’ve been exploring therapy options, you may have come across EMDR. It’s a term that’s gained significant attention in recent years. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing has quickly become one of the most respected, research-backed methods for addressing anxiety, trauma, and various emotional challenges.
Let’s break down what EMDR really is, how it works, and why it’s helping so many people find relief.
A Different Kind of Therapy
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn’t rely on extensive analysis or require you to discuss your trauma in exhaustive detail. Instead, it uses a structured approach to help your brain reprocess distressing memories so they no longer feel as vivid or overwhelming.
EMDR is based on a powerful premise: your brain has a natural ability to heal itself, much like your body does after a physical injury. Trauma, however, can interrupt that healing process, leaving emotional wounds stuck. EMDR helps to unstick that process by engaging both sides of your brain through bilateral stimulation, allowing your mind to work through what’s been holding you back.
How EMDR Works in Practice
During a typical EMDR session, your therapist will guide your remembrance of a distressing memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as following the therapist’s fingers back and forth with your eyes, listening to alternating tones through headphones, or feeling alternating tactile sensations.
This activates both hemispheres of your brain, mimicking what naturally occurs during REM sleep when your mind processes experiences. As you focus on the memory during this stimulation, your brain begins to reprocess the experience in a healthier way. The memory doesn’t disappear, but it often loses its emotional charge and no longer triggers the same intense reactions.
The Eight Phases of EMDR
EMDR is carefully structured through eight distinct phases to ensure safety, stability, and lasting healing:
History and Treatment Planning: Your therapist learns about your background.
Preparation: You’ll develop coping strategies and learn what to expect from the process.
Assessment: Together, you’ll identify specific memories and the negative beliefs connected to them.
Desensitization: Bilateral stimulation occurs as you process targeted memories.
Installation: Positive beliefs are strengthened to replace the negative ones associated with the trauma.
Body Scan: You’ll check for any remaining physical tension related to the memory.
Closure: Each session ends with techniques to help you feel grounded and safe.
Re-evaluation: At the start of each new session, you’ll assess your progress and determine next steps.
While this structure might sound clinical, EMDR sessions are deeply personal and emotional experiences. Your therapist’s role is to guide the process while allowing your natural healing to unfold at your own pace.
What Can EMDR Help With?
EMDR was originally developed to treat PTSD, and it remains one of the most effective approaches for trauma recovery. However, its benefits extend far beyond that. EMDR can also help with anxiety, depression, phobias, chronic pain, and even performance anxiety.
If there’s an emotional memory or past event that continues to shape your reactions today, EMDR could offer relief. The approach works because it addresses the root of these patterns rather than just managing symptoms.
Finding a New Way Forward
If you’ve tried traditional therapy and still feel stuck in old patterns, EMDR therapy can offer a different path forward. It’s not about forcing yourself to relive your trauma in vivid detail, but helping your brain make peace with what happened so you can move forward.
At Del Ray Psych & Wellness, we integrate EMDR into our holistic, trauma-informed approach to healing. We believe in addressing the whole person, and EMDR is one of the powerful tools we use to help you discover your most authentic self.
If you’re curious about whether EMDR might be right for you, we’d love to talk. Our team of experienced therapists can help you understand how this approach fits into your unique healing journey. Contact us to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward feeling more at ease in your life.