Unlocking Healing: Understanding EMDR, Its Benefits, and How It Works

Trauma and distressing memories at times feel as real today as they did when the event first happened. Traditional talk therapy can help us learn coping skills and process our thoughts, but even after doing that, it can feel like that memory and the strong feelings that come with it will never go away.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic technique that helps the brain process traumatic experiences and reduces their emotional impact. This blog explores how EMDR works and the benefits of it from me – someone who practices EMDR as a clinician and who has also received EMDR from my own therapist.  

So, what Is EMDR?

EMDR is a form of psychotherapy developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro. EMDR helps people process and heal from traumatic memories and negative life experiences that continue to affect their mental health.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR uses a structured eight-phase approach that includes recalling distressing events while focusing on external stimuli, such as guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. This helps the brain reprocess the traumatic memories, reducing their emotional charge and allowing the person to develop healthier perspectives about what happened.

What does EMDR look like in practice?

EMDR therapy follows a clear, step-by-step process that therapists tailor to each individual's needs. Here’s an overview of how a typical EMDR session unfolds:

1. History and Treatment Planning

The therapist gathers detailed information about the client’s history, current symptoms, and specific traumatic memories or issues to target. This phase helps identify the goals for therapy.

2. Preparation

The therapist explains the EMDR process and teaches the client coping skills to manage emotional distress during and between sessions. This may include relaxation techniques or mindfulness exercises.

3. Assessment

The client identifies a specific memory to work on. They focus on the image, negative beliefs about themselves related to the memory, and associated emotions and physical sensations.

4. Desensitization

The client recalls the traumatic memory while following the therapist’s finger moving back and forth, following an image moving on a screen (in telehealth), or listening to alternating sounds. There are many ways to achieve the bilateral stimulation, which is what helps the brain re-process the memory.

5. Installation

The therapist helps the client replace negative beliefs with positive ones, such as shifting from “I am powerless” to “I am in control now.”

6. Body Scan

The client notices any lingering physical tension related to the memory. If discomfort remains, further processing occurs.

7. Closure

The therapist ensures the client feels stable before ending the session, using relaxation techniques if needed.

8. Reevaluation

At the start of the next session, the therapist checks progress and decides on the next target memory or issue.

Each session typically lasts about 60 minutes. The number of sessions varies depending on the complexity of the trauma and individual response to treatment.

What are the benefits?

EMDR offers several benefits that make it a valuable option for many people dealing with trauma and emotional distress.

Effective for Trauma and PTSD

Research shows EMDR is highly effective in reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association recognize EMDR as a recommended treatment for trauma.

Faster Processing of Traumatic Memories

Compared to some traditional therapies, EMDR can lead to quicker relief by directly targeting the way the brain stores traumatic memories.

Reduces Emotional Distress

EMDR helps decrease the intensity of negative emotions linked to traumatic events, allowing individuals to feel calmer and more in control.

Improves Negative Beliefs

By replacing harmful beliefs with positive ones, EMDR supports improved self-esteem and healthier thinking patterns.

Can Address Various Issues

While EMDR is best known for trauma treatment, it also helps with anxiety, depression, phobias, grief, and other emotional challenges.

Non-Invasive and Drug-Free

EMDR does not rely on medication. It uses natural brain processes to promote healing, making it a safe option for many people.

Who Can Benefit from EMDR?

EMDR is suitable for adults and children who have experienced trauma or suffer from emotional difficulties. Examples include:

• Survivors of accidents, abuse, or violence

• Veterans with combat-related PTSD

• People coping with loss or grief

• Individuals with phobias or panic attacks

• Those struggling with anxiety or depression linked to past events

EMDR can be adapted to different ages and cultural backgrounds, making it accessible to a wide range of clients.

Is EMDR a good fit for me?

If you think EMDR might help you or someone you know, consider these points:

• Find a licensed therapist trained in EMDR. Certification ensures proper technique and safety.

• Be open about your history and symptoms to help the therapist tailor treatment.

• Prepare for emotional moments and trust the process. Healing can involve discomfort before relief.

• Combine EMDR with other supportive therapies if recommended.

• Keep track of your progress and communicate openly with your therapist.

  
  

My experience receiving EMDR

As someone who has received EMDR, I can confirm that I have been able to re-process past traumatic experiences dating back to when I was just 8 years old. In a safe environment, I have been able to think differently about life, death, feeling safe, and needing to be in control.

EMDR ultimately reduced the hold my traumatic memories had on me. Opening up to my therapist has been key – talking about these experiences, opening up during the sessions, and really feeling the emotions of my past has been so beneficial. This process has allowed me to gain some control back and to view my life in a different light.

I see several benefits, but the most impactful has been gaining more control over my emotions. I can use the coping skills I learned in session, I feel less trapped in old patterns, and I feel more fulfilled in my life as a whole. I am able to love more, not just others but also myself.

My experience providing EMDR  

Utilizing EMDR in my practice allows me to see firsthand the benefits of providing a safe space for the mind to be open and begin to heal. With many of my clients, I notice benefits right away – often after just the first session. Clients will start the session with so much discomfort and helplessness related to their past experiences, but by the end of the exercise, they have reclaimed their power. It is beautiful to watch their negative beliefs get eclipsed by a more positive outlook.  

Often during the course of EMDR, clients begin to draw connections between their past experiences and the fear, negative reactions, and negative beliefs they hold about themselves and others today. That realization is key – and it is the first step in implementing other strategies to begin their healing journey.