“The past affects the present even without our being aware of it.”

— Francine Shapiro (creator of EMDR)

EMDR Therapy

How does EMDR work?

People who study the brain and psychotherapy have found that when a person is highly stressed or going through trauma, their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes "frozen in time," and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the details haven’t changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that hinders with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people.

EMDR therapy seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain processes information. Normal information processing is resumed, so following a successful EMDR therapy session; a person no longer relives the images, sounds, and feelings when the event is brought to mind. You still remember what happened, but it is less upsetting.

Many types of therapy have similar goals. However, EMDR therapy appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR therapy can be thought of as a physiologically based therapy that helps a person see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way.

What is the goal of EMDR?

The amount of time the complete treatment will take depends upon the history of the client. Negative or problem emotions, feelings and behaviors are generally caused by unresolved earlier experiences that are pushing you in the wrong directions. The goal of EMDR therapy is to leave you with the emotions, understanding, and perspectives that will lead to healthy and useful behaviors, interactions, and truly being able to live your best life. By completely processing the traumatic or disturbing experiences that are causing you problems, EMDR therapy helps to instill new feelings and thoughts needed for full health and happiness.

What does EMDR treat?

At first, EMDR therapy was originally used to treat just post-traumatic stress. Today, research has shown that it is effective at different levels in numerous conditions and concerns. These can include:

  • Sexual, emotional, and/or physical abuse

  • Complicated grief

  • Eating disorders

  • Body dysmorphic disorders

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Disturbing memories

  • Panic attacks

  • Personality disorders

  • Addictions

  • Low self-esteem

  • Pain disorders

  • Chronic illness