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Evidence-based therapy for trauma treatment.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy)

What Is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy initially developed for folks with trauma and has since been recognized as an effective treatment for depression, anxiety, OCD, addictions, eating disorders, and many other mental health issues. The basic assumption of EMDR is that the brain is oriented toward health and healing and can achieve this (Shapiro, 2001, 2018). Like our bones’ natural healing process after a fracture, our brains want to heal from trauma. EMDR therapy stimulates the brain’s healing mechanisms to help achieve this goal.

A New Trauma Therapy

What Does EMDR Help With

Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias

PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues

Chronic Illness and medical issues

Depression and bipolar disorders

Dissociative and personality disorders

Grief and loss

Eating disorders

Performance anxiety

Sleep disturbance

​Substance abuse and addiction

More About EMDR Therapy

How Does It Work?

You will be asked to focus on a specific event and give attention to a negative image, belief, emotion, or body feeling related to this event. While focusing on the distressing event, your therapist will invite you to begin bilateral tapping/movement. From there, you will be guided to notice what comes to mind after each set. This may result in a shift in how you feel, perceive or remember the event. EMDR is an eight-phase protocol.

Allows your process trauma without reliving it

Does not require a great deal of detailed talking

No residual home work to follow

The Eight Phases of EMDR Treament

  • History-taking and Treatment Planning: The therapist gathers information about the client’s history, current symptoms, and specific traumatic experiences. Together, they develop a treatment plan.

  • Preparation: The therapist educates clients about the EMDR process and helps them develop coping skills for managing emotional distress.

  • Assessment: The client identifies specific target memories or experiences to be processed during EMDR sessions.

  • Desensitization: The client focuses on the traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation. This phase aims to reduce the emotional charge associated with the memory.

  • Installation: Positive beliefs and self-affirmations are introduced to replace negative beliefs associated with the trauma.

  • Body Scan: The client explores any residual physical tension or discomfort associated with the trauma and processes it.

  • Closure: The therapist ensures the client is stable and provides self-soothing and emotional regulation techniques.

  • Reevaluation: In the final phase, the client and therapist assess the progress in reducing the distress associated with the target memories.

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