More About EMDR

A structured therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help manage and heal the impact of negative past experiences while increasing awareness, groundedness, and balance when we are feeling stuck in old patterns that are not working for us anymore. The overarching goal is to heal past injuries with the intent of increasing your sense of freedom and empowerment in your present life.

While EMDR was initially developed as a treatment for PTSD, we now know that it can be used to address a large array of concerns ranging from generalized anxiety to complex trauma to self esteem or relationship challenges and beyond. Decades worth of research demonstrates that EMDR reduces the impacts of distressing events significantly faster than many other therapeutic approaches. One factor that makes EMDR different from other approaches is bilateral stimulation – which just means that we will be using some sort of sensory stimulation that crosses back and forth over the midline of your body while you reprocess your negative experiences.

Initially, Francine Shapiro, the scientist who discovered and developed EMDR, utilized eye movement as a key component of her approach. However, there are many forms of bilateral stimulation that are just as effective as eye movement including using headphones to listen to music or a tone that alternates back and forth between the ears, crossing your arms over your chest like an X and tapping back and forth on your shoulders, holding your head still while watching a hand or item move back and forth in front of you, or holding small devices that vibrate back and forth in your hands.

Just like any other type of therapy, EMDR will begin with you and your therapist getting to know each other, identifying goals, and creating a plan for your treatment. Many people express concern that they may not be ready for EMDR because they don’t know what memories they want to reprocess, but the good news is that you don’t have to know exactly what to address. Your therapist is prepared to guide the process of identifying memories that need some attention by using a series of questions and conversations that all stem from whatever it is you are struggling with today. The biggest thing for you to consider as you start EMDR is how you would like to see things change in your present life.

Our counselor, Lindsy, has been trained in and offers both traditional EMDR and Ketamine Assisted EMDR (KA-EMDR) in a weekly therapy or intensive format. Explore our site to learn more about KA-EMDR and EMDR intensives to decide whether they might be a good fit for you.

If you’re interested in EMDR but still feeling uncertain, you are encouraged to call or email with questions so you can gather more information and make the best decision for yourself. Please note that Lindsy is able to provide EMDR in person or virtually.