Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
What is EMDR?
Sometimes when we go through something overwhelming, the memory doesn’t fully process—it gets “stuck” in the nervous system. Later, it can show up as anxiety, depression, nightmares, emotional overwhelm, hypervigilance, or relationship struggles. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain reprocess these stuck memories, so they no longer feel as distressing or intrusive. Using gentle eye movements or bilateral stimulation (BLS), EMDR mimics the brain's natural processing—similar to what happens during REM sleep. But unlike dreaming, you're fully awake, in control, and supported throughout the process. Healing unfolds at your pace, led by your nervous system.
EMDR is not just a technique. It is an approach to therapy.
8 phases of EMDR
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This is the first phase of EMDR. Includes getting to know you, your nervous system, your goals, relationship history, your challenges and past experiences. Getting to know your parts - all are welcome!
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In the second phase, we will help you build coping skills. Help you with navigating complex emotions and body sensations, so you feel safe. You will learn more about emotional regulation through mindfulness, EMDR imagery activities and somatic work and tools. Moving from numbing, distracting and dissociating to “feeling your feelings” and processing them without feeling overwhelmed by them. Riding the waves of emotions! This phase is preparing you for trauma reprocessing so you feel comfortable and safe. You got this! We will also plan the memories to reprocess.
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This phase is where we will activate the memory, by evoking emotions, images, body sensations and beliefs related to the memory. This phase happens right before reprocessing the memory with eye movements (BLS).
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This is the most well known phase of EMDR. But all the phases are essential for this phase to be effective. This is where you will revisit the memory and incorporate eye movements (bilateral stimulation). Using BLS and dual awareness we are setting up the environment or “setting the stage” for your brain to do what it does best — heal! Imagine both your logical mind and emotional mind working and talking to each other. Your body has the innate ability to heal — BLS just creates the conditions! Imagine you are on a train, the first stop is the memory. Like a train, during the stops — you will check in with your therapist and report what you noticed or experienced (body sensations, images, thoughts, emotions) during that round (usually 40-60 seconds). Then you notice that and see where your brain will take you.
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Installation of the positive belief. Now that the memory doesn’t disturb you, we can connect a positive belief or insight to the memory. So when you consciously or unconsciously recall the memory, it is a positive belief. Like “I am good enough!” — cause you are.
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You have come so far! This is one of the last steps in reprocessing. You will think about the memory and check your body (body scan) for any distressing/disturbing sensations. If nothing comes up, then congratulations you have completed the memory!
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At the end of the session, we will use wind down activities to help bring you back to emotional equilibrium. Could be doing some somatic tools — shaking, grounding, meditation or guided imagery.
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Where you will check in, space to ask questions or provide feedback. Also report any mental health changes or new insights. Usually done at the beginning of each session the week following BLS.
The science behind EMDR
Our brains are designed to heal. When something difficult happens, your brain usually processes the experience and stores it in a way that feels complete, something you can look back on and say, “That was hard, but it’s over now.” This is called adaptive memory. But sometimes, especially with trauma or chronic stress, the brain doesn’t fully process the experience. It gets stuck—like a looping alarm system. These maladaptive memories live in the body and nervous system, not just in your thoughts. They can show up as anxiety, hypervigilance, shame, emotional numbness, or even chronic pain.
EMDR helps by activating these stuck memories and guiding your brain to reprocess them so they can be integrated, rather than repeatedly triggered. You don’t need to relive every detail. It’s not about the story, it’s about how the memory is stored.
The nervous system plays a huge role. Its job is to keep you safe, like a home surveillance system. But when it’s been hijacked by trauma or prolonged stress, it can misfire, responding like there’s danger, even when you’re safe. EMDR helps you shift out of survival states like fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or collapse and come back into your window of tolerance, where you feel grounded, safe, and present.
We do this through something called bilateral stimulation (BLS) —eye movements, sounds, or taps that mimic the back-and-forth rhythm your brain uses during REM sleep. This process helps you stay anchored in the present while your brain revisits old material, making space for insight and resolution. EMDR uses dual awareness. You keep one foot in the past (to access what needs healing) and one foot firmly planted in the present (so your body knows it’s safe). That’s how the nervous system can finally let go.
EMDR FAQs
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EMDR is a versatile therapy that supports healing across a wide range of experiences. It can help you process everything from stressful work situations and painful breakups to more complex trauma like childhood abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence. EMDR is also effective for anxiety, chronic pain, low self-worth, and relationship struggles, especially when rooted in attachment wounds. Whether you feel stuck in old patterns or overwhelmed by recent events, EMDR works by helping your brain and body reprocess what’s too much to carry alone.
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Many of my clients have already spent years in talk therapy. What we do together goes beyond analyzing. EMDR and somatic approaches help shift the stuck survival responses in your body, not just your thoughts, so you can feel real, lasting change!
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EMDR can be helpful for a wide range of people—not just those with PTSD. If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed by past experiences, or constantly anxious, it might be a good fit. We’ll assess together during the consultation.
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Absolutely. You don’t need perfect memory or detailed stories for EMDR to help. EMDR works with how your body and nervous system store trauma, not just your thoughts. Even if you can’t name what happened, we can still process the feelings, sensations, or patterns that are showing up in the present.
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EMDR isn’t about diving into trauma recklessly. It’s paced, intentional, and tailored to your nervous system’s capacity. We focus on safety and emotional regulation first. I’ll walk with you the whole way, and you get to choose what we work on, when we go there, and how fast we move.
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That’s okay. We move at your pace. Before we do any trauma processing, we focus on building safety, regulation, and trust so your nervous system feels ready. You’re always in control.
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Yes, we definitely talk. EMDR is flexible, and every session can look different depending on what you need that day. Some sessions might involve deeper verbal processing, others might focus on body sensations, imagery, or resourcing for nervous system regulation. I integrate other therapies like somatic work, parts work (IFS), and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support you. EMDR isn’t rigid—it’s a framework we adapt to you.
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No, EMDR is not hypnosis. You stay fully awake, alert, and in control throughout the process. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping) to help your brain reprocess memories while you remain grounded in the present. It’s more like guided attention—not altered states.