Think of it like this…
Your mind is a garden. Most memories are like plants growing peacefully — some are vibrant flowers, others are quiet shrubs. But when something traumatic happens, it’s like a sudden storm hits. It uproots things, scatters debris, and leaves parts of the garden in chaos.
EMDR is like gently walking back into that garden with tools and care. You don’t ignore the damage — you clear the broken branches, replant what’s been uprooted, and help the soil settle again. Over time, the garden starts to feel safe and beautiful again. The storm is part of its history, but it no longer defines the landscape.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Trauma Therapy
EMDR is a research-based therapy model designed to help people heal from trauma by using our brain’s natural ability to heal.
Trauma can have a unique impact on the way our brain and body process new information. You may feel stuck in that “fight, flight, freeze” response, feel overcome by shame or fear, or struggle with flashbacks and nightmares. You may also notice how these survival instincts impact the relationships around you. While you may have a level of understanding “why” this is happening, that just doesn’t seem to be enough to free you from the pain.
There is nothing wrong with you. Your brain and body have learned to survive. EMDR is here to help you recreate safety in your brain, body, beliefs, and support system.
How does it work?
When something really upsetting happens, your brain can get stuck — like it’s frozen in that moment. EMDR helps “unstick” it by using bilateral stimulation, which just means activating both sides of your brain in a rhythmic, back-and-forth way. This can be done through eye movements, tapping, or sounds that alternate left and right.
In an EMDR session, I ask you to focus on a troubling memory while also doing something that uses your working memory (i.e., the bilateral stimulation). Because your brain can’t fully focus on both at once, the memory becomes less vivid and emotional over time, helping it feel more like something from the past rather than something that still feels present.