What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps people heal from traumatic or distressing experiences. Trauma can become "stuck" in the nervous system, causing ongoing symptoms such as anxiety, emotional distress, intrusive memories, avoidance, or feeling constantly on edge.

EMDR uses guided bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping while you focus on specific memories, thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. This process helps the brain reprocess difficult experiences so they become less emotionally overwhelming and more integrated into your life story.

You do not need to describe every detail of a traumatic experience for EMDR to be effective. The goal is not to erase memories, but to reduce their emotional impact, helping you feel safer, more grounded, and better able to move forward.

EMDR therapy is often used for distressing and traumatic experiences, however, it is effective with ineffective patterns of thought, relational patterns, and self esteem.