Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can be used to help people recover from trauma and other difficult life experiences. The ultimate goal of EMDR is to allow individuals to examine the events that have shaped their lives in a healthy way and to move forward stronger and more resilient.

What Is Trauma and What Does It Do to the Brain?

One of my favorite illustrations for trauma is that of a river dividing two banks. One bank is the rational/logical side of the brain; the other is the emotional side. Normally these two sides are connected and communicate back and forth. They can experience an event, assess it, and respond with the appropriate emotions. Trauma, however, can act like a river that causes sudden disruption between the two sides of the brain. The logical and emotional sides no longer communicate effectively and thus, cannot accurately assess situations. This leaves you in survival mode, feeling overwhelmed and lost. The flight or fight response is elevated, resulting in inappropriate reactions and responses to low or no threat situations. It is why someone flinches as if they’re about to be slapped when a safe person suddenly moves their hand. The elevated response significantly disrupts the daily functioning of individuals navigating trauma and other mental health concerns.

What Is EMDR?

EMDR therapy is an evidence-based and trauma-informed therapy that aims to bring healing and wholeness. Therapists trained in EMDR work with clients as they address the impact that the negative event has had on their mental health and well-being. EMDR uses bilateral (affecting two sides) communication to bridge the divide trauma caused between the two hemispheres of the brain. Using this technique, therapists and clients work together to help the brain process and store memories in a healthy way. Once a memory is successfully processed, the triggers and maladaptive responses associated with the memory begin to subside.

How Can EMDR Help?

While EMDR was historically used to address trauma and PTSD, it has been adapted to be an effective treatment for a variety of concerns including addiction, anxiety, OCD, and ADHD. EMDR helps those who have experienced these mental health issues to address the heightened responses the experiences created. EMDR is the bridge that allows the rational and emotional sides of the brain to communicate once again after trauma has tried to severe the connection. EMDR trained therapists work with clients to create treatment plans that address how trauma and stress impacted the mind, body, and soul. Targeting memories and triggers allows deeper insight into physical, emotional, and relational stress responses. When this occurs, stress/trauma responses decrease and clients gain freedom over their life story.