What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain and body process traumatic or distressing experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming or “stuck.”

I am trained through EMDRIA, the gold standard for EMDR training, and have been utilizing EMDR in my clinical work for over 5 years. This means you’re working with a therapist who has received rigorous, specialized training in how to use EMDR safely, ethically, and effectively.

Trauma isn’t stored only as a memory—it’s held in the nervous system. When something overwhelming happens, the brain’s natural processing system can become disrupted. Instead of an experience being fully integrated and stored as something that happened in the past, parts of it remain “frozen” in the body and brain. This is why people may continue to feel intense emotions, physical sensations, or negative beliefs long after an event is over, even when they logically know they are safe.

EMDR works by helping the brain reprocess these stuck memories. Through bilateral stimulation—such as eye movements or tapping—both sides of the brain are activated, allowing the nervous system to resume its natural healing process. As this happens, the emotional charge of a memory decreases, the body settles, and new, more adaptive beliefs can form.

Rather than requiring you to talk through details repeatedly, EMDR focuses on what your brain and body already know how to do: heal. Many clients notice that memories become less vivid, emotions feel more manageable, and triggers lose their intensity.

EMDR can be helpful for a wide range of concerns, including trauma, anxiety, panic, attachment wounds, childhood emotional neglect, grief, medical trauma, and negative core beliefs such as “I’m not safe” or “I’m not enough.”

Benefits of EMDR often include:

• Reduced emotional reactivity and distress

• Fewer intrusive thoughts or memories

• Improved nervous system regulation

• Shifts in deeply held negative beliefs

• Increased sense of safety, clarity, and emotional resilience

EMDR is not about erasing memories—it’s about helping them move into the past where they belong, so they no longer control how you feel, relate, or respond in the present. When the brain and body are given the right conditions, healing can occur in a way that feels both deep and sustainable.