EMDR: Understanding This Biological Technology
Have you ever been going about your day, minding your own business or getting things done,
and suddenly you feel transported to another place and time?
Maybe it’s a physical sensation in your body or an "ick" you just can’t shake. That underlying negative thought sets in, and all of a sudden, you feel unworthy, unlovable, or disconnected from those around you.
Often, fear, distress, and un-comfy emotions intrude on the lives of people surviving trauma,
anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, panic, and chronic pain. In an instant and without warning, the emotions are triggered by a place, a feeling, a sensation, or another person—even years after the original event has passed.
This article introduces Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), explains what a session looks like, and outlines who can benefit from this transformative modality.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based intervention developed by Francine Shapiro in the spring of 1987 and published in 1989. This technology utilizes targeted eye movements to help the brain digest information, similar to how REM sleep processes our daily experiences and emotions.
Neuropsychology shows us that implicit and unconscious memories must be accessed to fully process traumatic memories. Traditional talk therapy, TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), and exposure therapy often rely on the logical neocortex where conscious thoughts reside.
EMDR and somatic therapies, on the other hand, access the limbic system to allow for deep, embodied processing.
How Bilateral Stimulation Works
The goal of EMDR is to reprocess a distressing memory using Bilateral Stimulation (BLS)—which stimulates both hemispheres of the brain through alternating eye movements, tones, or taps. Once a memory is reprocessed, it loses its painful emotional charge. You will still be able to recall the memory, but without experiencing the intense physical or emotional distress attached to it.
To put trauma into perspective, Francine Shapiro defined trauma as any negative event that leaves a lasting negative impact. Similarly, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains trauma as an experience that the brain was unable to process or integrate at the time it occurred.
What to Expect in Therapy
EMDR requires proper preparation and stability. During the initial phases, your therapist will assess your readiness and teach you "resourcing" skills. This involves building rapport, improving affect tolerance, assessing dissociation, and ensuring overall life stability. You will also learn grounding techniques such as guided imagery, state-change strategies, containment, light stream exercises, and identifying allies.
Next, your therapist will gather a history of upsetting events. As an EMDR therapist, I often do this by creating a timeline of life events (both highs and lows) or using a "float-back" technique to track recent triggers back to their original source.
Once the preparation phase is complete and readiness is confirmed, you move into the core working phase: Targeting and Reprocessing. During reprocessing, you focus on a specific memory alongside its associated negative belief and physical sensation. As BLS is applied, your brain begins to re-file and integrate the memory, stripping away its ability to trigger distress. Finally, a positive, adaptive belief is installed in its place.
"Is It Mind Control?"
This is usually the point where I assure clients that it is not magic, and this is not mind control. I won't be wiping memories from your mind or rewriting history. Through this process and the work you do, your body simply digests old emotional material in a new way.
Instead of sitting in the active "Recent Documents" folder on your mental laptop, your memories are moved into a dusty filing cabinet in the back of your mind. Rather than feeling immediate and overwhelming, they begin to feel like looking at an old photograph. I always ensure clients leave the office in a grounded, calm state, and we won't wrap up a session until you feel supported and secure.
Who Can Benefit from EMDR?
EMDR therapy is highly effective for a wide range of experiences. It supports those with trauma and PTSD, including single-incident trauma like car accidents or assaults, as well as complex and developmental trauma. It is also beneficial for individuals dealing with anxiety and panic—such as death anxiety, medical anxiety, phobias, and performance anxiety.
Additionally, EMDR helps those experiencing depression and unresolved grief tied to traumatic loss, suicide, homicide, accidental death, or grief connected to core negative self-beliefs. Finally, it aids individuals managing chronic pain and stress by addressing underlying emotional distress and somatic body responses.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you are reading this and would like to schedule an intake or consultation, please give our main line a call. Feel free to share this article with someone who might need it, or reach out to one of our licensed mental health professionals to learn more! 505-433-7561
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