What Is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is used for trauma therapy.

There is a fundamental question that explains much of what troubles us as individuals—from our anxiety and depression to our compulsions and addictions. In almost every case the question to ask to understand these conditions is: “What happened to you?”

This is often a tough question to explore because it asks us to review our most painful and traumatic memories. For many of us, however, these memories hold the key to understanding why we feel the way we feel and behave the way we do. EMDR is a way for us to contemplate our experiences and make adaptations to the lessons that these experiences have taught us from a place of intentionality and consideration.

EMDR uses a technique called bilateral stimulation to cause autonomic regulation. What does that mean? By stimulating the brain in a left-right-left-right fashion we can help you feel calm, making it easier to observe what is happening in your thoughts and body when you are processing a painful memory.

Bilateral stimulation was brought into the therapy environment by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the 1990s. Dr. Shapiro noticed that when her eyes followed the patterns made by flying birds, she had an easier time dealing with unprocessed traumatic memories. While bringing bilateral stimulation into therapeutic practice was a remarkable accomplishment, the concept is ancient wisdom. When one experiences a drum circle or a walking meditation, they may find themselves experiencing the calming flow-like state that such stimulation produces.

EMDR uses an 8-phase protocol to help you feel confident and secure as you review traumatic memories and process them in a way that allows you to learn from the experience and leave the emotional content behind.

We often describe this experience of processing a memory as “getting the head and the heart to speak to each other.” Many of us have had experiences that have caused us to hold negative beliefs about ourselves and about the world. While these beliefs may have been fully appropriate at the time of the trauma, over time they can become maladapted, causing cause compulsive or compensatory behaviors. By engaging the 8-phase protocol, including bilateral stimulation, we can create a space for the head and the heart to talk, allowing us to adapt the information from your original experience and change behaviors.