What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a type of psychotherapy used to help people heal from traumatic or very distressing experiences.

What it is

EMDR is based on the idea that your brain has a natural way of processing experiences. Trauma can “freeze” that process, leaving memories stuck with the same intensity as when the event happened. EMDR helps the brain reprocess those memories, so they feel less overwhelming.

How it works

1. You think about a traumatic memory.
   With a trained therapist, you briefly focus on an upsetting memory, thought, or feeling.

2. You do bilateral stimulation.
   This is usually moving your eyes back and forth following the therapist’s fingers, but it can also be tapping or sounds that alternate left-right.

3. Your brain starts reprocessing the memory.
   The back-and-forth stimulation helps the brain “unstick” the memory and file it away properly, like how memories are processed during REM sleep.

4. The memory becomes less intense.
   Over sessions, the memory still exists, but it no longer feels as painful or triggering. People often report feeling calmer and more detached from the event.

What it helps with

• PTSD and trauma

• Anxiety

• Phobias

• Grief

• Some chronic pain

Key idea

EMDR doesn’t erase the memory, it reduces the emotional charge attached to it.

Please contact me at Overhaul You for an assessment regarding this type of therapy.