EMDR: What It Is & How It Works

Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has become increasingly popular as a modality for anxiety, depression, trauma, and so much more. It’s a science-backed approach that allows your mind to reprocess harmful negative thoughts. So, you can shift your perspective and take back control of your personal narrative.

EMDR is different from traditional talk therapy in a variety of ways. While that’s one of its greatest benefits, it’s also often why people hesitate to try it.

If you’re interested in EMDR but looking for more information on what to expect, let’s dig a little deeper into what it is and how it works.

What Is EMDR?

EMDR is a type of psychotherapy that uses bilateral stimulation to desensitize you to negative thought patterns. Your therapist will use their finger or an object to guide your eyes back and forth while you focus on a specific negative thought.

This process helps to take away the power from that thought. Then, you can reprocess it in a more positive light. EMDR doesn’t take the negative thoughts or experiences away. It simply changes the way you view them, giving you a greater sense of power and control.

How Does EMDR Work?

When you hear things like therapist-guided eye movement, you might think that EMDR has something to do with hypnosis, but that isn’t the case. Instead, the use of bilateral stimulation allows the brain to reprocess negatively-charged memories.

When both sides of the brain are engaged while recalling a negative thought, it can change how a negative memory is stored within your mind. Something that has had a hold on you for years might not seem as intense or overwhelming anymore.

The idea behind EMDR is that negative memories are already stored in the mind. Unfortunately, they’re stored in a maladaptive way. EMDR helps to release them in a way that makes them more adaptable so they can eventually be resolved.

What Are the Benefits?

One of the greatest benefits of this type of therapy is how quickly it works. EMDR is a short-term therapy, and you might start to feel symptom relief in just a few sessions. It’s also a holistic form of healing that focuses on the mind-body connection to help you move forward.

There is some talking involved in EMDR. Your therapist will likely want a brief history. They’ll want to help you focus on specific negative memories, which requires opening up. But it’s not necessarily a type of talk therapy that requires you to share stories for an hour at a time.

In addition to helping with trauma, anxiety, and depression, EMDR can help to boost your self-esteem, improve your sleep habits, reduce stress, and improve your communication efforts. It can have a hugely positive impact on your overall quality of life and make you feel like any negative thoughts or trauma from your past doesn’t have to define you anymore.

What to Expect

There are different phases of the EMDR process. Talking to your therapist about what to expect as you work through those stages is important because bilateral stimulation doesn’t occur every time. Sometimes, there will be more talking. Other times, your therapist might do a body scan to determine where you’re still storing trauma.

The best way to learn more about what EMDR is and how it works is to talk to a therapist you can trust. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help or to ask questions about what to expect from this type of trauma or anxiety therapy. If you want to learn more, I’m happy to provide you with the information you need to start fighting back against the effects of negative thought patterns.