What EMDR Is Used For

EMDR is commonly used when past experiences still show up in the present, including:

• Childhood trauma and attachment wounds

• Anxiety that feels disproportionate or hard to control

• Strong emotional reactions, shutdown, or avoidance

• Perfectionism and performance pressure rooted in early experiences

• Disturbing memories that feel intrusive or unresolved

• Medical trauma, accidents, or sudden losses

Many clients seek EMDR after insight-oriented therapy has helped them understand patterns but not fully change how their body responds.

How EMDR Works

Stressful or overwhelming experiences can remain stored in the nervous system in an unprocessed form. When triggered, the brain reacts as if the experience is still happening.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or auditory cues) while briefly activating a memory. This allows the brain to reprocess the experience so it loses intensity and becomes integrated.

You are not required to describe trauma in detail or repeatedly retell your story.

EMDR vs. Talk Therapy

Both approaches are valuable. They work differently.

Talk Therapy

• Focuses on insight, meaning, and cognitive understanding

• Helps you recognize patterns, beliefs, and behaviors

• Often works top-down, through conscious awareness

EMDR

• Focuses on how experiences are stored in the nervous system

• Targets emotional and physical reactions that persist despite insight

• Works bottom-up, through memory and body-based processing

Many clients benefit from both, either sequentially or integrated together.

What EMDR Looks Like in My Practice

EMDR is structured and paced.

The process typically includes:

1. Stabilization and preparation

2. Identifying target memories and themes

3. Reprocessing using EMDR protocols

4. Integration and future-focused work

I usually prefer to do talk therapy before EMDR to establish a relationship and foundational work.

Telehealth EMDR

EMDR can be done effectively via telehealth.

Requirements include:

• A private, quiet space

• Reliable internet connection

• Ability to engage visually or with guided bilateral tools

Additional grounding and containment strategies are used to support safety in telehealth sessions.

Is EMDR a Good Fit?

EMDR may be appropriate if you:

• Feel stuck despite understanding your patterns

• React emotionally in ways that don’t match the present moment

• Tend to intellectualize but struggle to feel relief

• Want to address anxiety or trauma at a nervous-system level

Readiness and stability matter. EMDR is not indicated for every client.