What Is Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing
(EMDR) Therapy?

Perhaps you’ve heard about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or EMDR. EMDR, which has become an increasingly popular and effective modality for trauma, is a form of therapy that can help reprocess negative memories and experiences, strengthen your relationships, and improve your overall sense of mental well-being. EMDR therapy has a wide variety of uses and applications, including trauma, relationship issues, anxiety, depression, and addiction, among many others.

We all store the effects of difficult past experiences in our brains and in our bodies, and through rapid eye movement therapy, EMDR allows for the reprocessing and healthy integration of these experiences.
Although EMDR is highly structured, it is also flexible enough to be tailored to each person’s needs. While it is best known for treating trauma and PTSD, EMDR can be a highly effective treatment for many other mental health challenges.

How EMDR Can Help With Trauma and Feeling Stuck

Sometimes life just doesn’t feel like it’s working. You may feel stuck, anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed by reactions that seem out of proportion to what is happening in the moment.
Often those feelings are connected to difficult experiences from the past that never had a chance to be fully worked through.
EMDR can help you process those experiences in a different way. The goal is not to erase what happened or pretend it did not matter—it is to help the memories feel less activating and less
overwhelming, so they no longer have as much power over your daily life.
It makes sense to avoid thinking about painful memories. Most of us do what we can to get
through experiences that feel too hard, too frightening, or too difficult to face. But avoiding them

can sometimes keep the distress alive. With EMDR, you do not have to tell the story over and
over or spend long periods of time reliving the worst moments. Instead, the work moves at a
pace that feels manageable, helping you begin to feel safer, more grounded, and less held back
by the past.

How Does EMDR Therapy Actually Work, Though?

Developed by Francine Shapiro beginning in 1987, EMDR therapy is a highly structured therapeutic process comprised of eight stages. These eight phases include history taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation.
During EMDR sessions, clients are guided to briefly focus on a distressing memory, along with any corresponding negative beliefs, emotions, and bodily sensations, while engaging in bilateral stimulation. This bilateral stimulation often involves guided eye movements, although other forms may be used. The therapist then helps the client notice what arises without judgment and supports their brain’s natural ability to process the experience. Over time, the memory becomes less vivid and emotionally charged, while healthier beliefs and perspectives begin to surface for the client.
Clients often describe the process of becoming “unstuck” after EMDR treatment: they feel somehow released from the psychological and emotional baggage that has been weighing them down for so long. EMDR allows them to process these experiences in a way that creates numerous positive changes to their mental state and, as a result, also in their relationships.

EMDR Therapy Has A Variety Of Benefits And Applications

EMDR can be a helpful path forward when difficult experiences from the past are still showing up in the present. Trauma can affect people in many different ways, including anxiety, depression, addiction, OCD, chronic pain, and symptoms of PTSD. When those experiences begin to feel less overwhelming, it can become easier to feel more like yourself again—and to feel closer and more connected to the people you care about.
One of the most powerful parts of EMDR is the way it can help reduce or eliminate painful beliefs that often grow out of trauma. You may carry negative thoughts such as “I’m not safe,” “It was my fault,” or “Something is wrong with me,” even when another part of you knows those thoughts are not the whole truth. EMDR can help you work through those beliefs gently, without having to tell your story over and over or stay in the hardest moments for long periods of time.
The past cannot be changed, but it does not have to keep defining how you see yourself or what comes next in your life. EMDR can help you feel less controlled by what happened and more able to move forward with self-compassion, connection, and hope.

The Effectiveness of EMDR Is Supported By Clinical Evidence

One of the aspects of EMDR that makes it so appealing as a treatment option is how quickly and visibly it can actually work. It should come as no surprise, then, that clinical data has been accumulating in support of its potential rapid effectiveness.
According to one study cited by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), for example, “100 [percent] of single-trauma victims and 77 [percent] of multiple-trauma victims no longer had PTSD after a mean of six 50-minute EMDR therapy sessions.” Research like this reflects the life-changing results that so many have seen and experienced firsthand through EMDR, both as clients and therapists.

My Focus On EMDR And Its Impact On Relationships And Trauma

I’m Dr. Brian Gersho, and I’ve been practicing EMDR since 2020 after I had heard about its effectiveness and knew it was backed by research. Beyond the clinical data that convincingly shows the value of EMDR, I quickly became amazed by the actual results that I began to see with clients in my practice.Throughout my years as a therapist, EMDR has been the most effective tool I have used for helping clients create meaningful change. I have seen many people experience a real reduction in their distressing symptoms, along with greater confidence in themselves and a stronger sense of ease in their relationships and daily lives.

EMDR Therapy Can Help You Reprocess And Heal

Everyone’s healing journey is different, but if you are feeling burdened by depression, anxiety, painful memories, or long-standing unhealthy patterns, I would be glad to help you explore whether EMDR therapy may be a good fit for you.