EMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)
The Neurobiological Basis of EMDR
EMDR is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy that supports the brain’s natural information processing system. Traumatic and distressing experiences can become stored in maladaptive neural networks, remaining unintegrated and easily triggered. EMDR helps the brain reprocess these memories so they can be integrated in a more adaptive way.
I work closely with each client to pace EMDR according to their nervous system and capacity for processing. Before trauma reprocessing begins, I focus on stabilization, resourcing, and regulation so the brain and body are prepared for the work. Throughout sessions, I monitor emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses and adjust the pace, intensity, and duration of sets in real time to support safety and integration.
How EMDR Activates Memory Processing
During EMDR, clients briefly attend to specific memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation such as eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones. This dual attention process facilitates communication between brain networks involved in memory, emotion, and regulation, allowing distress to decrease as new adaptive information emerges.
By pacing the process with care, I help clients remain within their window of tolerance so memories can be processed without overwhelm. This allows past experiences to feel resolved rather than reactivated.
What Clients Often Experience with EMDR
As memories are processed and integrated, many clients notice a decrease in emotional intensity and reactivity around past experiences. Distressing memories often begin to feel more distant or neutral, and the body responds with greater ease and regulation. Clients frequently report improved sleep, fewer intrusive thoughts, and a stronger sense of clarity and steadiness in daily life.
Over time, EMDR can support a shift from feeling stuck in past experiences to feeling more present, flexible, and grounded in the here and now. The goal is not to erase memory, but to change how it lives in the brain and body so it no longer drives responses.