What is EMDR and Can It Help with Your Trauma?
If you’re struggling with tough memories or feelings from a traumatic experience, you might be wondering if there’s a way to feel better without reliving the pain. EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a therapy that help many people. It’s designed to ease the hurt from trauma by helping your brain process those memories so they don’t keep haunting you. Here’s a simple explanation of what EMDR is and how it might help you feel like yourself again.
EMDR works by letting your brain “re-file” painful memories so they don’t feel so heavy. An EMDR therapist will do a thorough assessment of the trauma and prepare you for releasing it. They’ll guide you to think briefly about a tough memory while doing things like following their moving fingers with your eyes or listening to soft sounds. This mimics how your brain processes during sleep, calming the memory’s sting. In EMDR therapy, you also replace thoughts like “I’m not safe” with “I’m okay now.” In EMDR it isn’t necessary to retell or relive every detail to get the results.
Research says EMDR really helps with trauma, like PTSD from accidents or abuse. One study found 100% of people with one trauma and 77% with multiple traumas were free of PTSD after about six sessions. Another showed 84-90% felt better after just three sessions. It can also ease anxiety or depression tied to trauma, often faster than regular talk therapy. If trauma’s holding you back, EMDR might be worth trying with a therapist to see if it’s right for you.
Marianne Love
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Aspire Health & Psychology
