How EMDR Works to Heal Trauma
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR, for short) is a groundbreaking therapeutic approach that has helped millions of people recover from trauma and psychological distress. Developed by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR is now recognized as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including PTSD from childbirth, childhood trauma, and other mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. Keep reading to learn more about trauma, EMDR, and how EMDR works to heal trauma.
Understanding Trauma and Your Memories of It
Trauma occurs when a distressing event overwhelms an individual's ability to cope. Think “too much too fast.” The event may have resulted in physical harm, emotional harm, or life-threatening harm.
Reproductive health trauma can include events such as fertility trauma, birth trauma, pregnancy or infant loss, medical trauma, and NICU stays. Other sources of trauma can include accidents, natural disasters, physical or emotional abuse, childhood trauma, combat experiences, and loss of loved ones.
Traumatic memories often become "stuck," preventing the brain from fully processing them. Under normal circumstances, the brain processes experiences during sleep, particularly in the REM (rapid eye movement) phase. However, trauma can disrupt this process, causing memories to remain fragmented and unprocessed. EMDR aims to address this by stimulating the brain's natural healing mechanisms.
Common Trauma Symptoms
If you’ve experienced a traumatic event, there are a number of symptoms that may develop. These can include symptoms such as:
Flashbacks and nightmares
Hypervigilance and increased anxiety
Feeling stuck, trapped, or frozen
Feeling easily triggered by innocuous things
Ongoing crying and low mood
How EMDR Stimulates the Brain’s Natural Healing Mechanisms
EMDR therapy is structured into eight distinct phases, each designed to guide the client through the healing process. There are three aspects of EMDR that stimulate your brain’s natural healing mechanisms, allowing you to process the “stuck” trauma memories and experience relief from trauma symptoms.
Bilateral Stimulation: Bilateral stimulation can be eye movements or tapping that engage both sides of the brain and mimic the brain’s natural processing during REM sleep. This facilitates the integration of traumatic memories into normal memory networks, reducing their emotional intensity.
Dual Attention: Focusing on the traumatic memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation creates a "dual attention" state. This allows the brain to revisit the memory safely, reducing its ability to trigger overwhelming emotions.
Neuroplasticity: EMDR leverages the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. As the memory is reprocessed, the brain weakens its association with distressing emotions and strengthens connections to positive beliefs and emotions.
EMDR in Practice
EMDR has been endorsed by major health organizations, including the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association, as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. It has also been applied successfully to treat anxiety, depression, phobias, and grief.
Clients often report significant improvement after just a few sessions, though the total number of sessions required varies based on the complexity of the trauma and individual circumstances. EMDR’s structured approach and focus on rapid relief make it a compelling option for many seeking healing.
Benefits of EMDR include:
Quick Relief: EMDR often yields faster results than traditional talk therapies, with many clients experiencing relief after a few sessions.
Non-Invasive: Unlike some other trauma treatments, EMDR does not require detailed verbal recounting of traumatic events, making it less retraumatizing for some clients.
Comprehensive Healing: EMDR addresses both emotional and physical symptoms of trauma, promoting holistic recovery.
Final Thoughts
Trauma can leave deep wounds, but EMDR offers a powerful and fast path to healing. By leveraging the brain’s innate ability to process and adapt, EMDR helps you reclaim your life from the grip of traumatic memories. If you or someone you know is struggling with the aftermath of trauma, consider exploring EMDR as a therapeutic option—it may provide the relief and renewal you’ve been seeking.
If you’ve experienced trauma and are looking for help to treat it, Well Parent Therapy offers EMDR therapy and birth trauma therapy.
