For people who feel held back by their past

Many of our most impactful memories are bigger than what can be expressed with words or a chronological timeline of an event. There are specific EMDR protocols that have been created for people who cannot remember specific details of the memory they would like to process. These protocols have been proven to still be effective in decreasing the impact that a memory has on someone. In short - a perfect recollection of what happened is not required for EMDR to be effective.

Because EMDR can look a bit weird compared to traditional talk therapy, researchers knew they would need evidence that this modality actually works. Although EMDR efficacy originally was studied in veteran and sexual violence survivor populations, we now have extensive research on EMDR being an effective tool for many people with anxiety, depression, ADHD, chronic pain, and childhood trauma. I welcome a healthy amount of skepticism for any therapy modality that you are going to try so please don’t take my word for it and read more about Randomized Controlled Trials and Meta Analyses for EMDR treatment here.

Reprocessing requires both the left more “logical” side and and the right more “emotional or creative” side of the brain to be engaged. You may feel like you have retold or even relived a past memory 1000 times and have never felt any different afterwards. If only the left hemisphere of the brain is engaged you are repeatedly intellectualizing what happened to you rather than your brain actually metabolizing the memory. How is EMDR different? We are not just retelling the content of the what happened to you, we are also acknowledging how this memory makes you feel and how it impacts your trust in yourself and others. Reprocessing allows the natural memory reconsolidation process of the brain to continue to progress rather than getting “stuck” replaying the same memory in your head with no relief.

When a memory feels so overwhelming, upsetting, or heavy that you have difficulty talking about it with someone else - that is when I recommend EMDR. The goal of EMDR is not to change what has happened in the past, rather, the goal is to reduce the emotional charge or distress from that memory and help you take back power over your life. If you are tired of feeling on edge or avoiding certain situations because they remind you of a previous memory - EMDR can help.

EMDRIA stands for EMDR International Association. EMDRIA is the governing body that oversees EMDR trainings and protocols. Because EMDR targets working with vulnerable populations (such as sexual trauma survivors), EMDRIA is intended to provide additional oversight to ensure that people providing EMDR are doing so in an evidence-based and ethical manner. I completed an EMDRIA-approved training, meaning my program met the ethical and research standards of EMDRIA.

No. Eye movements are only one form of bilateral stimulation, there are many more methods that we can use. Bilateral stimulation simply means that we are activating both sides of the body (and both hemispheres of the brain) in an alternating and rhythmic pattern. Walking is a natural form of bilateral stimulation as your left and right foot alternate in movement. If you find yourself walking around your living room while talking on the phone you already engage in bilateral stimulation!

Letting the two sides of the brain communicate with each other helps promote memory reprocessing. We will discuss which method of bilateral stimulation would be most supportive for you.