Understanding EMDR Therapy: How It Helps the Brain Heal from Trauma
At Create Space Therapy, we believe that healing from trauma is possible. We believe the brain has a natural capacity to recover when given the right support. We always use evidence-based interventions for our clients. One evidence-based approach we offer is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured psychotherapy approach designed to help people process and recover from distressing life experiences, including trauma, anxiety, and negative beliefs about themselves. Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR helps the brain reprocess memories so that they are no longer emotionally overwhelming.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn’t require you to describe every detail of a painful experience. Instead, it focuses on helping your brain reprocess the memory in a way that is and feels more manageable. EMDR allows you to move from feeling stuck in distress to feeling calm and empowered.
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR is based on the idea that trauma can become “stuck” in the brain’s information processing system. When that happens, the emotions, sensations, and beliefs associated with the event may feel just as intense as when it first happened. The brain stores memories often with the most negative aspects of the memory. This can include sounds, images, and sensations.
During EMDR, your therapist guides you through sets of bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation can include: eye movements, tapping, or sounds that move from side to side. This process helps activate both hemispheres of the brain, allowing you to reprocess the traumatic memory in a new, adaptive way. Over time, the memory becomes less distressing and more integrated into your broader life story.
What EMDR Can Help With
Research has shown EMDR to be effective for a wide range of concerns, including:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety and panic attacks
Grief and loss
Phobias
Negative self-beliefs
Relationship and attachment trauma
What to Expect in EMDR Therapy
EMDR treatment typically involves eight phases
Phase 1: History Taking and Treatment Planning
Goal: Understand the client’s background, symptoms, and target experiences for EMDR processing.
What happens: The therapist gathers a detailed history, exploring significant life events, current triggers, and areas of distress. Together, the therapist and client identify which memories or themes will become targets for EMDR.
Phase 2: Preparation
Goal: Build trust, explain EMDR, and ensure the client has coping and grounding skills.
What happens: The therapist explains what EMDR is, how it works, and what the client can expect. They introduce stabilization techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, or a “safe place” visualization to help the client stay regulated during reprocessing.
Phase 3: Assessment
Goal: Identify the specific components of the target memory to process.
What happens: The therapist helps the client focus on one target memory and identify:
A vivid image representing the worst part of the memory
A negative belief about self (“I’m not safe”)
A positive belief to replace it (“I survived; I am safe now”)
The emotions and body sensations associated with the memory
The Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) rating (0–10) of current distress
The Validity of Cognition (VOC) rating (1-7) of positive belief
Phase 4: Desensitization
Goal: Reduce the emotional distress connected to the target memory.
What happens: This is the core reprocessing phase. The therapist guides the client through sets of bilateral stimulation (see above) while the client recalls aspects of the target memory. After each set, the therapist checks in on what the client notices; thoughts, images, emotions, or sensations and encourages the client and brain to continue reprocessing.
Phase 5: Installation
Goal: Strengthen the positive belief that replaces the old negative belief.
What happens: Once the distress around the target memory decreases, the therapist helps the client focus on the positive belief (“I am safe now”) while continuing bilateral stimulation to reinforce this new adaptive perspective.
Phase 6: Body Scan
Goal: Ensure all remaining physical tension or discomfort related to the memory has been resolved.
What happens: The therapist asks the client to mentally scan their body while thinking about the target memory and new belief. If any tension or discomfort remains, the therapist uses additional bilateral stimulation to help clear it.
Phase 7: Closure
Goal: Return the client to a sense of calm and stability at the end of the session.
What happens: If processing is incomplete, the therapist ensures the client is grounded and stable before ending. The client might use relaxation or grounding techniques and is reminded that the mind may continue processing between sessions.
Phase 8: Re-evaluation
Goal: Assess progress and plan next steps in future sessions.
What happens: At the beginning of the next session, the therapist checks whether the target memory remains distressing and whether the positive belief still feels true. They evaluate progress and determine whether to continue processing the same target or move to another.
EMDR at Create Space Therapy
At Create Space Therapy, our trained clinicians provide EMDR therapy in a warm, supportive environment. We tailor each session to your unique needs and pace, ensuring that the process feels safe, empowering, and effective. Whether you’re recovering from a single traumatic event or long-term emotional stress, EMDR can help you reclaim balance and peace of mind.
Begin Your Healing Journey
If you’re curious about EMDR or ready to begin working with a therapist, we’d love to support you. Healing is possible. EMDR can be one powerful step toward creating space for the life you want to live.
