What’s EMDR Anyway?
Trauma can take many forms—some big and obvious, others quiet and harder to name. Whether it was something that really happened or something your brain perceived as threatening, the impact is real. Your nervous system doesn’t need a dramatic headline to carry the weight. If you’ve been through an experience that left you feeling anxious, on edge, or not quite like yourself, you might be wondering if you’ll ever feel fully okay again.
There are several avenues for treating trauma and it certainly add overwhelm when finding the right one for you. Fortunately, we have methods that are backed by science and rigorous testing for efficacy. EMDR is a fantastic option for people of all ages - yes, children are a candidate, too!
So, what’s EMDR anyway?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. (Don’t let the name freak you out - it’s much less intense than it sounds) but is a powerful trauma therapy that was originally developed with military veterans and has now helped millions of people process traumas to finally gain relief.
In short, it’s an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain reprocess painful memories so they feel drastically less shameful, scary, sad, overwhelming, etc. You don’t forget what happened—you just stop reliving it.
Here’s exactly how it works:
You and your therapist identify the specific memory that bothers you
While doing that, your therapist guides you through eye movements, tapping, or other bilateral stimulation (activating both sides of your brain)
Through verbalizing the memory while in the calm/safe place, the memory becomes less emotionally charged and your brain genuinely reorganizes it in a way that feels less overwhelming
Using bilateral stimulation (back and forth movements), your brain and your body are signaled that it’s safe and able to re-categorize the traumatic thought as just a memory with significantly less emotion attached. From here, you ‘re now able to think, talk and live with this memory without the residual emotional and physical discomfort that was associated with it.
What Can EMDR Help With?
You don’t need to have experienced a life-threatening event to benefit from EMDR. It can help with:
Childhood trauma or emotional neglect
Breakups and relationship wounds
Anxiety and panic attacks
Sexual assault or harassment
Medical trauma
Grief and loss
Bullying or social trauma
Car accidents or scary events
Feeling “stuck” in patterns that don’t make sense
If something happened that left an emotional imprint—and talking about it hasn’t fully helped—EMDR might be what you need to truly shift it.
What Does an EMDR Session Actually Feel Like?
You may be picturing a hypnotherapy session or a trance state - that’s not it. You're fully awake and aware the whole time. You and your therapist will work together to target specific memories, beliefs, or feelings and reprocess them in a way that feels safe and supported.
Many clients say things like:
"I can remember it, but it doesn't feel like it controls me anymore."
"I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until it wasn’t."
"I feel like I finally got some closure."
Is EMDR Right for Me?
If you’ve been in talk therapy and still feel stuck…
If you avoid certain topics because they feel too big…
If you have emotional reactions you know are tied to the past…
You might be a good fit for EMDR.
That said, trauma therapy works best when you feel emotionally safe with your therapist. I always start with a foundation of trust, support, and regulation tools before jumping into EMDR - without this it’s really challenging to talk about anything vulnerable, let alone your trauma(s).
To wrap this up…
Healing doesn’t mean pretending it never happened. It means your past doesn’t have to control your present.
If you’re curious about EMDR or just ready to stop feeling so overwhelmed by things you can’t explain, I’d love to support you. I offer trauma-informed therapy and EMDR for young adults in West Los Angeles (Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood, Venice) and virtually across California.
Reach out anytime—your healing doesn’t have to wait any longer.
Taylor