Who is EMDR for?

EMDR is for people who feel stuck in painful memories, emotions, or beliefs that keep looping in their mind and body. While it’s best known for helping with PTSD and major trauma, it’s not limited to combat veterans or survivors of catastrophic events. EMDR can help with a wide range of struggles, including:

• PTSD and trauma – such as car accidents, assault, natural disasters, or combat experiences.

• Anxiety and panic attacks – reducing overwhelming fear responses and calming the body.

• Phobias – like fear of flying, needles, or public speaking.

• Depression and grief – working through loss, unresolved sadness, or feelings of hopelessness.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – targeting the distressing thoughts, images, and urges that drive compulsive behaviors.

• Chronic pain and somatic symptoms – where the body “remembers” what the mind tries to forget.

• Addictions and unhealthy coping – addressing the underlying memories and emotions that fuel the cycle.

• “Little t” traumas – those experiences that don’t look catastrophic on paper but still sting deeply, such as bullying, rejection, a painful breakup, ongoing family conflict, or feeling “never good enough.”
  

In short: EMDR is for anyone who feels that the past is still haunting their present, whether through flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, constant anxiety, self-doubt, or body tension that won’t go away. It’s not just about trauma with a capital “T”—it’s about giving your brain a chance to finally heal and file away memories that have been stuck on repeat.

The Goal

The goal of EMDR isn’t to erase your memory—it’s to take away the sting so it no longer feels overwhelming. You’ll still remember what happened, but it won’t control you or hijack your emotions the way it once did.

The Why

Our brains are wired to heal, just like the body. But sometimes a painful experience gets “stuck” and the brain can’t fully process it. EMDR helps restart that natural healing process so the memory can be stored in a healthier, less triggering way.

The How

During EMDR, your therapist will guide you in recalling a memory while also using bilateral stimulation—this might be moving your eyes side to side, tapping, or listening to alternating tones. This back-and-forth motion helps your brain process the memory more effectively. You’re always in control, and your therapist is there to support and guide you through each step.

Move eyes = feel better?

Real Talk.

I’ll be honest—when I first heard about EMDR, I thought it sounded like hocus-pocus. “Move your eyes back and forth and suddenly you feel better?” As someone with 8 years of formal education and 5 years of professional work in psychology (with a focus on neuropsychology), I was skeptical. The brain is far too complex to be reduced to a simple trick, right?

But when I dug into the research, it started to make sense. EMDR is built on solid scientific models of how the brain processes and stores memories, and it has been studied extensively. While it’s not the right approach for everyone, it’s consistently shown to be one of the most effective, evidence-based therapies for trauma, anxiety, and related struggles.

So no—EMDR isn’t magic. But the results can feel pretty magical when your brain finally gets the chance to heal.

The Science Behind EMDR

The AIP Model (Adaptive Information Processing)

EMDR is based on the idea that the brain is designed to heal itself. Normally, experiences get processed and stored in a healthy way. But when something overwhelming happens, the memory can get “stuck”—frozen with all the sights, sounds, feelings, and body sensations attached. The AIP model says EMDR helps the brain “unfreeze” these memories so they can be reprocessed and stored more adaptively.

Trauma and Stuck Memories
Trauma isn’t just the big events—it can also be smaller experiences that overwhelm us. Instead of fading into the past, these memories stay raw and unprocessed, which is why someone might still feel panic, shame, or grief years later as if it’s happening right now.

The Brain Areas

• Amygdala – your brain’s alarm system, which can stay on high alert after trauma.

• Hippocampus – your brain’s memory center, which can misfile traumatic events so they feel current instead of past.

• Prefrontal Cortex – the rational, calming part of the brain, which often gets “hijacked” by the amygdala during triggers.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones) to help these brain systems communicate better—quieting the amygdala, helping the hippocampus put memories in the right place, and letting the prefrontal cortex regain balance.

EMDR International Association's
Introductory Video to EMDR