#31: Rewiring the Brain: The Power of EMDR Therapy
APRIL 17, 2025
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Discover the power of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in this comprehensive episode. We break down the science behind EMDR's Adaptive Information Processing model, explain bilateral stimulation's role in healing, and walk through all 8 treatment phases step by step.
From PTSD and complex trauma to anxiety, depression, phobias, and substance misuse—find out how EMDR works for various conditions and why it's gained worldwide recognition. Whether you're a therapy newcomer, mental health professional, or someone seeking healing, this episode provides valuable insights into how EMDR helps the brain reprocess painful memories and install positive beliefs for lasting change.
[00:51] What is EMDR?
[01:16] The Origins of EMDR
[03:02] How EMDR Works
[06:23] The Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy
[10:47] Applications of EMDR for Various Conditions
Episode Links:
Transcript
Anna: Hey there, and welcome to today's episode of Courage to Heal. I'm your host, Ana Keva, and I'm really excited about today's topic. We are going to be diving into a therapy that I personally love and that's been getting a lot of attention in recent years. EMDR. If you've never heard of it before, don't worry.
By the end of this episode, you'll understand what it is, how it works, and who it might help. Whether you're struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, or just curious about different therapy options, I think you'll find today's episode really insightful. So grab a cup of tea, get comfortable, and let's jump right in.
So what exactly is EMDR? EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. I know it's a mouthful, but behind that clinically sounding name is a therapy that has helped millions of people process traumatic memories and overcome a variety of mental health challenges. EMDR has a pretty fascinating origin story.
It was developed in the late 1980s by a psychologist named Francine Shapiro. The story goes that one day Shapiro was walking in the park feeling troubled by some distressing thoughts. She noticed that as her eyes moved back and forth while walking and looking around, her negative emotions seemed to decrease.
This chance observation sparked her curiosity and she began to explore whether deliberate eye movements could help people process disturbing memories. What started as a personal discovery eventually developed into a comprehensive therapy approach should be refined her techniques through research and clinical practice.
By the early 1990s, EMDR was gaining recognition as an effective treatment for trauma. Today, EMDR is recognized by major health organizations worldwide, including the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association. It's been really extensively researched. We're talking hundreds of studies.
It's now considered one of the gold standard treatments for PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but here's what's really cool. Researchers have found that EMDR isn't just for PTSD. It's also effective for treating anxiety, depression, phobias, and even substance misuse issues. We'll talk more about each of these applications a bit later in the show.
So now you might be wondering how does EMDR actually work? What's happening in your brain during an EMDR session? To understand that we need to talk about something called the adaptive information processing model, or IP, this is the theoretical framework behind EMDR. The A IP model suggests that our brains naturally want to heal from psychological distress, just like our bodies naturally want to heal from physical wounds.
When we experience something, our brains typically process that information and store it in a way that's adaptive and useful to us, but sometimes, especially with traumatic or highly stressful experiences. This natural processing system gets overwhelmed or blocked. When that happens, the memory gets stored in its raw, unprocessed form, complete with all the original emotions, physical sensations, and negative beliefs attached to it.
These unprocessed memories can then get triggered by present day situations that remind us of the original event. This is why someone who's experienced trauma might have a panic attack when they hear loud noise, or why someone with a phobia might feel intense fear when they see a spider, even if they're completely safe in that moment.
EMDR helps to restart that natural processing system. It allows the brain to reprocess those stuck memories so they can be stored in a healthier way. Still accessible, but without all the emotional charge and distress. A key component of EMDR is something called bilateral stimulation. This is typically done through guided eye movements.
Your therapist will have you follow their fingers or a light bar with your eyes while you hold the distressing memory in mind. Bilateral stimulation can also be done through alternating taps on your knees or hands, or through auditory tones that alternate between your left and right ears. Now, researchers are still figuring out exactly why bilateral stimulation works, but the leading theory has to do with working memory basically, when you're focusing on both a distressing memory and the eye movements.
You are taxing your working memory. This seems to make the memory less vivid and less emotionally painful, which allows your brain to process it without becoming overwhelmed. It's kind of like how it's easier to look at something painful or scary from a distance. The eye movements create that psychological distance giving you space to work through the material.
EMDR isn't a single technique. It's actually a comprehensive therapy approach with eight distinct phases. Let's walk through each of them so you can get a better sense of what an EMDR treatment course looks like. The first phase is all about building trust with your therapist and helping them understand your unique situation.
Your therapist will take a detailed history asking about your current symptoms, any past traumatic experiences and your treatment goals. Based on this information. They'll work with you to develop a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Then there is phase two, which is called preparation.
Before diving into processing the traumatic memories, your therapist will make sure you have the coping skills you need to manage any distress that might come up during or between sessions. So you'll learn relaxation techniques, grounding exercises, and create other resources to help you stay emotionally regulated.
This phase is super important, especially with complex PTSD. It's like building a sturdy foundation before constructing a house. Then comes phase three, which is called assessment. In this phase, you and your therapist will identify a specific memory to target. You'll identify the most distressing image from that memory, along with the negative belief you hold about yourself related to that memory.
Something like, I'm not safe, or I'm powerless. You'll also identify a positive belief you'd like to believe. Instead, rate how true that positive belief feels and rate your level of distress when thinking about the traumatic memory. Then comes phase four desensitization. This is where the bilateral stimulation comes in.
Your therapist will guide you through sets of eye movements or taps or tones. While you focus on the target memory and whatever thoughts, feelings, or sensations come up. After each set, you'll briefly discuss what you noticed. This process continues until the distress associated with the memory decreases significantly.
Then we have phase five installation once the distress has been reduced. Your therapist will help you install or strengthen the positive belief you identified earlier. You'll focus on the original memory and the positive belief while continuing this. With sets of bilateral stimulation, this phase continues until the positive belief feels completely true to you.
When you think about the target memory in phase six, we do a body scan. You'll check in with your body to see if there's any residual tension or discomfort when you think about the original memory. If there is, you'll continue with bilateral stimulation to process that physical discomfort until it's fully resolved.
Phase seven is called closure. At the end of each session, your therapist will make sure you're feeling stable and grounded before you leave. If the processing of a memory isn't complete by the end of a session, they'll help you use the self calming techniques you learned in phase two to maintain emotional balance between sessions.
And finally, phase eight is reevaluation. At the beginning of each new session, your therapist will check in on memories you've previously processed to make sure the results are holding. They'll also identify any new areas that might need attention. Now, depending on what you're working on, you might move through these phases at different speeds.
Some people find relief after just a few sessions while others, especially those dealing with complex trauma, might work with an EMDR therapist for months or even years. Now that we understand the basics of EMGR, let's talk about how it can be applied to different mental health conditions. While EMGR was originally developed for trauma, it's now used to treat a wide range of issues.
So, like I said, initially it was developed as a trauma therapy. So it's not surprising that it's highly effective for PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. EMDR is particularly powerful for what we call single incident traumas. Things like one-off car accidents, assault, or natural disasters. For someone with P-T-S-D-E-M-D-R helps in several ways.
First, it desensitizes the person to the negative emotions associated with the traumatic memory, so they no longer feel overwhelmed when they think about it. Second, it addresses those negative beliefs I mentioned earlier, beliefs like I'm, I'm powerless, or I'm not safe, that often developed after trauma.
And finally, it helps install positive beliefs and future templates, essentially helping the person visualize being able to move forward with their lives beyond the trauma complex. PTSD is a bit different from standard PTSD. While regular PTSD often stems from a single traumatic event complex, PTSD develops from prolonged repeated trauma, think childhood abuse, domestic violence, or being in a war zone for an extended period.
EMGR can absolutely help with complex PTSD, but the treatment process tends to be longer and more involved. This is true of any therapy approach for complex trauma, not just EMDR. The therapist often needs specialized training in attachment based EMDR techniques because complex trauma frequently impacts a person's attachment style and ability to trust others, including the therapist.
For Complex PTSD, an EMDR therapist might spend much more time in that second phase the preparation phase, building resources and coping skills before diving into memory processing. The processing itself might also look different with more attention to developmental stages and attachment wounds. EMDR can be really effective for anxiety disorders.
Too many anxiety issues stem from past experiences that created a pattern of hyper vigilance. Basically, your brain is constantly on high alert scanning for danger. There's also often anticipatory anxiety worry about what might happen in the future. An EMDR therapist might tackle anxiety in a couple of different ways.
Some therapists start by processing past events that contributed to the anxiety. Others might begin by addressing the future scenarios the person fears, using a TAL future templating to help reduce anticipatory anxiety. The approach really depends on the individual specific situation and the therapist's training when it comes to depression.
EMGR often focuses on identifying and processing the memories that contributed to negative beliefs about oneself, others, and the world. Many people with depression carry beliefs like, I'm worthless, or I'll never be good enough. And these beliefs often stem from specific life experiences. By processing these memories and challenging the associated negative beliefs, EMDR can help lift the weight of depression.
It's worth noting that EMDR is often used alongside other treatments for depression, like medication or cognitive behavioral therapy.
EMDR is actually one of the most effective treatments we have for phobias. The treatment typically involves three main steps. First, the therapist helps you process any memories that might have contributed to the phobia. For example, if you have a fear of dogs, you might process a memory of being chased or bitten by a dog as a child.
Second, you'll work on desensitizing yourself to your nightmare scenario, the worst case situation that you fear for someone with a dog phobia, this might be being surrounded by aggressive dogs with no escape. Finally, you'll develop and strengthening a future template of coping successfully with the feared situation.
This helps build confidence and reduces that anticipatory anxiety once again. And when it comes to substance misuse, EMGR has specialized protocols for that, recognizing that addiction often has roots in trauma. The therapy targets distressing memories and beliefs that may have fueled the substance abuse.
It can also help desensitize triggers that lead to cravings and substance use. These triggers might be places, people, emotions, or situations linked to past substance use. For many people in recovery, EMGR provides a way to process painful experiences without turning to substances for relief. It can be a powerful component of a comprehensive addiction treatment plan.
As we wrap up today's episode on EMDR, I want to emphasize that while this therapy has helped countless people, it's not a magic bullet or a quick fix. Like any therapy, it works better for some people than others. It works best when you're partnered with a skilled trained therapist who you trust. If you're interested in trying EMDR, look for a licensed mental health professional who has completed specific training in EMDR through an MDR approved program.
That's the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing international association. They set the standards for EMDR training and practice m Andrea has a directory on their website where you can look for trained professionals, and I will link it in the show notes. It's also worth noting that EMDR can be emotionally intense at times during processing.
You may experience strong emotions or physical sensations. A good EMDR therapist will make sure you have the coping skills to handle these experiences, both during and between sessions. But for many people, the temporary discomfort of processing is well worth the long-term relief they experience. I've talked to so many people who say that EMDR changed their lives.
Helping them move past traumas that had been holding them back for years or even decades. If you are struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, phobias, or addiction, consider talking to your doctor or therapist about whether EMTR might be right for you. And if you, you're a therapist listening to this podcast, I encourage you to look into EMGR training.
It's a powerful tool to have in your clinical toolbox. Alright, that's all for today's episode. If you have questions about EMDR or suggestions for future episode topics, please reach out through my website, which I will put in the show notes. And if you find this podcast helpful, please leave a review and give it a follow.
I always love hearing from you. I hope you leave feeling a little more informed and empowered. Remember, healing takes time and you are exactly where you need to be. Take care of yourselves and until we meet again, be kind to your heart.
