What Is EMDR? How It Works and Why I Use It as a Therapist

EMDR is a trauma therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (stimulates both side of the brain/body) to reduce the impact of past trauma on the present. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

The Two Core Assumptions Behind EMDR Therapy

There are a couple of assumptions EMDR is based on.

One: past experiences and trauma impact our here and now. If you're not sure if this is you, reflect on where the bad or challenging times in your life might be impacting your sense of self, your relationships, your work, or your overall life happiness. These experiences are typically not stored in the front of our minds. For example, if my parents divorced, I might not consciously feel responsible for it — but I may overly focus on the negative in relationships, or find myself stuck in a cycle of negative relationships without understanding why my "picker" is off.

Two: the mind naturally heals and protects itself. In therapy, I've found that we often just have to move unhelpful patterns or blocks out of the way, and then our way of thinking and life naturally fall into place. Past experiences, which are what EMDR often focuses on, force us to adapt in order to cope with a negative event. For example, after a divorce, we might learn that relationships are dangerous, or that people will let us down. While this belief was helpful as a child or during a traumatic event, that same adaptation will become a future problem. If we react to the here and now as if a trauma is reoccurring, we don't get optimal results.

How Does EMDR Work?

So with these two assumptions in mind, how does EMDR actually help? There are a few theories.

The one that connects with me both personally and professionally is that bilateral stimulation (BLS) occupies our conscious mind and allows the subconscious mind to process in the background. This is key, because our conscious mind, which is the rational mind, can't out-think or out-logic our emotional problems. When we occupy the conscious mind, the subconscious is freed up to naturally heal itself — and that's the key word: naturally. We actually aren't doing anything when we process; we're just getting out of the way.

When the subconscious is allowed to heal itself, we often see generalized positive change across many areas of life. Let's say a past experience led you to believe "I am powerless." Once that belief is rewritten in EMDR, the old core belief no longer fits. That shift can benefit your work, relationships, family life, and self-esteem, just to name a few — all because you're no longer carrying the prolonged effects of that past trauma into the present.

EMDR Isn't a Magic Fix

Even though it can feel that way, EMDR isn't magic. Two important pieces make this work:

·       Rapport and felt safety in session. A strong relationship with your therapist matters, because both the conscious and subconscious parts of you need to feel safe enough to process in front of another person.

·       Taking EMDR as a mindful experience. The key to EMDR is actually just noticing what is happening and not trying to control or force anything. This is the definition of mindfulness, and the two go hand in hand.

My favorite saying in therapy fits perfectly here with EMDR: “the only way out is through.” Here’s what I’ve learned in therapy as both therapist and client. Trust me, you are much stronger than you know.

If you’d like a video of EMDR in action here’s a good one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwcTtR5rk1g

Brenton Love
Therapy for Men

LMFT: 159509
657-201-9916