Empower Your Way Counseling LLC
EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)Â
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Evidence-based therapy for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and experiences that continue to feel emotionally stuck.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidenced-based treatment that helps the brain process difficult experiences that have become emotionally 'stuck.'
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When we experience something overwhelming, our brain's natural ability to process information can get interrupted, leaving the memory stored with its original intensity. EMDR works by stimulating the brain's information processing system, allowing the experience to be integrated into long-term memory in a way that feels more manageable.
It is important to understand that EMDR does not erase memories. Instead, it is designed to change the emotional charge associated with them. You will still remember what happened, but the 'fight-flight-freeze' response that was once triggered by the memory will feel less intense, allowing you to look at the memory through a different lens.Â
What EMDR Can Help With
PTSD & Trauma
Complex PTSD
Anxiety
Negative Self-Beliefs
Relationship Wounds
Life Transitions
How EMDR Works
The AIP Model
EMDR is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model. Our brains are naturally designed to process experiences and learn from them. Most experiences get sorted, stored, and connected to other memories over time, losing their raw emotional charge.
When Memories Get Stuck
Overwhelming experiences can become "stuck" along with original emotions, beliefs, and physical sensations. Present-day situations can trigger responses that feel much bigger than the situation itself because the brain reacts to unprocessed information.
The Integration Process
EMDR helps the brain return to these experiences in a managed way. As integration occur, memories become less emotionally overwhelming, negative beliefs begin to shift, and you feel less stuck in patterns developed around the original experience.
Bilateral Stimulation
We use bilateral stimulation (BLS), which may involve guided eye movements, alternating taps, or alternating sounds while briefly bringing aspects of a memory to mind. This supports the brain's natural information-processing system, helping new connections and insights emerge.
What EMDR Stands For
Eye Movement
Desensitization
Reprocessing
Guided movements, tapping, or sounds used to stimulate processing.
Reducing emotional distress and intensity of daily triggers.
Integrating memories so they no longer feel present or controlling.
Rather than changing what happened, EMDR helps change the relationship you have with those experiences and the influence they continue to have on your life today.