Demystifying EMDR: What is This Form of Therapy All About?
When I first heard about EMDR, honestly, it sounded like woo-woo magic. Hypnotism, mind tricks, something that couldn’t possibly be real. The only reason I gave it a second look was because a therapist mentor I deeply respected told me about it. Out of curiosity, I Googled…and was surprised to find a whole world of solid research and evidence behind it.
As a somatic therapist, I’ve now seen firsthand how life-changing EMDR can be—but I’ve also had clients come to me saying “EMDR messed me up” and they have made it in good ways and bad. Good ways as in EMDR completely changed their lives, unlocked things, and messed up old patterns to help them build new healing ones. Bad ways as in they found EMDR overwhelming and to be too much. And the truth is, EMDR isn’t one-size-fits-all. Done well, it can be deeply healing. Done without care and proper pacing, it can leave people feeling exposed. Let’s talk about what EMDR actually is, what it’s good for, and how to know if it’s right for you.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s an evidence-based form of therapy designed to help the brain process trauma and adverse experiences so they don’t keep running the show in the present.
Here’s how it works: EMDR taps into your brain’s adaptive information processing system—the part of you that knows how to heal when given the right conditions. It does this using bilateral stimulation (BLS): gentle side-to-side eye movements, tactile pulses, or sounds in alternating ears.
The idea isn’t to relive your trauma—it’s to allow your nervous system to reprocess old experiences so they no longer overwhelm you.
What is EMDR good for?
EMDR is a powerful therapy for:
Trauma and adverse experiences
Anxiety that feels “stuck” in the body
Times when the past keeps showing up in the present
Overthinking patterns that never seem to quiet down
High achievers who can’t “outperform” their pain
Anyone seeking deep, whole-body healing
In short, EMDR is often most helpful when the things you know logically don’t match what you feel emotionally.
Is EMDR for everyone?
Yes…and no.
The beauty of EMDR is that it has multiple phases, and not all of them involve processing trauma right away. Many phases focus on:
Building resources for resilience
Strengthening your nervous system’s capacity
Developing self-soothing strategies
Deepening the therapeutic relationship
These practices are healing on their own—even before you start trauma reprocessing.
That said, EMDR might not be the best standalone option for folks with untreated or unstable OCD, unmanaged depression, or dissociative disorders. In those cases, EMDR may still be part of a larger treatment plan, but it requires thoughtful integration with other therapies.
Will EMDR just traumatize me?
This is the heart of it—the part where many people say “EMDR messed me up.” The truth? EMDR was designed to be non-traumatizing. But revisiting painful memories requires skillful, attuned guidance.
Your experience depends heavily on the therapist you’re working with. A safe EMDR experience should include a therapist who:
Treats you as the expert of your own nervous system
Creates spacious time for resourcing and regulation
Attunes closely to your emotional state, moment by moment
Invites—not pushes—you into every step
Explains the process clearly, in language you understand
This is why I combine EMDR with somatic therapy and attachment-based work. My approach creates lots of space for grounding and resourcing so that we’re installing as much well-being into your nervous system as we are processing pain. Healing doesn’t have to feel like ripping open old wounds—it can feel like building capacity for joy, safety, and presence.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve heard scary stories about EMDR or even had a negative experience yourself, please know this: EMDR itself isn’t the problem. It’s about fit, pacing, and the quality of the therapeutic relationship. When done with care, EMDR can be one of the most powerful tools for deep and lasting healing.
If you’re curious about EMDR—or if you want to explore an EMDR intensive where we can make significant progress in a safe, resourced, and compassionate way—I’d love to talk.
👉 Schedule a consultation today to see if EMDR or an EMDR intensive might be the right next step in your healing journey.
