Healing Trauma with EMDR: A Path to Recovery and Resilience

Understanding Trauma: How EMDR Therapy Can Help You Heal

Trauma can leave deep scars, affecting every part of your life. But healing is possible. At Integrated Care Unity Center (ICUC), we offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, a powerful and evidence-based approach that has been shown to help individuals process and manage the effects of trauma1,2.

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR is a unique form of therapy that helps the brain process traumatic memories, so they no longer cause intense emotional distress3. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR involves specific eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation while recalling traumatic events4. This process is thought to help rewire the brain’s response to these memories, potentially reducing their emotional impact4. Beyond trauma, EMDR has also shown evident with treating body dysmorphia5, borderline personality disorder (BPD)6, any personality disorder7, phantom limb pain8,9, somatic issues10, etc. To learn more about EMDR, please visit EMDRIA.

Types of Trauma EMDR Can Help With

EMDR is particularly effective for addressing trauma related to events such as sexual abuse11, physical violence12, accidents13, or the sudden loss of a loved one14. These significant events can have a major impact on your life. However, trauma isn’t always about one major event. Sometimes, it’s the smaller, less obvious experiences—like ongoing stress, feeling neglected, or repeated criticism—that build up over time and affect us deeply.

At ICUC, we recognize that all types of trauma, whether from a single life-changing event or a series of smaller, difficult experiences, are important. Our therapists use EMDR to support you in processing these experiences and working towards healing. While results can vary, our goal is to help you regain a sense of peace and control in your life.

What to Expect During an EMDR Session

During an EMDR session, you’ll work with one of our trained therapists to focus on a specific traumatic memory. Through a series of guided eye movements or taps, the therapy aims to help you process the memory in a way that lessens its hold on you. Over time, many clients find that these memories no longer trigger the same intense emotional reactions4, helping them move forward with their lives.

The Benefits of EMDR

One of the key advantages of EMDR therapy is that, while it does involve revisiting and focusing on traumatic memories, it doesn’t require you to talk extensively about them in detail. Instead, EMDR uses specific techniques to help you process these memories in a way that is controlled and manageable1. This approach allows your brain to work through the trauma without being overwhelmed, making EMDR a gentle yet potentially effective form of therapy.

EMDR helps you to access and reprocess distressing memories in a way that gradually reduces their emotional intensity1. As therapy progresses, many clients find that these memories lose their power to cause intense emotions, potentially leading to a reduction in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other trauma-related conditions1,4,13.

Additionally, EMDR can help you develop new, healthier perspectives by replacing negative beliefs associated with your trauma with positive, empowering thoughts. This shift can foster greater self-worth, confidence, and resilience, helping you face future challenges with strength and peace.

Overall, EMDR offers a comprehensive approach that supports your healing from past trauma while equipping you with tools to navigate life’s challenges. While everyone’s experience with EMDR is unique, many have found it to be a valuable step on their journey toward recovery.

References:

1 Shapiro, Francine. (2001). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: basic principles, protocols, and procedures (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press. 

2 Tien, A. Y. (1997). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 185(3), 203. 

3 Leeds, A. M. (2009). A guide to the standard EMDR protocols for clinicians, supervisors, and consultants (1st ed.). New York, NY: Springer. 

4 Shapiro, F., & Laliotis, D. (2011). EMDR and the Adaptive Information Processing Model: Integrative Treatment and Case Conceptualization. Clinical Social Work Journal, 39(2), 191–200. 

5 Brown, K. W., McGoldrick, T., & Buchanan, R. (1997). Body dysmorphic disorder: Seven cases treated with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 25, 203–207.

6 Brown, S., & Shapiro, F. (2006). EMDR in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. Clinical Case Studies, 5, 403–420.

7 Manfield, P., & Shapiro, F. (2003). The application of EMDR to the treatment of personality disorders. In J. F. Magnavita & J. F. Magnavita (Eds.), Handbook of personality disorders: Theory and practice (pp. 304–330). New York: Wiley.

8 Russell, M. (2008). Treating traumatic amputation-related phantom limb pain: A case study utilizing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) within the armed services. Clinical Case Studies, 7, 136–153.

9 Schneider, J., Hofmann, A., Rost, C., & Shapiro, F. (2008). EMDR in the treatment of chronic phantom limb pain. Pain Medicine, 9, 76–82.

10 van der Kolk, B. A. (2002). Beyond the talking cure: Somatic experience and subcortical imprints in the treatment of trauma. In F. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR as an integrative psychotherapy approach: Experts of diverse orientations explore the paradigm prism (pp. 57–84). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press.

11 Edmond, T., Sloan, L., & McCarty, D. (2004). Sexual Abuse Survivors’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of EMDR and Eclectic Therapy. Research on Social Work Practice, 14(4), 259–272. 

12 Maxwell, J. P. (2003). The imprint of childhood physical and emotional abuse: A case study on the use of EMDR to address anxiety and a lack of self-esteem. Journal of Family Violence, 18(5), 281–294. 

13 Yaşar, A. B., Konuk, E., Kavakçı, Önder, Uygun, E., Gündoğmuş, İbrahim, Taygar, A. S., & Uludağ, E. (2022). A Randomized-Controlled Trial of EMDR Flash Technique on Traumatic Symptoms, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Life of Quality with Individuals Who Have Experienced a Traffic Accident. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 845481. 

14 Spicer, L. (2024). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for prolonged grief: theory, research, and practice. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1357390.