What is EMDR? And How Can it Help?
Have you ever felt that your body is responding to something before your brain can catch up?
Maybe you keep reacting to things in ways you don’t understand, feeling anxious, shut down, or on edge even when nothing “bad” is happening.
Life experiences, big or small, leave a lasting imprint on how our bodies and minds respond to the world. When these experiences overwhelm our ability to cope, our bodies can remain in survival mode, long after the experiences have ended.
That’s where EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy is an evidence-based approach that helps your brain and body process experiences that feel “stuck.”
EMDR uses gentle forms of bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, tapping, or sounds) to help your brain reprocess the memory or emotion in an adaptive way. With EMDR, you don't have to tell or remember exactly what happened for healing to begin.
We can imagine your memory storage as a filing system. When an overwhelming experience happens, the memory gets stored in the part of your brain that reacts to situations without the context of your current life (a.k.a. Responding as if you were still in the past situation). EMDR allows the memory to connect with the rest of your brain and allow for new learning to happen.
When Your Body Feels Stuck in Stress Mode
When something overwhelming happens, whether it’s a big life event or a buildup of smaller stresses, your body’s alarm system switches on to protect you.
But sometimes that system stays “on,” even after the situation is over.
That might look like:
Feeling anxious or tense for no clear reason
Getting easily overwhelmed or shut down
Feeling numb or disconnected from your body
Trouble relaxing, resting, or sleeping
Feeling like “something’s wrong” even when life looks fine
If any of that feels familiar, EMDR can help your body and mind learn that it’s safe to reconnect and be present in the here and now.
What Happens During EMDR Therapy
In EMDR therapy, we move slowly and safely. You are always in the driver's seat, meaning you will be in control the whole time.
We start by helping you build grounding skills so you feel steady before processing anything difficult.
When you’re ready, we might focus on a specific memory, image, or body sensation, while using bilateral stimulation (like gentle tapping). This helps your brain integrate the experience and release the emotional charge that’s been stuck.
People often describe feeling lighter, calmer, or more present after EMDR, not because they forget what happened, but because it no longer carries the same weight.
EMDR Helps With More Than Trauma
You don’t need a “capital T” trauma for EMDR to be useful.
Many people find EMDR helpful for:
Anxiety and chronic stress
Perfectionism or people-pleasing
Low self-esteem or shame
Body image struggles and eating concerns
Relationship patterns that feel hard to change
EMDR can also be deeply supportive for those healing from trauma, abuse/neglect, or childhood emotional wounds.
It meets you where you are, whether you’re exploring stress patterns for the first time or working through experiences you already know were traumatic.
How EMDR Supports Healing Around Food and Body
Our relationship with food, body image and exercise is complex, and is often used as a strategy to protect against past pain.
EMDR helps you process those emotions safely, so your relationship with food and your body can feel more peaceful, grounded, and flexible.
A Experimental, Trauma-Informed Approach
My approach to EMDR therapy is relational and trauma-informed.
That means we move at your pace, focusing on safety and connection first.
You don’t have to know your story perfectly, or even call it “trauma”, for healing to begin.
We’ll get curious together, following your body’s signals and building trust in your own capacity to heal.
Taking the Next Step
If you’ve been feeling stuck, anxious, or disconnected, and you’re ready to understand yourself in a new way, EMDR therapy can help you find clarity, relief, and reconnection.
You deserve to feel safe in your body and confident in your life again.
If you’re looking for an EMDR therapist in Seattle, WA, or Massachusetts via telehealth, I’d be honored to walk alongside you in your healing process.
Reach out today for a consultation to learn more about how EMDR can help you feel more like yourself again.
