What is EMDR?

If you’re familiar with therapy language, there are a LOT of terms, acronyms and wild words thrown around that not everyone may be familiar with. I’m willing to bet that unless you yourself has experience with it, EMDR may be one of those things. So I’m going to do my best to demystify it because let’s be real—it sounds pretty wild, but even more wild is how effective it is.

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing is a somatic (i.e. body based) therapy that was discovered by Francine Shapiro in the 1990s. Shapiro was a nurse who began noticing subtle healing when her patients engaged in activities that used both sides of the body, also known as Bilateral Stimulation, or “BLS” for short. A relatable way many of us have to think about this is the phrase, “go for a walk.” Going for a walk is kind of like free EMDR because it is using both sides of the body to process through information, emotions, feelings, sensations, and yes—even trauma.

So where do eye movements come into play? Through her work, Shapiro began to notice her patients would experience healing when they’d move their eyes from side to side. Since that time, EMDR has proven again an again to be profoundly effective at providing relief and healing to first responders, combat veterans, survivors of early childhood trauma, etc. As a clinician trained in EMDR, I’ve worked with dozens of individuals who have benefited from its protocols when utilized ethically and as intended.

This blog post is really just scratching the surface of my thoughts on EMDR and trauma therapies so if you or someone you know is interested in learning more, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to consult. Thank you for reading. Be well!

Nicole