EMDR Therapy for Trauma and Lasting Healing
EMDR therapy is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps you process past experiences and reduce the intensity and frequency of painful thoughts, emotions, and patterns. I offer EMDR therapy virtually in Frederick, MD for individuals struggling with trauma, disordered eating, and relationship issues that keep them feeling stuck.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy. It was originally developed to treat trauma and PTSD, but it has since been used with a much broader range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, addiction, eating disorders, attachment issues, anger, and relational difficulties.
As an EMDR therapist, I look at each client's current symptoms and circumstances through the lens of how past experiences may be influencing the way they think, feel, and respond today. Sometimes we know exactly what experience is contributing to a current struggle, while other times the connection is less obvious. EMDR can help us identify and address the experiences, beliefs, and emotional responses that continue to affect you in the present.
EMDR is not simply about talking through what happened to you. When appropriate, we use memory reprocessing to help your brain process experiences that may still feel emotionally or physically "stuck." This can help change the way you experience the memory and the beliefs you have about yourself because of it.
I also don't believe that every client needs to engage in memory reprocessing right away. Depending on your needs and treatment goals, we may use the EMDR framework to better understand your current circumstances, explore patterns and beliefs, or use parts work before deciding whether reprocessing is appropriate.
What EMDR Can Help With
EMDR is most well known for treating trauma and PTSD, but it can also be helpful when past experiences are contributing to other emotional or behavioral concerns. I frequently use EMDR with clients experiencing:
Trauma and PTSD
Anxiety
Body image concerns
Depression and mood difficulties
Attachment and relationship concerns
Perfectionism
Anger
Low self-worth or negative beliefs about yourself
Experiences of bullying, rejection, or criticism
Difficult or complicated life experiences
EMDR may be particularly helpful when you understand logically that something from your past should no longer affect you, but you still notice strong emotional or physical reactions when something reminds you of it. Sometimes your present-day response feels much bigger than the situation seems to warrant, and that can be a sign that something from the past is being activated.
I don't approach EMDR as a treatment that needs to be used in exactly the same way with every client. We will look at what is happening for you now, what may be contributing to it, and whether EMDR is an appropriate way to address those concerns.
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (BLS), which can involve back-and-forth eye movements, alternating tapping, or other forms of left-right stimulation while you focus on a memory, thought, emotion, or physical sensation.
Before beginning memory reprocessing, we spend time identifying what is happening in your life now and understanding which past experiences may be connected to it. For more information on how we make these connections, read this blog post about the 3 major themes of EMDR. We also work on developing skills to help you stay grounded and maintain a sense of safety and control throughout the process.
During reprocessing, you may briefly focus on a past experience while noticing the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that come up and engaging in bilateral stimulation. Rather than asking you to analyze or retell every detail of what happened, we allow your brain to process the experience in a way that can lead to new connections and a different understanding of what happened.
The goal is not to erase a memory or pretend that something difficult never happened. Instead, the goal is to help the memory become less emotionally charged so that you can remember what happened without feeling like you are experiencing it all over again. Negative beliefs that developed from those experiences can also begin to shift, allowing you to develop more adaptive beliefs about yourself and your ability to cope.
How I Use EMDR with Eating Disorders
I frequently incorporate EMDR into eating disorder treatment because eating disorder behaviors are often connected to experiences and beliefs that go much deeper than food or exercise.For some clients, we may target experiences that were happening around the time their eating disorder began. We may explore what the eating disorder was helping them cope with and what negative beliefs about themselves developed during that time. For others, we may target later experiences that reinforced the eating disorder, such as bullying, diet culture messaging, body criticism, trauma, or relationship experiences.I also work with the memory networks connected to eating disorder beliefs. For example, if a client has a strong belief that they are worthless, we may identify several experiences throughout their life that reinforced that belief and reprocess those memories. Sometimes we also need to address the experiences that reinforce the "positive" beliefs of an eating disorder, such as the belief that the eating disorder is what keeps someone in control, safe, connected, or worthy.Another approach I use is the Life-Stress Protocol, which allows us to start with a present-day eating disorder urge or behavior and "float back" to identify what past experience may be connected to what is happening in the present.You can read more about how I use EMDR in eating disorder treatment and the different ways EMDR can support eating disorder recovery.
How I Use EMDR for Trauma
When working with trauma, I use EMDR to help clients process experiences that continue to affect how they see themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. Trauma doesn't always come from one major event. It can also develop through repeated experiences such as emotional abuse, neglect, bullying, chronic criticism, difficult relationships, or feeling unsafe or powerless over a long period of time.
We may begin by identifying the experiences that are connected to what you are struggling with today. This might include a specific traumatic event, a series of experiences that happened throughout childhood, or memories that continue to trigger strong emotional or physical reactions.
I also pay attention to the beliefs that developed as a result of these experiences. Trauma can leave people with beliefs such as "I am not safe," "I am powerless," "I am unlovable," "I am not good enough," or "I cannot trust anyone." These beliefs can continue to influence relationships, boundaries, self-worth, and emotional responses long after the original experiences are over.
Through EMDR reprocessing, we work toward helping you recognize that what happened to you is in the past and that you have more resources, choices, and control in your life now. The goal isn't to change what happened, but to change the way those experiences continue to affect you.
What Does an EMDR Session Look Like?
EMDR sessions can look different depending on where you are in the treatment process. We don't necessarily begin your first session by immediately asking you to reprocess a traumatic memory.
Initially, we spend time getting to know you, understanding what brings you to therapy, and identifying the patterns, symptoms, and experiences you would like to address. We also work on developing skills that can help you manage difficult emotions and stay grounded.
When we are ready to begin reprocessing, I will guide you through the process and help you identify a specific memory, belief, emotion, or physical sensation to focus on. You may use eye movements, alternating tapping, or another form of bilateral stimulation while noticing what comes up.
You don't have to tell me every detail of what happened, and you don't have to force yourself to remember something you're not ready to address. EMDR is a collaborative process, and we move at a pace that feels appropriate for you.
Some sessions may involve active reprocessing, while others may focus on preparation, stabilization, identifying targets, or processing what came up between sessions. The goal is not to rush through difficult experiences, but to make sure you have the support and resources you need throughout treatment. For more information about how a reprocessing session looks different from a talk therapy session, check out my blog post.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR
Is EMDR only for PTSD?
No. Although EMDR was originally developed to treat trauma and PTSD, it is now used with a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, attachment issues, and other difficulties that may be connected to past experiences.
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail during EMDR?
No. You do not necessarily have to describe every detail of a traumatic experience in order to process it. EMDR focuses on the thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and beliefs connected to an experience, and we work together to determine what you are comfortable sharing.
Is EMDR the same as hypnosis?
No. You remain awake and aware of your surroundings during EMDR. You are not being hypnotized or losing control. In fact, maintaining awareness of both the past experience and the present moment - called dual awareness - is an important part of the process.
How long does EMDR take?
There isn't one timeline for EMDR. Some people experience meaningful changes after a relatively small number of sessions, while others benefit from longer-term treatment, particularly when they are working through multiple or complex experiences. The length of treatment depends on your history, current concerns, treatment goals, and how much support you need.
Can EMDR be done virtually?
Yes. EMDR can be provided through telehealth, and I offer virtual EMDR therapy. We can discuss what virtual EMDR looks like and whether it is an appropriate option for you during a consultation.
Can EMDR make things worse?
Memory reprocessing can bring up difficult emotions, which is why preparation and stabilization are important parts of EMDR treatment. I don't want clients to feel like they are being pushed into processing something before they are ready. We work collaboratively and at a pace that allows you to feel as safe and supported as possible.
What if I don't remember much about my past?
You don't need to have a complete or detailed memory of your past in order to benefit from EMDR. Sometimes current emotions, physical sensations, beliefs, or reactions can help us identify what experiences may need attention. We can work with what you do remember and don't need to force memories to come back.
Can EMDR help with eating disorders?
Yes. I frequently integrate EMDR into eating disorder treatment when past experiences, negative beliefs, or emotional patterns are contributing to eating disorder thoughts and behaviors. This may include reprocessing experiences related to the development of the eating disorder, memories that reinforced it over time, or beliefs that continue to make the eating disorder feel necessary or appealing.
Learn More About EMDR
EMDR for Adults (via EMDRIA)
Video about what EMDR is like and how it used
EMDR and Your Brain
Trauma and the Brain
Eight Phases of EMDR