Your Brain and Body Were Built To Heal Trauma

While a therapist can help guide your healing process, they are not the expert on you. You are.

You know yourself best.

Trust your instincts.

Trust your inner knowing.

What Is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was developed over 35 years ago by Francine Shapiro. Its purpose is to activate your brain and body’s natural healing process. Just as your body knows how to heal a cut, your mind knows how to heal from trauma. EMDR helps you access this innate self-healing ability.

How Does EMDR Work?

An EMDR therapist works with you to identify the traumas you want to focus on. Together, you process the emotions, body sensations, and thoughts connected to those experiences. This helps your brain refile and integrate the memories into long-term storage, so they become part of your past and no longer overwhelm you in the present.

Over time, the painful story starts to shift.

Instead of believing “I’m worthless” or “I’m an idiot,” you might begin to feel, “I did the best I could,” or “It wasn’t my fault.”

Eventually, a deeper insight forms, and you may be able to know something like, “My parents shamed me for small mistakes, but I was a great kid and didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”

That shift matters. What if the story that you told yourself about the past supported you rather than harmed you?

Am I Ready for EMDR?

You may be ready for EMDR when you have a certain amount of stability in your daily life and feel prepared to engage in deeper emotional work. EMDR can bring up strong feelings, so it is most helpful when you have emotional regulation skills and support systems in place, whether that is a therapist, trusted friends, community, or a spiritual practice.

How Long Does EMDR Take?

It depends on your personal history and how deeply you want to heal. In trauma work, I often say, “Slow is fast.”

When emotions run high, a gentle and steady pace tends to bring the most meaningful and lasting change.

When Should I Consider EMDR?

EMDR is a multi-layered approach that works with your body sensations, beliefs, emotions, and memories. The goal is not only to reduce symptoms, but to resolve the distress at its root so you can integrate your experiences and see yourself with greater clarity and compassion.

Many people come to me after trying other therapies but still feel stuck or unable to move forward. My role is to meet you exactly where you are and support your next steps in healing.

And above all, remember:

With EMDR, Francine Shapiro, didn’t invent healing. She helped us remember that it was always within us.