A memory, conversation, sensation, or situation may bring up anxiety, fear, shame, or a physical response before you have time to think your way through it.

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EMDR approaches these experiences differently from talk therapy alone. During EMDR, you’re guided to briefly bring aspects of a distressing memory or experience to mind while engaging in bilateral stimulation — often through guided eye movements or alternating taps.

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The goal isn’t to erase what happened or convince yourself that it didn’t matter. It’s to help the experience become less activating, so it can feel more like something that happened in the past rather than something your mind and body are still responding to in the present.

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EMDR may be helpful for:

• Trauma and distressing experiences

• Anxiety and persistent triggers

• Grief, loss, and reproductive trauma

• Relationship injuries or betrayal

• Difficult memories that remain emotionally charged

• Negative beliefs shaped by past experiences

• Experiences you understand intellectually but still feel strongly in your body