EMDR Therapy at Seattle Therapy and Counseling
When you’ve been through something difficult—whether it’s a traumatic event, a painful memory, or a pattern that keeps you stuck—it can feel overwhelming, like you’re carrying a weight you can’t shake. Maybe you’ve tried other ways to heal, but the distress lingers, leaving you feeling frustrated, anxious, or even hopeless. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to continue feeling this way. EMDR therapy could be the next step in your healing journey.
At Seattle Therapy and Counseling, we understand how complex and deeply personal trauma can be. We’re here to guide you through a process that has helped countless individuals find relief from the grip of their past, allowing them to reclaim their emotional well-being. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful, evidence-based therapeutic approach designed to help you work through distressing memories and experiences, no matter how long they’ve been affecting you.
What Is EMDR?
At its core, EMDR is about helping your brain process and heal from trauma. Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro, EMDR was initially created to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it’s now used to address a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, phobias, grief, and the emotional residue of distressing life events.
When we go through something traumatic, it can overwhelm our brain's natural ability to process the event. As a result, the memory gets “stuck,” and the emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations linked to that experience remain intense. You might find that these memories pop up unexpectedly or that they still feel as painful as they did when they first happened. EMDR helps you move these memories from a place of being stuck to a place where they no longer hold the same emotional charge.
How Does EMDR Work?
During EMDR therapy, we focus on what’s known as bilateral stimulation, which could involve following a therapist’s hand movements with your eyes, listening to alternating sounds, or feeling gentle taps. This bilateral stimulation helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories, allowing you to integrate them in a healthier way. In essence, your brain is able to digest the experience and store it in a more adaptive, less distressing manner.
The process is grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which suggests that our brains have an inherent capacity to heal from emotional distress—similar to how our bodies heal from physical wounds. Sometimes, though, this natural process gets interrupted, and the healing doesn’t happen as it should. EMDR therapy helps restart this process, enabling you to view the traumatic memory with less emotional intensity and more perspective.
What to Expect in EMDR Therapy
If you’re considering EMDR therapy, it’s normal to feel uncertain or even nervous about what to expect. Here’s what you need to know:
At Seattle Therapy and Counseling, your EMDR journey is personalized. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach because each person’s experience with trauma and healing is unique. In your first few sessions, your therapist will work with you to identify the distressing memories or negative beliefs you want to address. This might include identifying any negative thoughts or feelings you’ve internalized about yourself—like “I’m not safe” or “I’m powerless.”
Once we’ve pinpointed what needs to be processed, the EMDR work begins. During the session, your therapist will guide you through a structured process of recalling the traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation. Throughout, you’ll be encouraged to observe any thoughts, feelings, or sensations that arise. The goal isn’t to relive the trauma, but rather to help your brain process it in a new way. Over time, the memory becomes less distressing, and you’ll begin to feel more empowered in the present.
Your therapist will move at your pace. EMDR isn’t a race, and it’s crucial that you feel safe and supported throughout the process. Sessions are collaborative, and your comfort and well-being are our top priority.
The Benefits of EMDR Therapy
So, why choose EMDR? There are several key benefits that have made it a go-to for individuals struggling with trauma and other distressing experiences.
Rapid Relief from Symptoms: EMDR is known for its ability to provide relatively quick relief from symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and hypervigilance. For many, the intensity of distressing symptoms begins to decrease after just a few sessions.
Increased Empowerment: As you process and reframe painful memories, you’ll likely experience a shift in how you see yourself. Many clients report feeling more empowered and capable of managing life’s challenges. EMDR can help you let go of negative beliefs and replace them with more positive, adaptive ones.
Emotional Resilience: By addressing trauma at its core, EMDR builds emotional resilience. You’ll not only feel relief from the past, but you’ll also be better equipped to handle future stressors in a healthier, more balanced way.
Enhanced Well-Being: Beyond trauma, EMDR can lead to broader improvements in your mental health. Clients often report feeling more grounded, balanced, and connected to themselves and others after completing EMDR therapy.
Who Can Benefit from EMDR?
You might wonder if EMDR is the right fit for you. This therapy is especially helpful for individuals who have experienced trauma, whether from a single event or a series of overwhelming experiences. It’s particularly effective in treating PTSD, but its benefits extend to many other conditions, including:
Depression
Anxiety and panic disorders
Phobias
Grief and loss
Relationship difficulties
Childhood trauma or neglect
At Seattle Therapy and Counseling, we’ve seen firsthand how EMDR helps clients not only heal from the past but also build stronger, more resilient futures. Whether you’ve been through a specific traumatic event or you’ve lived with chronic emotional pain, EMDR can offer you a pathway to deeper healing.
What Makes EMDR Different?
Unlike traditional talk therapy, which often focuses on processing trauma through discussion, EMDR works on a deeper, more subconscious level. This doesn’t mean that talking isn’t important—your therapist will certainly help you verbalize your experiences—but the primary focus of EMDR is on how your brain processes information. By targeting the root of the distressing memory, EMDR can help you experience profound shifts in how you feel about yourself and the world around you.
One of the most remarkable aspects of EMDR is that you don’t need to recall every detail of the trauma for it to be effective. This can be a relief for those who find it difficult or re-traumatizing to talk extensively about their past experiences.
How to Get Started with EMDR Therapy
If you’re curious about EMDR and want to explore how it can help you, the first step is simple: reach out using the contact form below. At Seattle Therapy and Counseling, we’re here to support you every step of the way. You deserve to feel lighter, more at peace, and more in control of your life.
Whether you’ve been struggling for months or years, there’s hope. Reach out today, and let’s work together to create the change you’ve been seeking.
An Introduction to EMDR
This video discusses more about EMDR therapy, what it is like in sessions, and how widely it is recognized. EMDR therapists discuss how EMDR therapy works and the feedback they receive from clients.
Contact Us
We offer a free 15 minute consultation call for all prospective clients. If you would like to discuss EMDR therapy, please go to seattletherapyandcounseling.sessionshealth.com to schedule your consultation call directly on our calendar, up to 1 week from today. If you are unable to find an available time that works for your schedule, please contact us with the contact form, including your time preference for a call, and we will do the best we can to accommodate your schedule.