What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy proven to help people heal from trauma and painful memories. It works by gently stimulating both sides of the brain through sound, touch, or eye movements, allowing your mind and body to reprocess experiences that may still feel “stuck.”

In simple terms: EMDR helps strip painful memories of their intensity, so they can move into the past where they belong.

How EMDR Works

When something traumatic happens, the memory can get “frozen” in the nervous system, carrying with it the fear, shame, or helplessness you felt at the time. EMDR helps unstick those memories so your brain and body can finally process them.
During a session, you remain fully present and safe in the therapy room, while also gently accessing the memory. With bilateral stimulation (BLS), your brain begins to reprocess the memory in a new way. The memory doesn’t disappear—but it loses its power.

What EMDR Feels Like

Clients often describe EMDR as feeling both grounded and far away at the same time. You’re aware of being safe in the present, while also revisiting the past in a way that allows healing.

  • After EMDR, many people report:
  • Feeling lighter, as if a weight has been lifted
  • Noticing the memory feels more distant
  • Experiencing relief from physical tension and emotional distress

Common reflections include:

“It feels like the trauma finally belongs in the past.”
“The pain is much less.”
“I feel free.”

Benefits of EMDR

  • EMDR has been shown to support healing from:
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Childhood trauma and attachment wounds
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Phobias and fears
  • Grief and loss
  • Low self-esteem and negative self-beliefs
  • Creativity blocks and relationship difficulties

EMDR and Psychedelic Therapy

EMDR can be used on its own or woven into Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) sessions. When combined, EMDR can help process memories or emotions that surface during a psychedelic journey, creating deeper and more embodied healing.

Why I Use EMDR

After 20 years as a therapist, I’ve seen EMDR help clients experience profound relief, often more quickly than with traditional talk therapy. By clearing emotional and physical blockages, EMDR makes space for more joy, openness, and connection.

“As traumatized children we always dreamed that someone would come and save us. We never dreamed that it would, in fact, be ourselves, as adults.” – Alice Little