Understanding EMDR: How It Helps Heal Trauma
Written by Ryan Greenwood
Understanding EMDR: How It Helps Heal Trauma
Trauma can leave a deep imprint on the mind, reshaping how we perceive the world and respond to life’s challenges. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has emerged as a groundbreaking approach to help individuals process and heal from trauma. But what exactly is EMDR, and how does it work?
What Is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Developed in the late 1980s by Francine Shapiro, this therapy is widely recognized as an effective treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR focuses less on discussing traumatic events and more on helping the brain reprocess distressing memories.
The Library Metaphor: How EMDR Helps Your Brain Organize
To understand EMDR, it’s helpful to imagine your brain as a library.
The Librarian at Work
One of your brain’s main jobs is to catalog your experiences (the “books”) and file them neatly on the appropriate shelves. Most of the time, this happens naturally—when you sleep, daydream, or allow your mind to wander, your brain quietly processes and stores memories where they belong.
When Trauma Messes With the System
Trauma, however, can throw the librarian into chaos. Some memories are so overwhelming that the brain struggles to put them away. Each time the librarian tries to shelve the book, it’s as though they’re transported back to the moment the memory happened—reliving the fear, pain, or distress.
These traumatic memories remain “unshelved,” creating mental clutter that can affect your emotional well-being, relationships, and sense of safety. To avoid triggering those feelings, your brain might sidestep the memories altogether, but the unprocessed trauma lingers, often showing up as anxiety, depression, or other challenges.
How EMDR Helps: Shelving the Books
EMDR helps the librarian finish the job. Through a process called bilateral stimulation, EMDR calms the body, reduces the emotional intensity of the memory, and allows the brain to finally process the experience.
What Is Bilateral Stimulation?
Bilateral stimulation refers to the back-and-forth movement of your attention between two points—often guided by side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or sounds. This rhythmic stimulation appears to mimic the natural processing that happens during REM sleep, where the brain works through unresolved emotions and experiences.
How It Works in Therapy
In an EMDR session, your therapist will guide you to recall a traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation. This process helps “desensitize” the emotional charge of the memory, allowing your brain to see the experience in a broader, less distressing context. The memory doesn’t disappear, but it feels more like a book that’s been neatly filed away—not one that keeps falling off the shelf.
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Ryan Greenwood, CPC, MA
Ryan is the founder and clinical director of Hello Calm. He graduated at the top of his class from Adams State University with a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, is a member of the American Counseling Association, and has a great passion for working with people to grow in the middle of their hardest moments. Ryan is a Henderson local, greatly loves the Golden Knights, traveling, and being outdoors. He and his wife have been happily married for 9 years.
