EMDR is a bizarre and wondrous treatment and anybody who first hears about it, myself included, thinks this is pretty hokey and strange

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is used to get relief from negative feelings associated with painful or traumatic memories by harnessing our body's innate healing capabilities. 

Most of the time, our bodies automatically processes new information and experiences without our conscious awareness. 

However, when a distressing event occurs, causing trauma due to overwhelming circumstances (e.g., a car accident) or continuous exposure to distress (e.g., not getting your needs met in childhood), our natural coping mechanisms can become overwhelmed. 

This overload can lead to the distressing experiences and associated emotions being stored in the unprocessed state in the limbic system of our brain in an emotional format rather than in a narrative "story" format.

These traumatic memories within the limbic system can be repeatedly triggered when we encounter things reminiscent of those experiences. Often, the memory itself feels long-forgotten, but the distressing emotions like anxiety, panic, anger, or sadness continue to resurface in the present. Consequently, this can hinder our ability to live in the moment and feel safe. 

EMDR helps to 'reprocess' these overwhelming memories out of the emotional format and into the narrative "story' format, where they belong. 

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During a typical EMDR session, the client brings to mind the memory they want to work on and pairs it with a form of bilateral stimulation (BLS):

Forms of bilateral stimulation (BLS) include: 

• Eye movements (shifting the gaze back and forth) 
• Tactile stimulations (tapping or buzzing sensations on alternating parts of the body)
• Auditory stimulations (sounds alternating from ear to ear)

This combination is highly effective because BLS helps to inhibit the amygdala, which is the part of the brain responsible for fear, and the fight-or-flight response, which helps reduce the physiological arousal linked to the painful memory.

BLS can also be paired with positive or peaceful memories to strengthen them and create a sense of calm that one can return to when feeling triggered or overwhelmed. 

The combination of the distressing thought or memory paired with BLS allows the body to work through the memory and create some distance from it.  After each set of BLS you will be able to share what your experience was. Common experiences include changes in thoughts, images and feelings.  With repeated sets of BLS,  the memory tends to lose its painful intensity and simply becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past. 

You will maintain remain alert, awake, and in control during the course of EMDR. This is not a form of hypnosis and you can stop the process at any time. The reprocessing typically unfolds spontaneously, with insights and new connections emerging from within. As a result, many individuals find EMDR to be a natural and highly empowering therapeutic approach.