EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured, evidence-based therapy developed in the late 1980s, originally for trauma. It is now used for a wider range of issues.
What happens in a session
You and your clinician identify a memory or current trigger that feels stuck. While holding that memory in mind, you follow bilateral stimulation — usually your therapist’s fingers moving side to side, sometimes taps or tones — for short sets. Between sets you check in.
Most clients describe the experience as strange but not unpleasant. Many notice that by the end of a session, the memory feels less intense, more distant.
What it’s used for
- PTSD and acute trauma reactions
- Anxiety and panic that hasn’t responded to talk therapy
- Phobias
- Grief that has gotten stuck
- Some depressive presentations tied to specific memories
How to start
At Happy Pro, our Clinical Director is EMDR-trained. We’ll do a standard intake first to make sure EMDR is the right fit before starting the protocol. Reach out to ask about EMDR.