EMDR stands for Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Discovered in the 1980s by Francine Shapiro, it was originally designed as a tool to desensitize people to traumatic and distressing material. EMDR has a very broad range of applications. It is most known for reprocessing traumatic memories but it can also be used for desensitizing phobias and anxieties, treating chronic pain, and creating stability and emotional regulation.

EMDR is rooted in the theory that when we have a traumatic event happen, it is “stored” in our brain, body, and nervous system differently than a non-traumatic memory in a way that would be defined as dysfunctional. The way the memory is “stored” creates a state of nervous system dysregulation (fight, flight, or freeze response) and can also leave us with negative belief systems, intrusive images, flashbacks, intense emotional reactions, and bodily pain. By using Bi-lateral stimulation through a series of eye movements, tactile tapping, or audio beats, these memories get reprocessed in a way where they are now stored functionally in the brain, body, and nervous system alleviating these symptoms.