How EMDR Helps Us Heal from Trauma

Sometimes, the past doesn’t feel like the past. A sound, a smell, or a situation can suddenly trigger an overwhelming reaction — even if you know you’re safe. That’s trauma. And it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. It just means your nervous system is still holding on to something it hasn’t had the chance to fully process.

That’s where EMDR therapy can help.

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess painful or disturbing memories so they no longer feel as charged. You don’t need to go into every detail of what happened — instead, we focus on how it’s affecting you now.

During a session, your therapist will guide you to gently notice a memory or emotion while engaging in left-right stimulation (like eye movements or tapping). It’s based on how the brain naturally processes experiences during REM sleep.

What I, a registered social worker and trauma therapist, often see is that the memory itself doesn’t disappear, but it begins to feel more distant — like something that happened, not something that’s still happening inside you. Clients often say:

“I thought this would always feel heavy — but it just doesn’t anymore.”

“It’s weird… I remember it, but it doesn’t hit the same way now.”

I love using EMDR because it honours how layered healing can be — and often brings surprising, deep shifts, even when words fall short.