EMDR Therapy in New York

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It uses bilateral stimulation—typically side-to-side eye movements—while you briefly focus on traumatic memories. This sounds strange, but research shows it works.

The theory is that traumatic memories get "stuck" in the brain, not processed the way normal memories are. They remain vivid, emotionally charged, and easily triggered. EMDR seems to help the brain finally process these memories, reducing their emotional intensity and integrating them into your life story in a less disruptive way.

For addiction, EMDR addresses the trauma that often drives substance use. If you started using to escape abuse memories, numb emotional pain from past events, or cope with PTSD symptoms, processing that underlying trauma can remove a major trigger for use.

EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol. Early phases focus on building skills for emotional regulation and establishing safety. Then you'll identify specific traumatic memories to target.

During processing phases, you briefly focus on a traumatic memory while following the therapist's finger with your eyes (or using other bilateral stimulation like tapping or sounds). You observe whatever thoughts, feelings, or images emerge, processing in short sets.

After each set, you share briefly what came up, then return for another set. Over the session, the memory typically becomes less distressing. Negative beliefs about yourself connected to the trauma ("I'm powerless," "I'm worthless") shift to more adaptive beliefs ("I survived," "I have value").