How EMDR Works for Psychotherapy and Healing Trauma

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a widely recognized and evidence-based therapy, particularly effective for individuals healing from trauma. In simple terms, EMDR helps clients process distressing memories by using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements. This process is believed to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories and reduce their emotional intensity (Shapiro, 2018). For clients struggling with PTSD, childhood trauma, or other distressing events, EMDR can be a life-changing intervention.

At Brooklyn Integrative, our therapists are specially trained in EMDR techniques to help you overcome the impact of trauma. Research supports the use of EMDR for trauma recovery, with studies indicating that it significantly reduces PTSD symptoms and speeds up recovery compared to traditional therapies (Bisson et al., 2007). Our therapists take a compassionate and client-centered approach, ensuring that every session is tailored to your unique experience. Whether you are working through trauma related to abuse, loss, or other distressing experiences, EMDR offers a powerful tool for emotional healing. Our goal is to provide not just relief, but long-term recovery through proven, scientifically supported methods like EMDR.

Additional studies have shown that EMDR can improve emotional processing in trauma survivors and help them integrate traumatic memories into their narrative in a healthy way. A meta-analysis published in The Lancet reviewed the efficacy of EMDR in treating PTSD and concluded that it is as effective as other established trauma treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), while being less time-consuming (Cuijpers et al., 2016). At Brooklyn Integrative, we use this evidence-backed approach to offer the most effective trauma treatment for our clients.