What Is EMDR Therapy and Could It Help You Heal?
What Is EMDR Therapy and Could It Help You Heal?
If you’ve been feeling stuck emotionally, physically, or even spiritually you’re not alone.
Many of the clients we work with at Center for Integrative Change in Ventura have tried traditional talk therapy before, but still felt like certain patterns, memories, or sensations just wouldn’t shift.
That’s where EMDR therapy comes in.
Whether you’re navigating trauma, grief, anxiety, or something you can’t quite name, EMDR offers a different kind of doorway into healing—one that works with your nervous system, not just your thoughts.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a research-supported therapy that helps your brain and body process overwhelming or traumatic experiences that may still be living in your system.
Unlike traditional therapy, EMDR doesn’t require you to retell your story in detail. Instead, we use gentle tools like guided eye movements, sound, or tapping. This helps your brain do what it’s naturally wired to do: heal.
Think of EMDR as an emotional detox. It helps your system “digest” old experiences that never got fully processed, so they stop running in the background and interfering with your present-day life.
What EMDR Can Help With
EMDR is often associated with trauma and PTSD but it can support a wide range of struggles, including:
Anxiety and panic
Grief and loss
Childhood or attachment wounds
Medical trauma or birth trauma
Body-based symptoms (tension, gut issues, chronic stress)
Fear of rejection or abandonment
Perfectionism, people-pleasing, and freeze responses
Flashbacks, nightmares, or emotionally charged memories
If you’ve ever thought, “Why do I keep reacting this way when I know better?” EMDR may help bridge the gap between insight and actual, felt change.
But Will I Have to Relive My Trauma?
This is a common fear and trust me we get it.
In EMDR, you stay fully present and in control the entire time. We go at your pace, and nothing gets forced or rushed. You don’t have to say everything out loud. You don’t even need the words.
EMDR doesn’t erase memories it just helps the emotional charge dissolve so that what happened no longer defines you.
Clients often say things like:
“It’s still there, but it feels far away now.”
“It finally feels like something released.”
What It Feels Like in Session
Every EMDR journey is different, but sessions often include:
Grounding and resourcing work first (we don’t just jump in)
Identifying the memory or pattern we’re working with
Brief sets of eye movements, tapping, or tones while you stay focused inward
Space to notice body sensations, thoughts, images, or emotions that arise
Gentle check-ins and breaks this is collaborative, not invasive
The process honors your brain’s intelligence.
We don’t force insights, they emerge.
We don’t “fix” you, your system already knows how to heal.
A Path Back to Yourself
We see EMDR as more than just a clinical tool.
At its best, it becomes a way of remembering who you were before the overwhelm – a way back to wholeness, regulation, and connection.
If a part of you is feeling curious, drawn, or even a little nervous about this work that’s okay. That part is wise. You don’t have to figure it all out before reaching out.
Ready to Learn More?
At Center for Integrative Change, we offer EMDR therapy as part of our trauma-informed, holistic approach to healing. Whether you’ve experienced a single traumatic event or years of chronic stress, we’d be honored to support your journey.
You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation with one of our therapists or reach out through our contact page to learn more.
Healing is possible. Let’s begin, together.
About The Author
Alison Hochman has a master's in clinical psychology from California Lutheran University and is an associate marriage and family therapist (AMFT136501) supervised by Jeremy Mast, MS, MDiv, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT (CA90961). Alison helps people break free from self-destructive behaviors and limiting patterns to live their fullest and most authentic life.
