Photo of a man from sitting on a couch and a woman sitting on a chair writing sympolizing a therapy session.

You may have heard about EMDR from a friend, family member, or colleague because of their positive results. Although your current or past therapy has been helpful, you're not quite where you want to be in your life and you want to know what EMDR can offer you.

I’m Diane, a Certified EMDR therapist in Seattle specializing in trauma and anxiety.

What is EMDR Therapy in Seattle?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This therapy is highly effective in healing trauma or other difficult life events, whether it’s from a single event or ongoing trauma from childhood. EMDR is also effective for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and even phobias.

Is the Past in your Present?

The idea behind EMDR is that distressing events can overwhelm the body and brain, leaving the memory “unprocessed.” When any experience occurs, it typically moves from short-term to long-term memory. When an event moves to long-term memory, we remember the experience, but the intense emotions, images, and sensations fade. However, sometimes, the event remains trapped in short-term memory, causing the feelings and memories to resurface repeatedly. This is what “unprocessed” means.

Have you ever reacted too strongly to a situation that didn’t seem to warrant such an intense response? Or you recycle an event that happened last year or even 10 years ago over and over. This could happen because your body-brain system was unconsciously reminded of an unprocessed event stuck in your short-term memory. Without reprocessing, trauma can lead to symptoms like anxiety, depression, emotional reactivity and overwhelm, numbing, agitation, emotional eating, substance abuse, and negative thinking.

As an EMDR therapist in Seattle, my goal is to help clients reprocess these traumatic memories, reduce symptoms, and promote healing.

What to Expect from EMDR Therapy in Seattle

The first step in EMDR therapy is developing resources to help you regulate emotions. Strong emotions can arise during an EMDR session, but I guide you through them safely. We may use techniques like imagining your favorite place, focused breathing, or tapping your shoulders. Tapping helps calm the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls emotions. When the amygdala is calmer, you feel calmer as well.

EMDR Processes Difficult Life Experiences

Next, we identify distressing events in your life. We’ll create a list of these events and use EMDR to reprocess the memories. If you can’t remember some events or even most of your childhood, that’s okay. Often, people don’t remember specific incidents from childhood, and we can still use EMDR to reprocess strong emotions or negative beliefs about yourself such as “there’s something wrong with me” or “I’m not good enough.”

Once we’ve identified the memories to target, we move on to the reprocessing phase. During reprocessing, I’ll ask you to focus on the memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation. Let’s take a sidebar to explain bilateral stimulation (BLS).

Bilateral Stimulation (BLS) Sidebar

BLS is a right-left sequence that involves moving your eyes right-left, tapping your shoulders right-left, or listening to an auditory sound in your right ear and then left. There are a few reasons for this sequence:

1. BLS engages both sides of the brain to help integrate traumatic or distressing memories that result in reprocessing the experience.

2. BLS can help reduce the emotional charge associated with a traumatic memory, making it feel less overwhelming or distressing.

3. BLS supports reprocessing negative beliefs and feelings, helping replace unhelpful thoughts with healthier perspectives.

Back to EMDR Therapy in Seattle

While focusing on the memory, you may notice physical sensations, emotions, or new thoughts. Perhaps you’ll remember details of the event that were previously forgotten or experience physical sensations like warmth or cold. These reactions clue us in that the memory is being reprocessed.

After several rounds of bilateral stimulation, we’ll check in and discuss any shifts or changes in your feelings. You may have new insights or notice the memory’s emotional charge decreasing.

As we continue reprocessing more memories over time, clients often report reduced anxiety and an increased sense of being grounded and present. Many say they feel more control of their thoughts and emotions related to the traumatic event.

Image of a woman talking to another woman in an office symbolizing a therapist talking about EMDR to a client.

How Long Does EMDR Therapy in Seattle Take?

The length of EMDR therapy depends on many factors. For example, if you’ve recently experienced a traumatic event like a car accident and want to be able to drive without anxiety, you might need between four and ten sessions. However, if you have a more complicated trauma history, it may take longer to reprocess everything.

If you have multiple traumatic events in your history, we may need to proceed more slowly to avoid overwhelming your system. The phrase “slower is faster” is often used in trauma therapy because moving too quickly can cause emotional flooding. Processing trauma at a manageable pace helps prevent overwhelming your body/mind system and allows for deeper healing.

Wrapping It Up

It’s important to know that EMDR therapy is not a quick fix. Healing from trauma takes time, effort, and commitment. While EMDR can be a powerful tool, it requires patience and persistence. For many people, though, it provides a pathway to reclaiming their lives and finding peace and well-being.

If you're interested in exploring EMDR therapy in Seattle, I’m here to help guide you through the process, whether you're dealing with trauma and anxiety. Together, we can work toward building the life you want.

I hope this information helps you feel more confident about EMDR. Remember, therapy isn’t just about chatting about your week - it’s about getting the support you need to live the life you want.

If you want to know more about how I can help you reach your goals, please email me at therapy@dempcycounseling.com or visit my website at www.dempcycounseling.com/contact.

Diane Dempcy provides therapy in Seattle to adults experiencing anxiety and/or trauma. She utilizes brain-based tools such as EMDR, DBT, and other types of therapy. Diane’s clients experience her as direct, empowering, warm, and accepting.

She provides online and in-person therapy in Washington.

An EMDR Therapist in Seattle Explains EMDR