Understanding How EMDR Works in the Brain

When you think of trauma therapy, a common association might be thinking of traditional talk therapy. For some people, this can be a great tool, but for others, it’s not their cup of tea. 

This is where EMDR enters into the picture. EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, therapy is a technique that has been gaining popularity among mental health practitioners. It differs from your traditional talk therapy in that it incorporates bilateral stimulation and eye movements. Hearing that, you may not be able to picture what that could look like or how it works. 

In order to better understand the how and why of EMDR, it can be helpful to understand how the technique works in the brain. Here’s a closer look.

Your Brain and Trauma

When you experience a trauma, typical symptoms include feeling overwhelmed and having negative emotions. The brain also undergoes its own changes. In the face of trauma, your brain chemistry changes and becomes rewired. 

The prefrontal cortex serves as your control center for rational thinking, decision making, planning, and memory making. The amygdala helps you process information, and the hippocampus influences memory making, emotion control, and new learning. 

During a traumatic experience, your mind and body enter survival mode, directing resources to necessary actions only. Both the amygdala and hippocampus become more active, while the prefrontal cortex decreases functioning. This can cause memory gaps, false memories, irrational thought processes, and rash decision making. 

To Help Process Traumatic Memories

After trauma, it’s common to be triggered back to that situation. Certain sounds, sights, feelings can all cause you to relive the experience. It’s partly due to the fact that some of those memories have gotten “stuck.” 

Within the practice of EMDR, processing traumatic memories does not entail talking through them or analyzing aspects of your past. Instead, it focuses on correctly processing “stuck” memories that are prohibiting you from healing. 

Calming Your Mind

When you relive your traumatic experience, each occurrence sends your body into that survival mode, promoting fight-or-flight responses. Your brain lives in a state of fear. 

Through use of EMDR, the bilateral stimulation works to simulate REM sleep cycles and elicits a calming effect on the brain. When not in the fear state, your brain can then resume processing of the traumatic memories more effectively. 

Activating Both Sides of Your Brain

There are two hemispheres that make up your brain, each serving different functions. While the bilateral stimulation is occurring, both of these hemispheres are being activated. With both sides functioning properly, it allows you to process the negative memories and replace them with more positive beliefs. 

Emotional Regulation

EMDR helps tap into the area of your brain that regulates your emotions, including the prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cortex. Each of these parts can be reached during therapy sessions. With this intervention, it taps into and restores a sense of judgment, impulse control, the way you interact socially, and planning abilities. 

Finding Healing

One of the biggest perks of EMDR therapy is preventing re-traumatizing. In traditional talk therapy, the goal of therapy is to discuss your feelings, uncover specific details surrounding your event, and reflect on past matters. 

If you’d like to avoid having to delve into the past, EMDR could be beneficial for you. It provides an outlet for you to process memories, establish positive replacements, and reduce symptoms that are disruptive to your everyday life. 

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Are you struggling with symptoms from a past trauma? Are you interested in learning more about the EMDR process and its benefits? Reach out to us to learn more and schedule a consultation.