EMDR Therapy

for Complex Trauma and PTSD

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a researched psychotherapy approach that helps process traumatic experiences and PTSD by working with how memories are stored in the nervous system. I use EMDR extensively in my practice, particularly for complex trauma, religious trauma, and recovery from coercive control.

If you've tried traditional talk therapy and found yourself retelling the story without feeling significantly better, or if discussing trauma in detail feels retraumatizing, EMDR offers a different pathway.

What is EMDR?newbrain

EMDR works with the brain's adaptive information processing system—the same system that naturally processes experiences during REM sleep. When trauma occurs, memories can become improperly stored, remaining "stuck" in a way that keeps triggering emotional and physiological reactions long after the danger has passed.

The therapy uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tactile or auditory) to help your brain reprocess these stuck memories. This isn't about erasing what happened—it's about changing how the memory is stored so you can remember without being overwhelmed.

EMDR is extensively researched and recognized by the World Health Organization and American Psychological Association as a first-line treatment for PTSD, with effectiveness demonstrated across multiple meta-analyses. For complex trauma (the layered, developmental trauma from ongoing abuse, neglect, or coercive systems), treatment takes longer but shows comparable effectiveness to other evidence-based approaches.

Both the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association recognize EMDR as a first-line treatment for trauma.

How Does EMDR Actually Work?

EMDR follows an eight-phase protocol, though not all phases happen in every session:

Preparation Phase:
We identify target memories and build coping resources before processing begins. This preparation is especially important for complex trauma—you need solid grounding skills and a sense of internal safety before activating traumatic material.

Processing Phase:
While holding a target memory in awareness, you'll track bilateral stimulation, I generally use tactile or auditory (responding to tactile tapping or auditory tones). Your mind will make associations—images, thoughts, emotions, or body sensations may arise. You simply notice what comes up without forcing anything.

The bilateral stimulation activates both brain hemispheres in a way that allows reprocessing to occur. After successful processing, clients typically describe traumatic memories as feeling "farther away" or "less charged"—they can remember what happened without the overwhelming emotional flood.

What EMDR Feels Like:

Most clients report feeling focused but relaxed during bilateral stimulation, emotionally activated but safe during processing (with distress typically decreasing as the session progresses), and tired but relieved afterward. Some processing continues between sessions—dreams, insights, or shifts in how you relate to the memory are common.

This is not hypnosis. You remain fully conscious and in control. You can pause, adjust intensity, or stop at any time.

"I was skeptical of EMDR therapy initially, but I had formed trust in Janice's professional abilities, so I followed her suggestions, and have made tremendous positive gains because of her. She basically worked herself out of a job, which is the best sign of a therapist, in my opinion." – G.https://collaboratingwellness.com/index.php/reviews

Does EMDR Work for Complex Trauma?

Yes, though it requires modification from the standard protocol.

Complex PTSD—the result of ongoing trauma like childhood abuse, domestic violence, or coercive control systems—isn't just a collection of bad memories. It's developmental trauma that affects attachment, identity, emotion regulation, and the capacity to trust yourself and others.

Complex trauma requires:

  • Extended preparation: Building emotion regulation skills and internal resources before memory processing
  • Phased approach: Addressing current stabilization before targeting past trauma
  • Attention to relational wounds: Processing attachment trauma and betrayal, not just discrete events
  • Work with parts/dissociation: Addressing fragmentation when present

Research shows EMDR for complex trauma produces significant symptom reduction, though treatment duration is typically longer than for single-incident PTSD. A 2014 meta-analysis found EMDR equally effective to trauma-focused CBT for complex presentations, with some evidence of faster results and higher treatment completion rates.

In my practice, complex trauma work typically takes 6+ months of weekly or biweekly sessions, depending on trauma complexity, stabilization needs, and your goals.

"I suffered from an intense case of PTSD. I had sought other means of relief from my symptoms, but nothing I tried worked... Until I worked with Janice. I am a new man, with new hope, and a renewed life!" – B.https://collaboratingwellness.com/index.php/reviews

What Conditions Respond to EMDR?

EMDR was originally developed for PTSD but has been validated for a range of trauma-related conditions:

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (single-incident and complex)
  • Anxiety disorders (particularly trauma-rooted anxiety)
  • Depression linked to unresolved trauma
  • Phobias and panic attacks
  • Religious trauma and spiritual abuse
  • Grief and loss (particularly traumatic or complicated grief)
  • Performance anxiety rooted in past experiences
  • Somatic symptoms related to unprocessed trauma

EMDR works with the memories and beliefs underlying these conditions, not just the surface symptoms.

EMDR Within Soul Unity Therapy

Traditional EMDR targets traumatic memories to reduce symptoms—which is valuable and often sufficient. In my practice, I integrate EMDR within the Soul Unity Therapy framework, which addresses not only the traumatic memories but also the deeper disconnection trauma creates.

Trauma doesn't just create symptoms. It disrupts your relationship with yourself—your capacity to trust your intuition, feel your emotions fully, and believe in your inherent worth.

This expanded approach allows us to:

  • Clear limiting beliefs and internalized shame rooted in trauma
  • Release the "programming" from coercive systems (religious control, high-control groups, abusive relationships)
  • Facilitate integration of new self-concepts as they emerge through processing
  • Support reconnection with your inner guidance and authentic self
  • Address identity wounds that keep you disconnected from who you actually are

By processing both the traumatic events and the beliefs they created about yourself, EMDR within Soul Unity Therapy helps you move from reactive survival patterns into conscious, authentic living.

"Janice practices EMDR therapy which I feel has been the key to several breakthroughs in our journey together. She helped me process profound grief, breakups, domestic violence, loss... She is one of a kind and I have the utmost respect and trust in her." – https://collaboratingwellness.com/index.php/reviews

What to Expect in Sessions

Initial Sessions:
We'll review your history, identify target memories, and build internal resources. You'll learn grounding techniques and establish a "safe place" visualization you can access anytime. This preparation ensures you have stability before processing begins.

Processing Sessions:
Sessions typically last 60 minutes. Some clients process a single memory completely in one session; others require multiple sessions per target. There's no "right" pace—we follow your nervous system's natural processing speed.

You don't need to describe traumatic events in extensive detail. While some context helps me understand what we're targeting, EMDR works with your internal experience of the memory. You can process trauma without narrating what happened if that feels safer.

Between Sessions:
Processing often continues between sessions as your brain integrates material. Dreams, insights, or shifts in how you relate to memories are common. We check in at the start of each session about any changes.

How Long Does Treatment Take?

It depends on trauma complexity and your goals:

Single-incident trauma: 3-12 sessions
Complex PTSD: 9+ months of weekly sessions
Religious trauma/cult recovery: 9+ months (addressing both trauma and identity reconstruction)

Research shows EMDR often works faster than traditional talk therapy for trauma-specific symptoms, though lasting healing from complex trauma requires adequate time for nervous system regulation, identity work, and integration.

Common Questions About EMDR

Will EMDR erase my memories?
No. EMDR changes how memories are stored and how you relate to them, but it doesn't erase them. After successful processing, you can remember what happened without being emotionally overwhelmed.

What if I can't remember specific traumatic events?
EMDR can still work. We can target present symptoms, troubling emotions, or body sensations and work backward to access implicit memories stored in your nervous system.

Is EMDR safe for religious trauma?
Yes. EMDR is highly effective for processing traumatic experiences within religious systems—spiritual abuse, shaming, fear-based indoctrination, and identity wounds created by coercive belief systems. I pair EMDR with Soul Unity Therapy principles to support both trauma resolution and spiritual integration on your own terms, with zero religious prescription.

Do I have to believe in anything specific for this to work?
No. EMDR is a neurobiological intervention that works regardless of your beliefs about spirituality, meaning, or healing. The Soul Unity framework can integrate spiritual perspectives if that's meaningful to you, but it's equally effective from a purely secular standpoint.

How is EMDR different from exposure therapy?
Both are evidence-based trauma treatments, but EMDR doesn't require prolonged or repeated exposure to traumatic material. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to facilitate processing, typically producing results faster and with less distress than traditional prolonged exposure approaches.