How EMDR Helps the Brain Heal from Trauma

Michelle Kenyon
Nov 10, 2025
2 min read

EMDR helps the brain process trauma safely, allowing the past to feel like the past. This post explains how EMDR works — and why healing doesn’t mean reliving what happened.

Many people come to therapy after trying to think their way out of trauma, only to find that understanding what happened doesn’t make the pain go away. That’s because trauma memories aren’t stored like ordinary memories — they’re held in the body and in the emotional parts of the brain that respond to threat, not reason.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing) helps the brain process these memories in a way that feels safe and manageable.

How EMDR Works

When something traumatic happens, our brain’s natural processing system can become overwhelmed — it’s as if the memory gets frozen in time. EMDR uses gentle sets of eye movements, sounds, or taps while recalling elements of the memory.

This dual focus of attention helps the brain process the components of the memory (images, feelings, and body sensations), allowing it to “unfreeze” and be stored as something that happened, rather than something that’s still happening.

You don’t need to relive every detail or tell your full story — EMDR works at your pace, guided with grounding and resourcing to ensure safety throughout.

What Clients Often Notice

As processing unfolds, people often describe feeling lighter, calmer, or more present. The memory remains, but it loses its emotional charge.

The body and mind begin to agree: it’s over now.

Many people also develop new insights about the experience and more compassionate, realistic beliefs about themselves.

EMDR as Part of Integrative Healing

I often integrate EMDR with IFS-informed parts work, gentle somatic awareness, mindfulness, and compassion-based techniques to support the whole person — not just the memory.

This holistic approach helps create lasting change, where safety, connection, and self-understanding gradually replace fear and self-protection.