Hi! My name is Keri, and I am a clinician at Mending Minds. As both a trauma therapist and someone who has personally experienced the effects of trauma, I understand how deeply overwhelming experiences can continue to impact the mind and body long after the moment has passed. My passion for EMDR therapy comes not only from my clinical training, but also from witnessing how powerful healing can be when people are finally given space to process what they have carried for so long.
In my work, I strive to create a safe, compassionate, and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel supported at their own pace. I believe healing is possible, and I hope this article offers insight, reassurance, and hope for anyone who may feel stuck in survival mode or alone in their experiences.
Sometimes I notice it's not always the big, obvious memories that stay. It's the small moments that catch you off guard.
The way your chest tightens, and you don't know why.
The sudden wave of anxiety in the middle of an ordinary day.
The feeling of always being a little on edge, even when everything around you is calm.
You might tell yourself, "That was a long time ago," or "I should be over this by now."
But trauma doesn't always respond to logic. I've learned that it has a quiet, stubborn way of lingering. It can show up in reactions, thoughts, and the nervous system. Sometimes it doesn't even appear as a clear memory, just a heaviness someone carries, or a sense that something doesn't feel right even if they can't fully explain why.
Over time, carrying that weight can become exhausting.
If any of this feels familiar, I want you to know you're not alone. And more importantly, this doesn't have to be where your story ends.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR is a type of therapy I use to help people process experiences that never fully settled. It began in the late 1980s when psychologist Francine Shapiro noticed that certain eye movements seemed to reduce the emotional intensity of distressing thoughts. What started as a small discovery has grown into a powerful therapeutic approach for trauma and other overwhelming experiences.
At its core, I see EMDR as helping the brain finish what it wasn't able to process at the time something difficult happened. When experiences feel overwhelming, the brain sometimes stores them in a way that keeps them feeling raw, reactive, and easily triggered. Instead of feeling like something in the past, they continue to feel present.
That's why so many people feel like the past never fully stays in the past.
Through EMDR, I help clients gently revisit and process those experiences in a new way so they begin to lose their intensity. Over time, those memories can start to feel like something survived rather than something that felt trapped.
How Does EMDR Work?
One of the unique parts of EMDR is bilateral stimulation, a back-and-forth rhythm that helps support processing. This may involve following hand movements with the eyes, tapping from side to side, or listening to alternating sounds. While doing this, clients briefly focus on a memory, thought, or feeling that still carries emotional weight.
As the brain begins processing, people often notice shifts happening naturally. Emotions that once felt overwhelming may soften. Memories can become less vivid or consuming. Instead of feeling pulled back into the experience, people are often able to recognize it as something that happened rather than something they are still reliving.
What Can EMDR Help With?
While EMDR is often associated with trauma, I also use it to support people struggling with:
- Anxiety that won't settle
- Panic that seems to come out of nowhere
- Depression or emotional numbness
- Phobias or intense fears
- Grief that feels stuck
- Childhood experiences that continue shaping self-worth and relationships
- Patterns that keep repeating despite efforts to change them
When something continues resurfacing, causing pain, or keeping someone feeling stuck, EMDR may help create movement and healing.
What to Expect in a Session
One of the biggest fears people have about therapy is the idea of having to relive every painful detail. In my work, clients are never forced to share more than they are ready for, and they are never pushed faster than feels safe.
Instead, I work collaboratively with clients to approach what feels stuck while staying grounded in the present moment. During bilateral stimulation, clients simply notice what comes up whether it is thoughts, emotions, memories, or body sensations.
And often, little by little, things begin to shift.
Is EMDR Effective?
For many people, EMDR creates changes they once believed were impossible. Memories that once felt overwhelming become more manageable. Triggers lose intensity. The constant feeling of tension or hypervigilance begins to ease. Research continues to support EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma, and many people experience relief sooner than they expected.
But beyond symptom relief, what stands out most to me is how EMDR helps people stop feeling controlled by the past.
Final Thoughts
I don't believe healing from trauma is quick or linear. Some days feel lighter, while others feel heavy again. But I do believe healing is possible.
EMDR does not erase what happened or minimize its impact. What it can do is help the mind and body release the weight they have been carrying for far too long. And when that weight begins to lift, even slightly, it often creates room for something new:
Space.
Relief.
A sense of safety in your own body again.
You do not have to stay stuck in survival mode forever. There is a way forward.
If something in this resonated with you, I want you to know you do not have to navigate it alone. Reaching out for support can feel overwhelming, especially when you've been carrying everything by yourself for a long time. But you deserve support in a space that feels safe, steady, and compassionate.
At Mending Minds, I strive to create an environment where people can move at their own pace, whether they are feeling uncertain, overwhelmed, or simply ready for something to change.
You do not need to have all the right words. You do not need to have everything figured out. You just have to begin.
This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute therapy or medical advice. If you're in crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.