EMDR Therapy: A Pathway to deep healing.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, evidence-based therapy designed to help individuals recover from emotional pain, distressing experiences, and trauma. Originally developed to support trauma survivors, EMDR has evolved to benefit anyone struggling with the ongoing effects of overwhelming life events - whether or not these experiences meet traditional definitions of trauma.
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Trauma is considered as any experience that leaves a long-lasting negative impact on our lives and develops when our brain's capacity to cope becomes overwhelmed, often leaving a distressing imprint that can shape how we think, feel, behave and relate to others. These negative experiences include events such as bullying, emotional neglect, medical procedures, breakups, loss, or difficult childhood experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR uses structured techniques to help the brain reprocess these negative experiences.
What does EMDR therapy treat?
While EMDR therapy was originally developed to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it has since been shown to be highly effective in treating a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges. EMDR can support healing from both single-event traumas and more complex, longstanding difficulties — even when the root cause isn’t immediately clear.
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Trauma doesn’t always come from severe or life-threatening events. Sometimes, it stems from moments that quietly shape the way we view ourselves, others, or the world — moments of rejection, emotional neglect, or ongoing stress. These experiences can leave deep emotional imprints that affect how we think, feel, behave and relate to others. EMDR can help both children and adults.​
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Common issues EMDR can help with include:
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Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
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Depression and mood-related concerns
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Grief and loss
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OCD
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Disordered eating
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​Sleep problems
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Trauma and complex trauma
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Relationship difficulties
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Personality disorders
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Low self-esteem and self-worth
How EMDR works?
When we go through something overwhelming, our brain doesn’t always process the experience like a typical memory. Instead, the memory can get “stuck” - often holding onto vivid images, intense emotions, physical sensations, and negative beliefs. Later, even subtle reminders (or triggers) can bring those feelings rushing back, making it feel like we’re reliving the experience all over again.
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Sometimes, these stuck memories are easy to identify. Other times, they’re buried beneath the surface and show up as anxiety, muscle tension, emotional outbursts, low self-worth, or a sense of being “on edge” without a clear reason. Regardless of how they present, these unresolved memories can affect our wellbeing, relationships, and ability to cope in the present.
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EMDR therapy helps the brain reprocess these memories. During EMDR, you are gently guided to recall a distressing memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation — in the form of eye movements, tapping, and/or auditory tones. This process supports your brain’s natural ability to reprocess the experience in a more adaptive way.
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As the memory is reprocessed, it begins to lose its emotional intensity. It becomes more like any other memory — something you can recall without it triggering strong emotions, physical discomfort, or reactive behaviours. You still remember what happened, but it no longer feels overwhelming or defining.
The Power of Combining EMDR with Parts Work
At The Healix Centre, we integrate EMDR therapy with a parts-based approach to support a deeper level of healing. This powerful combination allows us to address not just traumatic memories, but the complex internal systems that hold and respond to those experiences.
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Parts work is based on the idea that the self is made up of different parts or inner voices that can support or conflict with one another. When paired with EMDR, parts work enhances the brain’s ability to safely reprocess distressing memories by ensuring that the parts holding trauma feel seen, heard, and supported. This helps reduce inner conflict, emotional reactivity, and overwhelm which are common barriers to healing.
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The benefits of this integrative approach include a deeper self-awareness, improved emotion regulation, deeper healing, integration between parts and lasting transformation which creates a stronger, more cohesive sense of self.
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This approach is especially effective for trauma and complex trauma, but it can also support healing from anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and long-standing patterns of inner struggle.