Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic process which will clear troubling emotions and negative thinking linked to trauma and other painful past experiences.  

During an EMDR session the patient combines the focusing on a memory and moving one's eyes while following the therapist's fingers or an object that is used to focus on.  The patient will be aware of the feelings and thoughts connected to the memory while simultaneously making the rapid eye movements.  As the processing starts, the target memory begins to change.  It can become more complete, with an increase in the emotional content or intensity. Or the memory may fade.  In other cases, just the feelings fade with no memory at all. Regardless of how EMDR proceeds, the unpleasant feelings and negative thinking fade and are replaced by more positive feeling and thinking.

EMDR is now used more frequently to treat trauma as a result of various painful events such as rape, serious car accidents, combat, bias attacks, childhood physical and sexual abuse and large-scale disasters.  This cutting-edge technique has helped thousands of people regain their sense of control and inner peace when faced with the memories of past traumatic events.

Please email Diane E. Freedman, PhD, LCSW at dfreedman@freedmancenter.com for further information about EMDR and EMDR treatments at the Freedman Center.