Treating Complex Trauma With EMDR
While we tend to think of trauma as an emotional or mental struggle, the reality is that it lives in our bodies also. Whenever we experience a traumatic event, our bodies produce a rush of hormones that are meant to help us survive a dangerous situation. Cortisol and adrenaline flood through our body, sharpening our senses and transforming the way we store and process memories.
Complex trauma, has multiple definitions in the therapy world depending on who you speak with. The way I use “complex trauma” is simply to mean “more than one time-limited incident” (think: years of childhood emotional neglect vs. one car accident). Accordingly, complex trauma, (sometimes also referred to as C-PTSD), changes the chemistry of our bodies and the development of our brains. In a very real sense, this is the mechanism of evolution. It’s how people survived for thousands of years in the wild. It’s beautiful—but it can also hold us back.
The legacy of all that trauma is vigilance. It turns us into survivors who are always looking for the worst-case scenario. What does that look like? Anxiety. Dread. Depression. Sleepless nights and a pervasive fear that we might be abandoned, neglected, or betrayed, yet again.
Turning off that fight-or-flight instinct once we’re locked in isn’t easy. After repeated exposure to trauma, our bodies are trained to live in that mode. That’s where EMDR Therapy comes in.
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based, results-driven form of therapy developed in the 1980s. EMDR Therapy takes advantage of a process called bilateral stimulation (rapid left-right movements of the eyes, or oscillating sounds) in order to help activate the brain’s natural ability to heal.
How does EMDR work?
The goal of EMDR treatment is to reprocess traumatic experiences one-by-one, or along a thread of related incidents. With C-PTSD, that can look a lot like a tangled knot. The therapist’s job is to provide a safe space and help their client find the right threads to gently pull on. EMDR is a highly collaborative process. The therapist and client work together to process the sensations, emotions, and thoughts associated with traumatic events.
EMDR is an eight-phase process. I usually tell my clients it’s the my job as the clinician to know which phase we’re in and when and how to move us into the next phase. While some people may see results quickly, for people with C-PTSD, patience is important. More traumatic experiences simply require more therapy than one single incident (think: a car accident vs. years of childhood emotional neglect by a parent). As a result, the impact of those repeated traumas is both cumulative and layered. Resolving them takes time.
A Certified EMDR Therapist in Dublin, OH can help you heal from trauma. Don’t let your past be present. Contact us to schedule an EMDR Intensive in Ohio.
Here are the eight ‘phases’ of EMDR:
History Taking
Preparation
Assessment
Desensitization
Installation
Body Scan
Closure
Re-Evaluation
Over the course of EMDR treatment, the therapist works with the client to identify traumatic memories that are ‘locked’ in the brain, and contributing to the symptoms that are impacting their daily lives. Using bilateral stimulation, the therapist helps clients access those locked traumatic memories, which are stored in the limbic system. Our bodily sensations and five senses are closely tied to those memories. As a result, those traumatic memories are incredibly powerful. Even without realizing it, things that trigger those memories can recreate physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, cold sweats, and heart palpitations--the conditions of panic experienced during the trauma.
A trained professional can safely guide the reprocessing of memories during EMDR Therapy, thereby healing any associated symptoms.
Key benefits of EMDR
Most clients can expect to see some immediate benefit from EMDR, especially when we consider that EMDR is not limited to just the reprocessing phases. Oftentimes we don’t realize how tangled up our self-esteem is with those traumatic experiences. By reprocessing those memories effectively, most clients see an improvement in their self-esteem, as well as their feelings of safety and empowerment.
EMDR is commonly effective in treating some of the following symptoms of complex trauma:
Hypervigilance
Anxiety
Insomnia
Feelings of guilt or shame
Social anxiety
Intrusive thoughts
Chronic pain
Headaches
Nausea
Addiction
Irritability
Mood swings
Emotional numbness
Depression
Schedule a consultation
Reach out to schedule a consultation if you're interested in learning more about EMDR. At Sea Glass, we offer EMDR in two formats (weekly and intensive) and are proud to be a leader in bringing EMDR intensives to Ohio clients. EMDR Therapy is a flexible, effective form of treatment that can provide meaningful relief from any symptoms of complicated trauma you may be struggling with. Feel free to connect with me soon to learn more about the benefits of EMDR.
Whether you’re carrying the weight of trauma, navigating pain and shame around intimacy, or feeling buried under the mental load of daily life, you don't have to keep doing it alone. Profound healing is possible, intimacy is worth fighting for, and the right support can change everything.
Welcome to Sea Glass. Here, the work is short-term, focused, and designed to help you step out of survival mode and into a life that actually feels good. Choose from Intensive EMDR therapy, sex therapy for Christians, or Fair Play coaching - all effective techniques grounded in the neurobiology of healing, connection, and lasting change. Virtual therapy services are available to adults located in Ohio. Fair Play coaching is open to couples anywhere in the USA.
You deserve to feel whole, connected, and hopeful - and I’d love to help you get there. Request an appointment today to take the first step toward the life and relationship you've been longing for.
