What Is EMDR and How Does It Help Trauma?
By Amity Olson, LCSW — 2026-07-02
If someone has mentioned EMDR to you — or you've seen it online and wondered what it actually involves — here's the plain-English version, no jargon required.
How EMDR actually works
When something overwhelming happens, your brain can store the memory in a way that keeps it feeling raw — so a smell, a tone of voice, or a stray thought can bring the whole thing rushing back like it's happening now. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain finally reprocess those stuck memories so they start to feel like the past instead of the present.
During reprocessing, you briefly bring a memory to mind while following a pattern of bilateral stimulation — usually eye movements, taps, or tones. You stay in control the entire time. Over the course of the work, the memory loses its emotional charge.
What EMDR can help with
EMDR is best known for trauma and PTSD, but it shows up in my work with a wider range of things, including:
- Emotional neglect and emotionally unsafe relationships
- Anxiety that shows up as overworking or overthinking
- Shame and judgment carried for just being yourself
- The chronic hypervigilance of raising a child with a food allergy
- Negative beliefs like "I'm too much" or "I have to earn love"
Why I do this work as Intensives
Instead of one hour a week for months, I offer EMDR as Intensives — a Prep Talk to build safety and map the work, an extended Intensive session for the reprocessing itself, and a Debrief to help you integrate it. It lets us move through material with a kind of momentum that weekly sessions, stopping and restarting cold every week, structurally can't offer.
100% virtual, licensed in four states
Everything happens by secure video. I only see clients in Iowa, Florida, Delaware, and Wisconsin, but wherever you are in those states, this work is fully available to you.
Frequently asked
Do I have to describe every detail of what happened to me?
No. You stay in control of what you share and how much, the entire time.
Is virtual EMDR as effective as in-person?
Yes — EMDR translates well to secure telehealth, which is why I work exclusively that way.