What is EMDR?—and How Can it help?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help you process past experiences that still feel stuck in your body and mind. It was originally developed to treat PTSD, it’s now widely used for trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and more.
If you’ve tried talk therapy and still feel like certain patterns won’t budge, EMDR may be the next step.
So… What is EMDR, really?
Think of your brain like a filing cabinet. Most memories get processed and neatly stored away. But when something overwhelming or traumatic happens, your brain might leave that memory un-filed. It stays raw, accessible, easily triggered.
Later, something as small as a facial expression or tone of voice might send you into old emotions or behaviors—panic, shutdown, rage, or shame.
EMDR helps your brain file those memories away for good.
Using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping), EMDR activates both sides of the brain while you recall the memory in a safe and contained way. This allows your system to reprocess the experience—so it no longer feels as emotionally charged.
What Can EMDR Help With?
EMDR has been shown to reduce symptoms across a wide range of experiences:
• Trauma & PTSD
• Anxiety symptoms, phobias, and panic attacks
• Depression and emotional dysregulation
• Childhood emotional neglect
• Relationship and attachment wounds
• Low self-worth and harsh inner criticism
• Grief, loss, and life transitions
Even if you don’t identify with a specific trauma, EMDR can help you shift long-standing emotional patterns that feel stuck.
EMDR is inherently somatic, because it involves the whole nervous system/body—not just your thoughts. As you revisit past memories, you’re tuning into physical sensations: the tightness in your chest, the lump in your throat, the turning in your gut. Those are the body’s memories.
Many therapists, blend EMDR with somatic therapy techniques like grounding, breath work, and body tracking. This helps you move at a pace that feels safe, honoring what your system is ready for.
EMDR might be right for you if:
• You’ve been through something painful and still feel affected
• You notice emotional reactions that don’t seem to match the moment
• You’ve tried talking it through, but nothing changes
• You’re dealing with anxiety, shame, panic, or emotional numbness that feels rooted in the past
• You’re ready for a deeper healing process that includes both mind and body
At Soulstice Miami, EMDR is never rushed. It’s collaborative, trauma-informed, and grounded in relationship.
We’ll begin with:
• Building safety, trust, grounding, and emotional regulation tools
• Exploring your history and current symptoms
• Identifying target memories, triggers, and negative beliefs
• Reprocessing through bilateral stimulation
• Replacing old beliefs with adaptive, grounded truths
You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck.
If something inside you says, I’m tired of carrying this, EMDR might be a way forward.
You don’t have to relive everything to heal. You just need space, safety, and a path to help your body finally let go.
EMDR Therapy in Miami Beach, FL
Virtual & in-person sessions available for teens and adults.
