What EMDR is actually like — from a therapist who provides it

EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — has one of the least helpful names in therapy and one of the strongest track records for trauma. Clients usually arrive skeptical. Fair. Here’s what it actually is.

The idea in one paragraph

When something traumatic happens, the brain can get stuck — the memory keeps the same intensity it had the day it happened, so a song or a scent can drop you right back into it. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — guided eye movements or gentle taps — while you briefly hold the memory in mind, which helps the brain reprocess it. The memory stays; the charge drains out of it.

What a session actually feels like

Quieter than people expect. You don’t retell the story in detail — that’s one of EMDR’s differences from traditional talk therapy. Your therapist helps you anchor to a specific memory, runs short sets of eye movements or taps, and checks in between sets: “What are you noticing now?” You stay fully present and in control the entire time. Over sessions, the memory starts to feel like something that happened rather than something that’s still happening.

The worries everyone has

• “Will I lose the memory?” No — you keep the memory. It just stops running the show.
• “Do I have to talk about everything?” No. EMDR works without diving into every detail, which is exactly why many people choose it.
• “Is it hypnosis?” No. You’re awake, aware, and able to stop at any point.

Who provides EMDR at Riverside

Several of us are trained in it — I use it in my own trauma work, alongside Dr. Andrew Wichterman, Mary Westergren, and Becca DeDoes. Sessions happen in person in Byron Center or by secure video anywhere in Michigan. The trauma & EMDR page has the full picture.