EMDR Therapy for Trauma and Complex Trauma

Private Pay, Confidential Individual Therapy
Serving Clayton & Online Across North Carolina

Feel more present in your life

More room to rest, enjoy closeness, and respond to the present without being pulled back into the past. These are goals that can guide trauma therapy.

For individuals who feel:

On edge or unable to relax
Pulled back into painful experiences by memories, nightmares, or reminders
Caught in thoughts like “I’m not safe” or “I’m not good enough”
Overwhelmed quickly, or numb and disconnected
Guarded in relationships, even when closeness is what they want

At True Ground, the starting point is how these experiences affect your life and what you want to change. EMDR offers a structured approach to addressing distressing memories, with preparation, support, and attention to your pace.

Begin the Conversation by Scheduling a No-Fee Consultation

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy that helps reduce distress associated with traumatic memories. During part of treatment, you bring a selected memory to mind while following guided eye movements or another form of alternating stimulation, such as taps.

The aim is to reduce the intensity of the emotions, beliefs, and physical reactions connected with the experience. You still remember what happened, but remembering can become less overwhelming (EMDR International Association [EMDRIA], n.d.-a).

Research supports EMDR as an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers continue to investigate precisely how it produces change (Beauvais et al., n.d.).

How is it different from talk therapy?

EMDR includes conversation, but processing a memory involves more than describing or analyzing it. You attend to what comes up internally: an image, a thought, a feeling, or a sensation in your body. Your therapist guides brief sets of stimulation and checks in with you between them.

You usually do not need to recount every detail aloud. There is no requirement to give a polished explanation of what happened or find the right words for every feeling. You can pause, ask questions, and discuss what you need as the session unfolds (EMDRIA, n.d.-a, n.d.-c).

Other forms of psychotherapy also help people recover from trauma. EMDR offers a particular structure for approaching distressing memories and their effects (Beauvais et al., n.d.).

What this feels like in sessions

Time to prepare. Early sessions focus on understanding your concerns, discussing your goals, and learning ways to manage distress. You know what the process involves before deciding to begin memory processing.

Support while approaching difficult experiences. You and your therapist select a focus. During processing, you notice what comes up and share brief observations. Your therapist checks your responses and helps you remain connected to the present.

Room to notice change. Sessions include closure and a review of how you have felt between appointments. Difficult emotions can arise, and changes in distress, sleep, or feelings of disconnection should be discussed so treatment can be adjusted (Beauvais et al., n.d.; EMDRIA, n.d.-c).

Progress is considered in terms of your life: how you respond to reminders, how you feel about yourself, and whether there is more room for rest and connection. The pace and number of sessions depend on your needs and response.

EMDR for complex trauma

Sometimes the hurt comes from repeated experiences rather than one event. Complex trauma can involve childhood abuse, ongoing violence, or other prolonged experiences in which protection or escape was unavailable. Its effects can extend into how a person manages emotions, sees themselves, and relates to others (EMDRIA, n.d.-b; van Vliet et al., 2021).

Treatment can focus on feeling steadier, trusting your own judgment, and allowing closeness without losing your sense of yourself. What you want to become possible helps shape the plan.

Research supports EMDR for PTSD related to childhood abuse. Preparation is part of treatment, but a separate, lengthy skills training phase has not been shown to be necessary for everyone. Your current circumstances, ability to stay present, and support needs help guide decisions about pacing and care (van Vliet et al., 2021).

What else can EMDR help with?

The strongest evidence is for PTSD. Research also supports considering EMDR for other concerns, although the evidence is less established.

Depression. Studies suggest that EMDR can reduce depressive symptoms. A meta-analysis rated the evidence as low or very low certainty, so stronger research is needed before drawing firm conclusions about how it compares with other treatments (Yan et al., 2021).

Anxiety, panic, and phobias. Research has reported improvements, but findings vary by condition and comparison treatment. An assessment helps determine whether EMDR is appropriate for the particular fears or reactions you want help with (Scelles & Bulnes, 2021).

Distress following medical experiences or loss. EMDR has been studied for distress associated with these experiences. Evidence remains limited, and treatment should account for the wider medical or bereavement needs involved (Scelles & Bulnes, 2021).

Fibromyalgia and chronic pain

Persistent pain can leave less room for rest, relationships, and activities you enjoy. Goals for therapy can include easing the emotional burden of pain and supporting fuller participation in everyday life.

A randomized controlled trial found that adding EMDR to usual treatment for fibromyalgia improved pain, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality compared with usual treatment alone. Benefits were observed at the three-month follow-up (Zat Çiftçi et al., 2024).

These are encouraging findings from a small study. Larger studies and longer follow-up are needed, and evidence for chronic pain more broadly remains preliminary. EMDR can be considered alongside medical care; these findings do not establish that trauma causes fibromyalgia (Scelles & Bulnes, 2021; Zat Çiftçi et al., 2024).

EMDR within individual therapy at True Ground

Your treatment plan can make room for both the effects of painful experiences and your relationship with yourself and others. EMDR and Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) offer different ways of approaching these concerns. The choice of approach depends on your needs, preferences, and goals.

An invitation

The first step is a conversation about what is difficult now and what you would like to be different. There is time to ask questions and consider whether therapy at True Ground is a good fit.

Schedule a No-Fee Consultation
Or call 919-307-9017.

References

Beauvais, D., McCarthy, E., Norman, S., & Hamblen, J. L. (n.d.). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD. National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/emdr_pro.asp

EMDR International Association. (n.d.-a). About EMDR therapy. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/

EMDR International Association. (n.d.-b). EMDR therapy & childhood trauma. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/emdr-and-childhood-trauma/

EMDR International Association. (n.d.-c). Experiencing EMDR therapy. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/experiencing-emdr-therapy/

Scelles, C., & Bulnes, L. C. (2021). EMDR as treatment option for conditions other than PTSD: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 644369. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644369

van Vliet, N. I., Huntjens, R. J. C., van Dijk, M. K., Bachrach, N., Meewisse, M. L., & de Jongh, A. (2021). Phase-based treatment versus immediate trauma-focused treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder due to childhood abuse: Randomised clinical trial. BJPsych Open, 7(6), Article e211. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2021.1057

Yan, S., Shan, Y., Zhong, S., Miao, H., Luo, Y., Ran, H., & Jia, Y. (2021). The effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing toward adults with major depressive disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, Article 700458. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.700458

Zat Çiftçi, Z., Delibaş, D. H., Kaya, T., Külcü, D. G., Sarı, A., Nazlıkul, H., Coşkun Topsakal, İ., Aydın, Y. E., Kavakçı, Ö., Savran, C., & Konuk, E. (2024). A randomized controlled trial of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, Article 1286118. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1286118