Stop. Stop wondering if your trauma will ever truly heal.
For fifteen years at Washington Behavioral Medicine Associates, I’ve watched clients carry invisible wounds – the kind that make your heart race when a car backfires, the kind that turn ordinary moments into emotional minefields. Traditional talk therapy helped many of them process their experiences, but something was still missing. The memories stayed locked in their bodies, triggered by sounds, smells, or unexpected moments.
What is EMDR therapy? It’s the breakthrough approach that doesn’t just help you talk about trauma – it helps your brain actually process and release it.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, but those clinical terms don’t capture what really happens in my office. I’ve seen combat veterans sleep peacefully for the first time in decades. I’ve watched survivors of accidents drive again without panic attacks. I’ve witnessed people reclaim parts of themselves they thought were lost forever.
This isn’t about forgetting what happened to you. It’s about changing how those memories affect your daily life. While traditional therapy often requires months or years of weekly sessions, EMDR can produce profound shifts in weeks.
If you’ve been carrying trauma that talk therapy hasn’t fully resolved, EMDR therapy might be exactly what your healing journey needs.
What is EMDR Therapy? What It Really Means for Your Healing
Let me explain EMDR therapy in terms that actually make sense for your daily life.
EMDR therapy works with your brain’s natural healing processes. When you experience trauma, your brain sometimes gets “stuck” processing the memory. Instead of filing it away as a completed experience, the traumatic memory stays active, complete with all the emotions, physical sensations, and thoughts from the original event.
This is why trauma survivors often say, “I know logically I’m safe now, but my body doesn’t believe it.” Their rational mind understands the danger has passed, but their nervous system remains on high alert.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation – typically guided eye movements, though sometimes taps or sounds – to help your brain process these stuck memories. The bilateral stimulation mimics what naturally happens during REM sleep, when your brain processes and integrates the day’s experiences.
During EMDR sessions, you’ll recall the traumatic memory while following my finger with your eyes as it moves back and forth. This dual attention – focusing on the memory while engaging in the eye movements – allows your brain to reprocess the experience without becoming overwhelmed by it.
The memory doesn’t disappear. Instead, it loses its emotional charge. Clients often tell me, “I can remember what happened, but it doesn’t feel like it’s happening to me right now.” The memory becomes just that – a memory, not a current threat.
EMDR follows an eight-phase protocol that I’ve used with hundreds of clients. We start by building your emotional resources and coping strategies. Then we identify target memories and work through them systematically. The process respects your pace and your readiness.
What makes EMDR different from traditional talk therapy is that you don’t need to analyze or understand your trauma intellectually. Your brain does the healing work naturally once the processing pathways are opened.
I’ve found that clients who’ve felt stuck in traditional therapy often experience breakthroughs with EMDR because we’re working directly with how trauma is stored in the nervous system, not just in conscious thought.
How EMDR Works in Practice – The Complete Process
Here’s exactly what happens during EMDR therapy at WBMA, from your first session to lasting healing.
Phase 1: History Taking and Treatment Planning
Your EMDR journey begins with a comprehensive assessment. I need to understand not just your trauma history, but your current symptoms, coping strategies, and support systems. We identify specific memories, beliefs, and triggers that will become our treatment targets.
This phase often takes 1-2 sessions. Some clients worry this feels like “just more talking,” but this groundwork is essential. EMDR is powerful, and we want to be sure you’re prepared for the processing work ahead.
Phase 2: Preparation and Stabilization
Before we process any traumatic memories, we build your emotional toolbox. I teach you self-soothing techniques, grounding exercises, and ways to manage emotional intensity. We practice the bilateral stimulation so you’re comfortable with the eye movement process.
Many clients tell me this phase alone helps them feel more in control of their symptoms. You’ll learn techniques you can use between sessions and long after therapy ends.
Phases 3-6: Memory Processing
This is where the core EMDR work happens. We identify a specific traumatic memory and rate how disturbing it feels (0-10 scale). Then we begin the bilateral stimulation while you hold the memory in your awareness.
What happens next often surprises people. The memory might change, fade, or connect to other experiences. You might have insights, physical sensations, or emotional releases. Some clients see vivid images; others experience the processing more subtly.
I guide you through this process, checking in regularly, adjusting the speed and direction of eye movements based on what you’re experiencing. Sessions typically last 90 minutes because trauma processing can’t be rushed.
After processing, we install positive beliefs to replace the negative ones associated with the trauma. Instead of “I’m powerless,” you might develop “I survived and I’m strong.”
Phases 7-8: Closure and Reevaluation
Each session ends with specific techniques to help you feel grounded and stable. We check how you’re doing between sessions and address any new material that surfaces.
EMDR often continues working between sessions. Clients report vivid dreams, sudden insights, or shifts in how they react to triggers. This is normal and indicates your brain is continuing to process.
What EMDR Treats Effectively
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – Combat trauma, accidents, violence
- Complex trauma – Childhood abuse, neglect, repeated traumatic events
- Anxiety and panic disorders – Especially when rooted in specific incidents
- Depression with traumatic components – When past experiences fuel current symptoms
- Phobias – Particularly those stemming from traumatic experiences
- Grief and loss – Complicated bereavement, sudden losses
Timeline Expectations
Simple, single-incident traumas often resolve in 3-6 EMDR sessions. Complex trauma typically requires 12-20 sessions or more. This varies greatly based on trauma severity, your current stability, and how your nervous system responds to treatment.
You might notice improvements after just a few sessions – better sleep, less reactivity to triggers, or increased emotional stability. Full integration of the work often takes several months.
What EMDR Feels Like
Clients describe EMDR processing differently. Some experience intense emotions that quickly subside. Others feel physically tired after sessions as their nervous system recalibrates. Many report feeling “lighter” or “unstuck” as we work through target memories.
The bilateral stimulation itself feels unusual at first – like a gentle, rhythmic meditation. Most people adapt quickly and find it surprisingly calming once they’re used to it.
Why Choose EMDR at Washington Behavioral Medicine Associates
At Washington Behavioral Medicine Associates, EMDR isn’t just another therapy technique we offer – it’s integrated into a comprehensive approach to mental health that addresses your whole person.
When you choose EMDR therapy with our team, you gain access to psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and other therapeutic modalities all under one roof. This integration matters because trauma often affects multiple aspects of mental health simultaneously.
Dr. Laje and our clinical team bring specialized training in trauma treatment, including advanced EMDR certification. We understand how trauma intersects with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. This expertise allows us to tailor your treatment precisely to your needs.
Our Chevy Chase location serves the greater Washington D.C. metro area with evening and weekend appointments available. We accept most major insurance plans and work with you to make treatment accessible.
The comprehensive nature of our practice means we can address complex trauma presentations that might require both therapy and medication support. Some clients benefit from combining EMDR with psychiatric treatment for maximum healing potential.
Picture yourself six months from now: sleeping through the night without nightmares, driving without panic attacks, engaging fully in relationships without the shadow of past trauma. This isn’t wishful thinking – it’s the outcome I’ve witnessed hundreds of times with EMDR therapy.
Without proper trauma treatment, these symptoms typically worsen over time. Untreated trauma affects your relationships, career, physical health, and overall quality of life. The longer you wait, the more entrenched these patterns become.
Getting Started with EMDR Therapy
Your healing journey begins with a single decision to seek help.
EMDR therapy at WBMA starts with a comprehensive evaluation where we assess your trauma history, current symptoms, and treatment goals. We’ll determine if EMDR is right for your specific situation and create a personalized treatment plan.
Call our Chevy Chase office to schedule your initial consultation. During this appointment, you’ll meet with one of our EMDR-trained clinicians who will answer your questions and explain exactly how treatment would work for your unique circumstances.
Many clients tell me they wish they’d started EMDR sooner. Don’t let another month pass carrying trauma that could be effectively treated. Your future self will thank you for taking this step today.
Ready to experience what life feels like when trauma no longer controls your daily experience? Contact Washington Behavioral Medicine Associates today and take the first step toward lasting healing!
