EMDR therapy is based on the idea that traumatic experiences can cause disruptions in the brain’s information processing system. These disruptions can lead to negative beliefs about yourself and others, which jeopardize and severely limit your sense of safety. Being that the brain’s number one job is to keep you alive, it’s understandable that the brain develops a set response after trauma with the intent of keeping you safe from harm (however misguided those attempts).  As a therapeutic intervention, EMDR therapy aims to reprocess traumatic memory by activating your brain’s natural healing abilities. Similar to how your body is designed to heal itself, your brain also has natural healing capacities. The pathway to healing after trauma can be demanding, but therapies like EMDR can help you in resetting your innate ability to heal.  EMDR doesn’t require you to re-tell your trauma. Many clients report that they feel apprehensive about retelling painful and upsetting parts of their story to a therapist, as this can sometimes make them feel worse. When you experience trauma, your brain has trouble making sense of something that was not supposed to happen. It can be difficult to recount details of the event(s) and retelling your story can even be retraumatizing.  However, EMDR therapy allows you to nonverbally process your traumatic memory. Throughout reprocessing, traumatic memories and maladaptive beliefs are neutralized so that it no longer causes you distress. Researchers believe EMDR produces a change in neural circuitry that is similar to what happens in REM sleep. This helps you reintegrate traumatic memories back into the larger context, helping you make better sense of yourself and life.