EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-informed therapy that supports the nervous system in processing experiences that were overwhelming, confusing, or never fully integrated at the time they occurred. While EMDR is often associated with single-incident trauma, it is also deeply effective for childhood trauma, religious trauma, and the many “little t” experiences that shape how we move through the world.
You do not need to have a clear or dramatic trauma story for EMDR to be helpful.
When Experiences Stay in the Body
Childhood experiences, relational wounds, and religious or spiritual harm often leave traces that linger long after the moment has passed. These experiences may not feel dramatic, yet they can shape beliefs, emotions, and patterns in subtle but powerful ways.
They can show up as: a sense of shame or self-doubt, feeling on edge, overwhelmed, or disconnected, difficulty trusting yourself or others, emotional reactions that feel out of proportion, a feeling of being “stuck,” even with insight
EMDR recognizes that these patterns make sense — they are intelligent responses to what once felt necessary.
How EMDR Supports Healing
EMDR helps the brain and nervous system reprocess distressing memories and patterns so they no longer feel present-day or overwhelming. Through bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping), EMDR allows experiences to be integrated in a way that reduces emotional charge while preserving insight and meaning.
This process can support: greater emotional regulation, reduced reactivity and anxiety, relief from shame or fear-based beliefs, increased sense of safety in the body, more flexibility and choice in the present.
Rather than reliving the past, EMDR helps your system recognize that the experience is over.
Religious Trauma
For many people, religious trauma is complex and layered. It may involve fear, control, loss of community, spiritual confusion, or internalized shame. EMDR can be especially supportive in gently untangling these experiences without asking you to invalidate what once felt meaningful or important.
This work honors your autonomy, your beliefs (past or present), and your right to define spirituality — or step away from it entirely.