What Is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing -EMDR therapy was developed in 1987 by Francine Shapiro, who discovered a connection between specific eye movements and reduced emotional distress. While many stressful experiences can be naturally resolved over time, traumatic events can overwhelm the brain’s ability to process them, leaving unprocessed memories stored in the nervous system. This can lead to persistent feelings of distress, negative thinking, and physical tension.
EMDR works by helping the brain process these stuck memories, enabling the body and mind to move toward a sense of calm and safety. Over the course of therapy, the distress associated with the memory diminishes, and negative beliefs about oneself often shift in a positive direction. Extensive research supports EMDR’s effectiveness in treating PTSD, and growing evidence highlights its benefits for other issues, including depression, anxiety, grief, and more.
How Can EMDR Therapy Help in the Perinatal Years?
EMDR can be a powerful tool for addressing a wide range of challenges that arise during the perinatal period, including:
Perinatal trauma: Processing the emotional and psychological impact of experiences such as pregnancy loss, miscarriage, birth trauma, medical complications, and postpartum PTSD.
Pregnancy termination: Supporting recovery and addressing the grief and complex emotions that can follow a difficult decision or experience.
Stillbirth: Helping parents navigate profound grief and trauma, fostering healing after the devastating loss of a baby.
Grief and loss in the perinatal period: EMDR can support parents in processing grief stemming from various losses, including miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, or the loss of envisioned experiences of pregnancy and parenthood. It can also address feelings of grief and loss around a difficult birth experience, medical interventions, or loss of a dream for how things would unfold.
Distress related to neonatal care: Supporting parents of premature or medically fragile babies, addressing trauma from extended NICU stays, fears for their baby’s survival, and grief for the loss of an earlier than expected experience of parenthood.
Vicarious trauma: Helping the non-birthing partner process feelings of helplessness, fear, or overwhelm after witnessing distressing events.
Unexpected or distressing events in the perinatal period: Processing the emotional aftermath of unforeseen incidents, such as accidents, injuries, or other challenges during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum.
Parenting fears and unresolved past trauma: Addressing fears about bonding, connection, or repeating unhealthy patterns, especially when linked to grief or unresolved trauma from childhood or earlier life that resurfaces during the perinatal period.
Anxiety, depression, and negative self-beliefs: Managing persistent worries, low mood, and harmful self-beliefs, such as “I am not safe,” “I am a failure,” or “I am a bad parent/person.” EMDR helps address these emotions and beliefs, supporting a more positive transition to parenthood.
EMDR provides a structured approach to help parents move past these difficult experiences, fostering greater resilience, self-compassion, and emotional well-being.
What Happens in Sessions?
EMDR is a structured therapy that follows eight distinct phases. The initial phases involve exploring your background and history, identifying specific target memories to address, and developing skills to manage distress and discomfort.
The middle phases focus on desensitization—reducing the emotional intensity linked to traumatic memories—and reprocessing, which reframes and integrates these memories in a healthier way. During these phases, you are guided to focus on specific memories while engaging in sets of eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. This process helps activate the brain’s natural healing mechanisms, allowing the memory to be reprocessed and integrated, reducing its emotional impact.
The final phases ensure you feel grounded and safe, checking for any remaining tension or distress and reinforcing a sense of resolution and well-being.
Transforming Trauma and Building Resilience
The perinatal period is a time of profound change, bringing both joys and challenges. For those navigating trauma, grief, or emotional distress, EMDR offers a compassionate and effective way to process these experiences. By addressing unresolved pain and fostering resilience, EMDR therapy empowers parents to approach their journey with greater confidence and emotional well-being. If you’re considering therapy, connecting with a qualified EMDR practitioner could be a meaningful step toward reclaiming peace and balance during this transformative phase.
Find More Information
Contact me if you would like to discuss further.
You can also find more information on the EMDR Association of Australia site: https://emdraa.org/
Back to My Articles