EMDR and Chill
Healing from trauma isn’t just about changing thoughts—it’s about engaging the whole self: mind, body, and spirit. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, evidence-based therapy that helps people process and heal from distressing memories. When paired with holistic mind-body practices like breathwork, yoga, and meditation, EMDR can become part of a truly integrative approach to healing—one that supports emotional, physical, and even spiritual well-being.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, eight-phase therapy that helps individuals reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories. During an EMDR session, the therapist guides the client through bilateral stimulation—often through side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or auditory cues—while the client recalls a painful memory.
This process taps into the brain's natural healing mechanisms. Much like what occurs during REM sleep, bilateral stimulation helps the brain reprocess stuck memories, allowing them to lose their emotional charge. Clients often report that a memory that once felt overwhelming can begin to feel neutral or distant, sometimes within just a few sessions.
How EMDR Supports Mind-Body Healing
Trauma isn’t just stored in the mind—it also lives in the body. Many people experience lingering physical symptoms such as tension, fatigue, or chronic pain long after a traumatic event has passed. EMDR addresses this by integrating both cognitive and somatic (body-based) awareness.
As the brain reprocesses memories, clients may experience shifts not just emotionally, but physically—like a loosening of the shoulders, deeper breathing, or a general sense of relief. EMDR supports the nervous system in moving from a state of hyperarousal to one of greater regulation, balance, and calm.
The Power of Integrating EMDR with Holistic Practices
Pairing EMDR with holistic therapies can amplify its effects. While EMDR works directly with the brain’s processing systems, holistic mind-body practices provide grounding, self-regulation, and connection between sessions. Together, they create a richer, more supportive healing process.
Holistic modalities that pair well with EMDR include:
Yoga and mindful movement to reconnect with the body and release tension
Breathwork to calm the nervous system and increase emotional resilience
Meditation and visualization to support inner safety and presence
Somatic awareness practices that deepen your connection to physical sensations and emotions
This integrative approach allows clients to move beyond symptom relief and toward long-term transformation and embodiment.
What Happens in an EMDR Session?
Every EMDR session is unique, but many incorporate the following core techniques:
Bilateral Stimulation: Through eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones, the therapist activates both hemispheres of the brain to help reprocess distressing memories.
Safe Place Visualization: Clients develop a calming inner resource they can return to anytime they feel overwhelmed.
Identifying Negative Beliefs: EMDR helps uncover the core beliefs (e.g., “I’m not safe,” “It was my fault”) linked to traumatic memories, and replace them with more adaptive truths.
Body Scans: Clients are invited to notice physical sensations, fostering awareness of how trauma lives in the body—and how it shifts during healing.
Choosing the Right Practitioner
Working with someone trained in both EMDR and holistic modalities can make a meaningful difference in your healing journey. Look for a licensed therapist with specialized training in EMDR through EMDRIA as well as experience with practices such as somatic therapy and mindfulness. It’s also important to feel safe, seen, and supported in your work together—healing happens in relationship.
If you are ready to begin EMDR with Solace Therapy Group Sonoma please reach out to us today.