EMDR for Trauma & PTSD
If you’re struggling with distressing memories, anxiety, or the lasting effects of trauma, EMDR therapy may be an effective option to explore.
EMDR helps the brain process difficult experiences in a way that reduces emotional intensity and improves daily functioning. disorder (PTSD).
This page explains how EMDR works, what it can help with, and what to expect if you’re considering EMDR therapy as part of your mental health care.
Call us today or visit our admissions page to get started.
EMDR Therapy in Philadelphia
EMDR therapy in Philadelphia can help you overcome trauma-related mental health disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Call us today or visit our admissions page to get started.
Begin Mental Health Treatment in Philadelphia Today
How EMDR Therapy Treats Mental Health
EMDR is built around the idea that past experiences can become stuck in the nervous system when they were distressing or traumatic. Instead of fading over time, these memories can continue to trigger strong emotional reactions, even when they aren’t happening in the present.
During EMDR therapy, a trained clinician guides you through a structured process that:
- Activates the distressing memory in a safe setting
- Uses bilateral stimulation (often eye movements) to help the brain re-process the memory
- Reduces the emotional intensity associated with the memory
- Helps build new, healthier associations
Rather than simply talking about the experience, EMDR at New Mind Wellness in Philadelphia helps your brain work through it, leading to lasting changes in how you feel and react.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR, which is short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is the use of directed eye movements to help people stimulate their brains to access subconscious emotions. The therapist may also use tapping motions or hand movements. The person follows the therapist’s instructions while recounting details of the trauma they have suffered. For someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex trauma, this can help them turn the corner in healing from their symptoms.
EMDR therapy began implementation in 1987 to treat people with PTSD and later was adapted to treat other mental health disorders and conditions. Sessions take place one to two times per week and can be completed in six to twelve sessions. EMDR therapy in Philadelphia is provided by mental health professionals who train to become equipped to provide this therapy modality for trauma survivors. They can also use it to help people overcome other mental health disorders and challenges to their mental and physical health.
What Mental Health Conditions Can EMDR Treat?
EMDR was originally developed to treat trauma, but it’s now used to support a range of mental health concerns, including:
- Anxiety: Helps reduce ongoing worry, fear responses, and physical tension tied to stressful memories.
- Post-Traumatic Stress: Supports processing traumatic experiences revealing fewer flashbacks and emotional triggers.
- Depression: Can help loosen the emotional weight of past experiences that contribute to low mood and negative self-beliefs.
- Panic disorders: Helps decrease the intensity and frequency of panic attacks by addressing underlying triggers.
- Grief and loss: Supports emotional processing of loss so memories feel less overwhelming over time.
- Phobias: Can reduce fear responses linked to specific situations, objects, or experiences.
Stress-related symptoms: Helps the brain reinterpret stressful events so they cause fewer emotional reactions in daily life.
What Mental Health Programs Offer EMDR?
EMDR therapy is integrated into multiple levels of outpatient care at New Mind, including:
- Outpatient treatment: Standard weekly EMDR sessions with a licensed clinician to support ongoing symptom relief and emotional processing.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): A more structured schedule that may include EMDR alongside group support and coping skills work for more consistent progress.
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): For individuals needing regular, day-time clinical support, EMDR is woven into a broader therapeutic framework that includes multiple modalities.
Our team collaborates to ensure that your EMDR therapy is aligned with your overall treatment goals, whether that means focusing on trauma, anxiety, depression, or other concerns.
How Many EMDR Sessions Do You Need?
The number of EMDR sessions needed varies by person and by the nature of what is being treated. Some people notice relief in as few as 6–8 sessions, especially when working with a consistent clinician.
Others may work with EMDR longer (12 sessions or more) if there are multiple memories to process or deeper patterns to address.
A few factors that influence the number of sessions include:
- The type and number of distressing memories
- Your goals in treatment
- How your nervous system responds to processing
- Whether EMDR is part of a larger program (like IOP/PHP)
Your clinician will help you set expectations and adjust pacing as needed. Many people find that even early sessions bring meaningful shifts in how distressing memories feel.
The Basics: What Happens During an EMDR Session
Our EMDR therapy follows a structured process designed to help you safely process distressing memories.
A typical EMDR session may include:
History and planning: Your clinician learns about your background, symptoms, and goals to identify which memories or experiences to focus on.
Preparation: You learn grounding and calming techniques to help you stay present during sessions.
Assessment: Together, you identify the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations linked to the memory being processed.
Desensitization: Guided eye movements or other bilateral stimulation are used while focusing on the memory to help your brain re-process it.
Installation: Positive beliefs are reinforced so the memory feels less distressing and more manageable.
Body scan: You check in with your body to notice and release any remaining tension.
Closure and reevaluation: Sessions end with stabilization techniques, and progress is reviewed in future appointments.
Over time, many people find that memories feel less intense and cause fewer emotional reactions in everyday life.
Begin EMDR Therapy Today
New Mind Wellness is a leader in mental health treatment in Pennsylvania. If you or a loved one are struggling with mental illness, reach out to us today or verify your insurance now.
The Details: EMDR Therapy Phases Explained
Our EMDR therapy is done in accordance with the eight phases that should be done in the following order:
Phase 1: History and Treatment Planning
In the initial phase, the therapist and client explore the client’s history to identify specific traumatic events or troubling memories that will be targeted during EMDR therapy. This phase involves developing a comprehensive treatment plan that maps out the key memories or current situations that cause distress, as well as desired outcomes for the therapy.
Phase 2: Preparation
The second phase is crucial for establishing trust and explaining the EMDR process to the client. The therapist teaches the client several stress-reduction techniques and coping mechanisms to ensure they can manage emotional distress both during and outside of therapy sessions. This stage sets the foundation for the client to handle the emotional and psychological intensity that can come with processing traumatic memories.
Phase 3: Assessment
The therapist identifies the vivid visual image related to the memory, a negative belief about self, related emotions and body sensations. The client also identifies a positive belief they would like to have.
Phase 4: Desensitization
This phase focuses on processing the distressing memory in detail through EMDR therapy techniques, primarily through bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements). The goal is to reduce the client’s emotional response to the memory.
Phase 5: Installation
The focus here is to strengthen the positive belief that the client wants to have post-processing of the traumatic memory. The therapist helps the client link the positive belief with the memory, replacing the negative thoughts.
Phase 6: Body Scan
The client is asked to think of the traumatic event and observe their body for any residual tension or unusual sensations. If any disturbances are detected, these are targeted for further processing.
Phase 7: Closure
This phase ensures that the client leaves every session feeling better than when they arrived. If the processing of the traumatic memory is not completed during the session, the therapist will use various techniques to bring the client back to a state of equilibrium.
Phase 8: Reevaluation
At the beginning of subsequent sessions, the therapist checks the client’s current psychological state and the progress made towards the treatment goals. The previous sessions’ memories are reviewed to ensure that the processing is complete, and new areas that need to be addressed are identified.
What Happens After EMDR Therapy?
After EMDR therapy, many people find they:
- React less intensely to past memories
- Experience fewer anxiety or fear responses
- Sleep more soundly
- Feel more grounded in everyday situations
- Have improved mood and confidence
Ongoing outpatient support, such as talk therapy, group work, or skills training, can help solidify progress made in EMDR and support overall mental well-being.
Some people choose to revisit EMDR later for new targets as life circumstances change, and that’s a normal part of long-term care.
How to Know If EMDR Will Help You
EMDR tends to work best for people who carry memories that still feel “live,” even if the event happened years ago. It’s especially effective for PTSD, childhood trauma, assault, medical trauma, and other experiences that left the nervous system stuck in survival mode. Many people also use EMDR for anxiety, panic, grief, and long‑standing patterns that don’t shift with talk therapy alone.
Why EMDR Really Works
The reason EMDR helps is simple: it gives your brain a safe way to process what once felt overwhelming. Instead of getting pulled back into the past, you learn to stay grounded in the present while your mind reworks the memory. Over time, the emotional charge fades. You remember what happened, but it no longer controls your reactions or your sense of safety.
Is EMDR Right for You?
If you’re dealing with intrusive thoughts, strong body reactions, or memories that still hit harder than they should, EMDR may be a strong fit. It’s not about reliving the trauma—it’s about finally moving through it with support and structure
Sources:
- EMDR Therapy — American Psychological Association (APA)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) — Mayo Clinic
- EMDR: What It Is and How It Works — National Center for PTSD (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
How EMDR Fits Into Your Recovery Journey
EMDR is one part of your recovery process. At New Mind Wellness Center, clinicians consider your mental health history, current stressors, and goals to build a personalized plan.
When EMDR is included, it works alongside other therapeutic tools to support emotional growth and stability.
Mental health recovery is not a race. It’s about learning how to live more fully, feel less overwhelmed by the past, and gain tools to navigate the present and future with resilience.
For more information on how EMDR could help you restore mental balance, reach out to New Mind today.