EMDR Therapy

At Manhattan Therapy, we support our patients in receiving evidence-based treatment to recover from trauma.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This treatment was founded by Francine Shapiro in 1987, and works to reprocess traumatic memory by using “bilateral stimulation.” Trauma is held in one’s body either consciously (where one can recall it in words or images) or unconsciously (held in the body and not accessible in verbal or symbolic memory). Traumatic memory of the past can deeply impact one’s life in the present. Traumatic memory is not linear and the body and mind are not always able to distinguish whether the trauma is occurring in the past or the present.

Specific protocols in EMDR therapy help to target these memories, taking them from emotional activation that feels out of control and into a more rational place. EMDR can create new neural pathways in the brain, so that one may distinguish the past memory as something from the past, not a threat in the present. The goal is to process the memory and no longer be controlled by one’s past trauma. A person undergoing EMDR will be more free to make choices, and not just react to their past.

EMDR can occur either in conjunction with an ongoing psychodynamic psychotherapy treatment, or as a standalone treatment. Our practitioners often integrate EMDR treatment into ongoing therapy, or when determined to be a clinically appropriate, we can treat a client using EMDR only. Our EMDR therapist are Lola Noero, Rebecca Morehiser, and Brian Ackerman.

This video can offer some more explanation as to what EMDR can offer. You can schedule a free 15 minute consultation with one of our EMDR therapists or email hello@manhattantherapy.com to learn more.