EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) at Alchemy Collective is a powerful, evidence-based therapeutic approach designed to help you heal from traumatic or distressing life experiences. Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR has gained worldwide recognition for its effectiveness in treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and other conditions that stem from distressing life events.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation—typically guided eye movements, but sometimes taps or tones—to help your brain process disturbing memories in a new, less distressing way. This approach is based on the understanding that when traumatic memories remain unprocessed, they continue to cause emotional distress and negative beliefs about yourself. EMDR facilitates your brain's natural healing capacity to transform these memories and beliefs.

Our EMDR-certified therapists provide this treatment within a safe, structured framework, ensuring you feel supported throughout the healing process.

How EMDR Works

EMDR therapy follows an eight-phase protocol:

1. History Taking and Treatment Planning: Your therapist gathers information about your history and collaboratively develops a treatment plan focused on specific memories, current triggers, and desired outcomes.

2. Preparation: You'll learn self-regulation techniques to manage emotional distress, establishing resources and coping skills before processing begins.

3. Assessment: Together with your therapist, you'll identify target memories to process, including the associated images, beliefs, emotions, and physical sensations.

4-7. Processing Phases: Using bilateral stimulation, you'll process the targeted memory while simultaneously attending to internal experiences. Your therapist guides you through this process, helping your brain reprocess the memory into an adaptive resolution.

8. Reevaluation: Your therapist continually assesses your progress and ensures the complete processing of targeted memories and the emergence of positive beliefs.

Who Can Benefit from EMDR

EMDR therapy can be particularly effective for individuals experiencing:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - From single incidents or complex trauma

• Anxiety Disorders - Including phobias, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety

• Depression - Especially when connected to negative life experiences

• Grief and Loss - Including complicated or traumatic grief

• Childhood Trauma and Attachment Issues - Including neglect, abuse, or early attachment disruptions

• Performance Anxiety - For athletes, performers, or professionals

• Self-Esteem Issues - Especially when rooted in past experiences

• Addiction and Substance Use - When connected to underlying trauma

The Alchemy Collective Difference

At Alchemy Collective, our approach to EMDR therapy is:

Trauma-Informed and Integrative: We understand the complex nature of trauma and integrate EMDR with other modalities when beneficial, including somatic approaches, Internal Family Systems, and the Comprehensive Resource Model.

Personalized to Your Needs: We adapt the EMDR protocol to your unique history, nervous system, and therapeutic goals, ensuring the pacing and approach align with your needs.

Focused on Complete Processing: Rather than merely reducing symptoms, we aim for comprehensive processing that leads to genuine transformation and lasting relief.

Supportive of Whole-Person Healing: We recognize that trauma affects the entire person—mind, body, emotions, and spirit—and our approach honors this wholeness.