EMDR Therapy in South Florida

About this therapy

EMDR therapy

EMDR — eye movement desensitization and reprocessing — involves recalling a traumatic experience while following side-to-side cues from a therapist. The eye movements are believed to decrease the emotional intensity of the memory, so the experience loses its power and can be processed rather than merely endured.

EMDR targets how traumatic memories are stored. Unprocessed memories can carry all the original emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations every time they are triggered. There is evidence that EMDR works, though the science on exactly how is still developing — some researchers credit the guided recall itself, while newer research suggests the lateral eye movement mimics optic flow and calms the fight-or-flight response.

EMDR is offered within Ambrosia’s mental health and addiction programs in West Palm Beach, Singer Island, and Port St. Lucie, usually alongside individual talk therapy.

The eight phases of EMDR

• History and treatment planning

  The therapist assesses readiness and works with you to identify the traumatic memories to target.

• Preparation

  Building trust, explaining the process in full, and equipping you with tools to stay emotionally stable during sessions.

• 3–6. Assessment through body scan

  You recall a visual tied to the memory, name the negative and positive beliefs attached to it, and rate them — then the therapist begins bilateral stimulation: directed eye movements, taps, or tones.

• Closure

  Putting what you learned to use, often with a week-long log to track any negative emotions that surface between sessions.

• Reevaluation

  Reviewing progress and either identifying a new starting point or moving into maintenance, where the skills carry forward on their own.