EMDR WITH DANI AND ALLY

Rewiring the Brain: How EMDR Therapy Transforms Trauma

• Dani & Ally • Episode 2

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What Exactly Is EMDR—and Why Does It Work So Well For Trauma?

Ever wondered how some therapies seem to help people move beyond trauma without constantly reliving the painful details? EMDR therapy stands apart in its approach to healing, and in this episode, Dani and Ally break down exactly why this powerful method works so effectively.

We explore the fascinating science behind EMDR therapy, starting with Dr. Francine Shapiro's accidental discovery in the late 1980s that led to this revolutionary approach. Your hosts explain how the brain's natural healing mechanisms can become blocked during trauma and how EMDR helps reopen those pathways. You'll learn about the three key brain regions involved in processing traumatic experiences – the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex – and how bilateral stimulation helps these systems work together more effectively.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is the clear distinction between common misconceptions and the reality of EMDR therapy. Dani and Ally emphasize that clients remain fully conscious and in control throughout the process (unlike hypnosis), and they walk through what actually happens during different phases of treatment. The hosts share how they establish safety and build resources with clients before beginning memory processing work, addressing the nervousness many people feel about trying a new therapeutic approach. Perhaps most powerfully, they explain how EMDR doesn't erase difficult memories but transforms how they're stored and experienced – "the memory stays, but the weight of it lifts." If you're curious about how therapy can help someone carry their past differently while living more fully in the present, this episode provides valuable insights whether you're a clinician or someone considering this approach for your own healing journey.

Ready to learn more about this evidence-based approach to trauma healing? Visit online or reach out directly at 254-230-4994 to connect with Dani and Ally for more resources, training opportunities, or to ask questions about implementing EMDR in your practice.

To learn more about EMDR WITH DANI AND ALLY visit:
https://www.DaniandAlly.com
EMDR WITH DANI AND ALLY
254-230-4994

Speaker 1:

Hey there. I'm Dani from Ontario, Canada, and I'm Allie from Texas.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to EMDR with Dani and Allie, your go-to space for collaborative consultation that connects and grows, one clinician at a time. I'm your voice guide not Dani, not Allie here to introduce your hosts Dani in Ontario, canada, and Allie in Texas. Together, they train clinicians around the globe and offer EMDR therapy that's as supportive as a great pair of walking shoes Steady, reliable and just what you need to walk alongside your clients. Whether you're a seasoned therapist or just starting your EMDR journey, you're in the right place to connect, learn and grow without having to log thousands of miles. Let's get started.

Speaker 3:

EMDR isn't just a buzzword. It's a powerful, research-backed therapy that helps clients process trauma in ways that feel safe, effective and lasting. Danny and Allie, break it down back everyone. I am millie m, co-host and producer. Back in the studio with hosts of emdr, with danny and ally. It's danny and ally, how are you doing good? Thanks, so glad to be here with you both. Let's kick things off with today's question what exactly is EMDR and why does it work so well for trauma?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, that's a great question. So in the late 1980s, dr Francine Shapiro, who's the inventor of EMDR, noticed something surprising when her eyes moved back and forth, the distress of certain memories seemed to lessen, and that observation sparked decades of research and the development of what we now know as EMDR therapy eye movement, desensitization and reprocessing.

Speaker 1:

So at its core. Emdr is a really structured therapy and it helps the brain heal from trauma. Unlike just talk therapy, you don't have to go into detail about the trauma. Unlike just talk therapy, you don't have to go into detail about the trauma. There isn't a lot of homework. Instead, emdr focuses on helping your brain reopen those natural healing pathways.

Speaker 4:

That's right. Our brains are naturally designed to recover from traumatic experiences. There's three key parts of the brain that work together in this process the amygdala, which sounds the alarm when we're in danger. The hippocampus, which helps us learn and remember what's safe or unsafe. And the prefrontal cortex, which helps us think clearly, manage our emotions and make decisions.

Speaker 1:

So most of the time these systems can process those stressful events on their own. But when an experience is really overwhelming, the brain may not fully process it without some extra support. And that's where we come in.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so here's why that matters. When something overwhelming happens, sometimes our brains can't process it fully. It's as if the memory gets stuck with all of the images, emotions and body sensations and they're just frozen in time, and that's why trauma can feel like it's happening right now, even if it happened years ago.

Speaker 1:

So EMDR really helps unstick those memories. So during a session with a client you focus briefly on that difficult memory while also engaging in something called bilateral stimulation, and that may be eye movements, gentle taps or alternating sounds. So as the brain processes the memory, it begins to lose its intensity and people often notice that new, healthier beliefs naturally arise, Things like I did the best that I could, or I am safe now, even if I wasn't safe then.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, Research shows EMDR is highly effective for PTSD, but also for anxiety, depression, grief, phobias and even chronic pain. It works for children and adults alike. And here's the key point EMDR doesn't erase the memory. It changes how your brain stores it and the felt sense of it. The experience is still part of your story, but it no longer controls how you feel today.

Speaker 1:

So, in short, emdr helps you carry your past differently. The memory stays, but the weight of it lifts, and that makes space for the healing, the growth and living more fully in the present.

Speaker 3:

That's a beautiful sentiment. I personally am fascinated by scars. If I see someone with a scar I will ask them the story, and I've heard some people tell some horrific stories and actually kind of laugh about it because the scar is just a reminder that they survived something. So I feel like what you're describing as EMDR is kind of like that for the brain, like you're replacing that hurt and that pain and those negative associations with a more positive nervous system feeling about it. You talk about eye movement. How is EMDR different from hypnosis?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, Allie. Do you want to answer or do you want me to?

Speaker 1:

Well, we both can sure. It is definitely not hypnosis. So we are not in control of them, which would be the very difference. They're still in control of their mind, body, everything. They're just aware of what's going on, which is the complete opposite of hypnosis.

Speaker 4:

They're fully in control of what's going on Makes sense, can you?

Speaker 3:

walk us through a typical EMDR session what that looks like for a new client.

Speaker 1:

I think it would depend also which phase you are in with that client. So at the beginning of our sessions with clients we want to take a lot of good history. So we're gathering all of that information their past, what they've been through, maybe what kind of counseling they've already received. We're looking at information to see where they land on anxiety, depression, ptsd, all those underlying, what medications they're on, what their support system looks like, how we can support them and help them with that support system. So we generally would never jump into a reprocessing session is what we call that, which is a phase three EMDR. We would not just jump into reprocessing because we would need to make sure that we have gotten to know our client, we have good rapport with our client and that they have the adequate resources to be able to reprocess. But once we get to the reprocessing phase, dani, why don't you share what that actually could look like?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so once we're in the reprocessing stage. So we have sort of selected the memory that it is that we are going to work on and we have broken it down. So we have said what is the worst part of that? What is the worst part of that memory for you? What picture comes to mind when you think about the worst part of that memory? And then what are the words, what are the negative words about yourself that fit with that picture of that worst part? That fit with that or that picture of that worst part? What would you like to believe about yourself instead? What are the emotions and where is that in the body? What's the felt sense of it?

Speaker 4:

And then we start moving through reprocessing using bilateral stimulation, which can be. Many people now are using theratappers, so it's like you're holding a little buzzing machine, one in each hand, one in the other, and it's going back and forth. Some people are using eye movements, whether it's manual or whether it's with a light bar. Some people are like walking in place, which I've also done with people that like to move. But the idea is that we are moving through that memory and we're working to allow the brain to adaptively resolve all of the pieces of that pathogenic memory.

Speaker 3:

And I like the walking because I go ahead.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the fun part is also that our brain really wants to heal itself. So if we just give it the right you know atmosphere, the right field, if you will like, if you're on the baseball field right If we just give them the right tools, our body and our brain really want to heal itself. And so that's the goal is that we're desensitizing the body, we're helping the brain to rewire to think differently about the situation and that they where they are now today. So sometimes that means we need to integrate some things to really help support those younger parts of us that were really hurt and wounded.

Speaker 3:

Healing that little inner child of ours. Can you help? How do you help clients who feel a little bit nervous about this process?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I mean, I think that everybody comes to therapy nervous. I know that that's how I show up is nervous, and so I think that that is pretty normal and so a lot of that sort of those bumps kind of tend to smooth out as you develop relationship and rapport with clients. And so we're not jumping into reprocessing from the get go. We're getting to know building safety and rapport. That's needed to be able to do that work, but also acknowledging, you know, meeting the client where they're at, and if they're nervous, that's totally fine and we expect that.

Speaker 1:

And I think, providing that psychoeducation and meeting our clients where they're at with that as well, because some have come and they've already had EMDR and we have to kind of reteach what it is sometimes. Other times they're like I've heard of this, they like to. A lot of clients like to say EDMR instead of EMDR. So we, you know, just provide some education and understanding of what it is, and so the more informed you are, the less fear you have about it, absolutely.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, knowledge is power in this case. Thank you so much, danny and Allie. That was a powerful breakdown of EMDR and why it's such a game changer for trauma work. I'm looking forward to addressing some of my own issues in this way, so I appreciate the insight. We'll see you next time.

Speaker 1:

Hey, there, I'm Danny from Ontario, canada, and I'm Allie from Texas.

Speaker 2:

That wraps up another insightful episode of EMDR with Danny and Ali, where our slogan collaborative consultation that connects and grows, one clinician at a time isn't just catchy. It's our mission. Want more tools, training or just need to ask Danny or Ali a question? Dannyandalliecom, or call or text 254-230-4994. Thanks for tuning in and remember the best healing starts with connection.