Many people look for EMDR because of trauma or PTSD. Others come to us with anxiety, grief, depression or a relationship pattern that keeps repeating. EMDR gives the brain and body a structured way to finish processing experiences that still feel stuck, so those memories carry less charge in daily life.
Below we explain what EMDR is, what a session with us looks like, and how we pair it with somatic work and talk therapy.
What EMDR therapy is
EMDR was developed by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro. It is an integrative approach that draws on imagery, mindfulness, emotion and cognitive work inside a structured treatment plan, and it fits well alongside other kinds of therapy.
The idea underneath EMDR is that the mind and body lean toward healing. When an experience is too overwhelming to process at the time, it can stay stored in the nervous system in raw form. A smell, a tone of voice or a certain kind of day can then bring back the same fear, shame or tension, even years later.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, meaning left-right input such as eye movements, alternating taps or tones, while you briefly hold a memory in mind. This helps the brain reprocess the memory. The event still happened, but it tends to feel further away, and more helpful beliefs about yourself have room to settle in.
The phases of EMDR
EMDR follows a set sequence of phases. You will not be asked to jump into your hardest memory in the first session. We spend time getting to know you and building stability before any reprocessing starts.
- History and planning: we learn your story and choose what to work on.
- Preparation: we explain the process and build calming and grounding skills.
- Assessment: we identify a target memory, the belief tied to it and the spot in your body that reacts.
- Desensitization: sets of bilateral stimulation while the memory is processed.
- Installation: strengthening a more helpful belief about yourself.
- Body scan: checking for any tension or distress that remains.
- Closure: making sure you leave each session settled.
- Reevaluation: reviewing what has shifted at the start of the next session.
What an EMDR session looks like in our Casper, WY office
Most sessions are 60 minutes, and people usually meet weekly or every other week. We start by checking in on how the past week went and what came up after the last session. Then we decide together whether today is a day for reprocessing, for building resources or for talking things through.
During reprocessing you bring a memory to mind along with the image, the belief and the body sensations that go with it. Your therapist guides short sets of eye movements or taps, then pauses so you can notice what comes up. You stay awake and in charge the whole time, and you can stop whenever you need to.
Online EMDR works much the same way by video. You might follow movement on the screen or tap on your own shoulders or knees. Before we finish, we use the closing phase to help you feel steady enough to go back to your day.
EMDR is not only for trauma
Brandon has written about EMDR as a framework for the whole course of therapy, not a single technique saved for trauma. In practice, that means EMDR can help with four kinds of work:
- Resourcing: building inner strengths and a felt sense of safety at the start.
- The past: reprocessing earlier memories that still fuel present struggles.
- The present: working through current triggers in work, family or relationships.
- The future: rehearsing upcoming challenges, called future templates, so you can face them with more confidence.
Who EMDR can help
EMDR is experiential, cognitive and somatic at once. You do more than analyze a problem: you work with the memory, the emotion and the body sensation as they happen in the room. Many people find this reaches places that talking alone has not. Concerns we use EMDR for include:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety and panic
- Depression
- Phobias
- Grief and loss
- Stress and overwhelm
- Relationship struggles
- Low self-esteem and confidence
How we pair EMDR with somatic work and talk therapy
Our work is grounded in Interpersonal Neurobiology, with a focus on attachment, emotion and mindfulness. EMDR fits inside that framework. Brandon is also trained in Somatic Integration and Processing, SomatoSymbolic Processing and AEDP, so a session might move from reprocessing to slowing down with a body sensation or staying with an emotion that is finally getting room.
Each of our therapists brings EMDR to different people. Justin Whitson uses EMDR as a core part of his approach and blends it with collaborative talk therapy, including with first responders and medical professionals. Kala Corban works mostly with older adolescents, adults and couples, and Beth Corley brings a background in neuroscience and trauma to her work with children and adults.
Brandon also provides EMDR consultation to licensed therapists who are pursuing EMDR certification or want case consultation. If you are a therapist, you can find details on our consulting page.
Questions people ask
Will I have to talk through every detail of what happened?
No. EMDR does not require you to tell the full story out loud. Your therapist needs a general sense of the memory, and during processing you can share as much or as little as you want about what comes up.
Can EMDR be done online?
Yes. We offer EMDR by video for people anywhere in Wyoming. Bilateral stimulation can be done by following movement on the screen or by tapping, and we build in the same preparation and closing steps we use in the office.
How long does EMDR take?
It depends on what you are working on. Some people focus on one event, while others work through earlier experiences over a longer stretch of therapy. The preparation phase alone can take a few sessions, and we review progress with you along the way.
Is EMDR a kind of hypnosis?
No. You are awake, aware and in control throughout the session. You can pause or stop whenever you need to, and your therapist checks in with you between each set.
How do I start EMDR therapy in Casper?
Call 307-215-1021 or email brandon@openroadtherapy.com for a free phone consultation. We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield (in-network), Cigna, Optumhealth Behavioral Solutions, Medicaid and several other plans, and we can often bill out of network. We will send intake forms before your first session.