Therapy Group of DC
Your brain is equipped with a natural healing system. When a traumatic event occurs, your nervous system sometimes gets stuck processing that memory, creating ongoing symptoms like flashbacks, hypervigilance, and emotional dysregulation. EMDR works by activating the brain’s adaptive processing system, allowing you to reprocess the traumatic memory without the emotional charge that currently defines it.
Unlike talk therapy, which relies on talking about trauma, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — alternating left-right eye movements, tapping, or tones — to mirror the natural processing that occurs during REM sleep. The idea is that this allows your brain to integrate the memory safely and completely.
At Therapy Group of DC, our therapists use EMDR as part of a broader trauma treatment approach. For some clients, EMDR is the primary intervention. For others, it complements deeper psychodynamic or relational work. What matters is that you get the right combination for your specific experience — not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
We see a lot of people who’ve been told they “just need to talk about it” — but talking about trauma without processing it can actually reinforce the distress. EMDR offers a different path. You don’t need to narrate your trauma story in detail. You bring the memory to mind, the bilateral stimulation activates your brain’s natural processing, and the emotional charge decreases. Most people describe the memory afterward as feeling “old” — like something that happened, not something that’s still happening.
Xihlovo
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It’s now one of the most researched and recommended treatments for PTSD and trauma, endorsed by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The core idea is straightforward: traumatic memories get stuck in an unresolved state. Instead of being filed as “past events,” they stay activated in your nervous system, triggering present-tense reactions to past experiences. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to unlock this stuck processing, allowing your brain to refile the memory as integrated and resolved.
Bilateral stimulation. Alternating left-right eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones engage both hemispheres of the brain, mimicking the processing that happens during REM sleep.
Targeted reprocessing. You bring a specific traumatic memory to mind while following the bilateral stimulation. Your brain naturally begins to process what it couldn’t before.
Reduced emotional charge. After processing, most people report the memory feels distant and neutral — they can think about it without panic, intrusion, or physical reactivity.
Efficient timeline. For single-incident trauma, most people see significant relief in 3–12 sessions — often faster than traditional talk therapy approaches.
You’re not “forgetting” the trauma. You’re transforming it from a present-tense threat into a past event you can think about without your nervous system activating.
Is EMDR Right for You?
EMDR may be less suitable if you’re currently in active crisis or unstable housing, have severe unmanaged mental illness requiring stabilization first, are using substances to cope, or have complex childhood trauma with multiple perpetrators — though EMDR can still help in combination with other approaches. Your first session includes a thorough assessment, and we’ll be honest about whether EMDR is the best fit.
What the Research Shows
When you experience trauma, the memory doesn’t process normally. Instead of being filed as a “past event,” it stays activated in your nervous system. Bilateral stimulation appears to unlock this stuck processing by engaging both hemispheres of the brain, similar to what happens during REM sleep. Your brain then refiles the memory as integrated and resolved.
EMDR vs. Traditional Talk Therapy
Talk Therapy (CBT, Psychodynamic)
Focuses on talking through the trauma, identifying triggers, and changing thought patterns. Processing is gradual and cognitive-focused. Often requires 15–30+ sessions for single trauma. Best for ongoing support, complex life patterns, and building coping skills alongside deeper exploration.
EMDR
Uses bilateral stimulation to activate the brain’s natural healing system. Processing is rapid and physiological. Often requires 3–12 sessions for single trauma. Best for specific traumatic events, PTSD, rapid symptom relief, and situations where you prefer not to narrate the trauma in detail.
Why combine them? Complex trauma, attachment wounds, or ongoing anxiety often benefit from EMDR paired with talk therapy. EMDR processes the stuck memories; talk therapy addresses the broader patterns, relational dynamics, and meaning-making that surround them.
Ready to Get Started?
Our therapists can help you figure out whether EMDR alone, talk therapy, or a combination makes sense for your situation.
The EMDR Protocol: What to Expect
Assessment & Preparation
Your EMDR therapist takes a complete history, identifies target memories, and assesses your readiness for processing. You’ll learn coping skills, grounding techniques, and bilateral stimulation methods. Your therapist helps you build internal resources — safe places, positive memories, supportive anchors — before any processing begins.
Processing the Traumatic Memory
This is the core EMDR work. You activate the traumatic memory while your therapist guides bilateral stimulation. Your brain reprocesses the memory, and the emotional charge naturally decreases. Most people report the memory shifting from vivid and intrusive to distant and manageable.
Body Scan & Integration
After reprocessing, your therapist checks for any remaining emotional or physical tension linked to the memory. You identify what insights or beliefs have shifted. Many clients report a sense of completion and relief — the memory no longer carries the same weight.
Closure & Reassessment
Each session ends with stabilization. Your therapist reviews progress and plans the next target, or concludes treatment if symptoms have resolved. You leave each session in a grounded state.
Our Approach to EMDR at Therapy Group of DC
We don’t treat EMDR as a one-size-fits-all protocol. Xihlovo Mabunda is our certified EMDR specialist — she has completed comprehensive EMDR training and maintains ongoing consultation to ensure the highest standard of care. Xihlovo brings additional expertise in sexual trauma, psychodynamic understanding, and sex-positive therapy, which is crucial for many trauma survivors.
What this means for you: You can work directly with Xihlovo for dedicated EMDR, or your therapist can refer you to her for targeted EMDR sessions while you continue ongoing care with someone else. Some clients do several EMDR sessions with Xihlovo, then consolidate gains in talk therapy. Others do the full protocol and wrap up in 6–12 sessions total.
We also offer flexibility in session length. Standard sessions are 45 minutes, but many EMDR clients benefit from 60- or 90-minute sessions, which allow time for full processing cycles without feeling rushed. Your therapist will recommend the right format based on where you are in treatment.
Our broader team includes therapists trained in complementary trauma approaches including IFS, trauma-focused therapy, and psychodynamic methods. If your needs extend beyond EMDR, we have the depth to support you. Learn more about our full trauma therapy team →