EMDR VS. Traditional Talk Therapy: Which Path Is Right for You?
If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “I understand why I feel like this, but I still feel stuck,” you’re not alone. Insight can be powerful because it helps us make connections and understand ourselves in new ways. But sometimes, no matter how much we talk through things, the same reactions keep coming up. This is usually a sign we’re dealing with something deeper, where EMDR can really help.
What is Talk Therapy?
How Talk Therapy Supports Healing
Talk therapy is where many people begin, and for good reason. A lot of the healing actually happens within the therapeutic relationship, which is a major part of talk therapy. It can be deeply healing to explore your childhood, navigate relationships, or work through a life transition, with a warm and safe presence. Over time, traditional therapy helps you build awareness, shift your thinking, and develop more self-compassion.
But for some people, especially those carrying trauma or overwhelming experiences, talking may not be enough. Trauma doesn’t always mean something catastrophic, it can be something that happened too soon, without enough support, or went unacknowledged for too long. You might have insight around what happened, but your nervous system still reacts like it’s happening now. That’s because some experiences get stored in the body, not just the mind.
What is EMDR Therapy?
Going Deeper with EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-informed therapy that helps your brain and body finish processing events that were too much to handle at the time. Using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping), EMDR helps you access memories, beliefs, and sensations, and shift how they are stored in your brain.
Which path is right for you?
It really depends on where you are and what you’re needing. Sometimes we need space to process things out loud, build insight, or practice vulnerability. We may also need to go deeper than words and work with what’s stored in the body. In my experience, clients notice the greatest shift in their therapeutic progress using a mix of both.
At Root to Rise, many of us combine EMDR with talk therapy, because we believe an integrated approach is often the most effective. If you’re feeling curious about trying something other than traditional talk therapy, we’re here to explore that with you.
Reach out to our client care coordinator to get matched with a therapist who’s the right fit for your healing journey.
Warmly,
Lauren David, AMFT
