the science of trauma + EMDR
How Trauma Affects the Brain
When something traumatic happens, our brains don’t always process the event like a regular memory. Instead of filing it away neatly, the brain goes into survival mode—flooding the body with stress hormones and storing the memory in a raw, unprocessed form. This is why trauma doesn’t always fade with time like other memories. Instead, it can get "stuck," making it feel like the event is happening all over again when something triggers it.
This happens because of the way trauma affects key areas of the brain:
The Amygdala – The brain’s alarm system. It detects threats and triggers the fight-flight-freeze response. When trauma happens, the amygdala can become overactive, making us feel constantly on edge, reactive, or anxious.
The Hippocampus – The brain’s filing cabinet for memories. It helps us understand that an event is in the past. In trauma, the hippocampus struggles to store the memory properly, which is why traumatic memories can feel as vivid and real as the day they happened.
The Prefrontal Cortex – The rational part of the brain that helps us make sense of things and regulate emotions. Trauma can weaken its influence, making it harder to rationalize fear responses or feel in control of emotions.
This is why trauma symptoms—like flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or emotional numbness—aren’t just about "bad memories." They are signs that the brain hasn't fully processed what happened.
How EMDR Helps the Brain Process Trauma
EMDR works by engaging the brain’s natural processing system, helping it "unstick" traumatic memories and integrate them properly. The key to this process is bilateral stimulation—this could be side-to-side eye movements, alternating sounds, or gentle taps on the hands.
Research suggests this stimulation mimics the brain’s processing during REM sleep (the phase where we consolidate and make sense of experiences). By focusing on the traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps the brain reprocess the memory, so it loses its emotional intensity. You still remember what happened, but it no longer feels like it's happening to you right now.
The Adaptive Information Processing Model
The theory behind EMDR is called Adaptive Information Processing (AIP). It suggests that our brains are naturally wired to heal from distressing experiences, but sometimes, trauma disrupts this process. EMDR helps restart that natural healing, allowing the brain to reframe the experience in a way that is no longer distressing.
Studies show that EMDR doesn’t just reduce symptoms—it actually changes the way trauma is stored in the brain. Brain scans of people before and after EMDR therapy have shown decreased activity in the amygdala (the fear center) and increased activity in the prefrontal cortex (the rational, decision-making area), meaning the brain moves from reacting to remembering.
The Bottom Line
Trauma isn’t just something you "get over" with time—it affects how your brain processes information. EMDR helps your brain do what it was always meant to do: heal. It’s not about erasing memories, but about making peace with them, so they no longer have power over your present.
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Individual therapy (inc. EMDR): £95 per session