Approach
EMDR therapy for memories your body still treats as current.
A smell, a sound or a date on the calendar, and suddenly your body is back in a moment you thought was over. EMDR therapy (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is one structured way of working with memories that still land like the present. Erin L. Smith, MSPC, LPCC, LPC draws on EMDR as one of several methods and is certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), a related eye-movement approach.
01EMDR
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. During processing, you hold a chosen memory in mind while following a back-and-forth stimulus, most often eye movements, sometimes alternating taps or tones. This is called bilateral stimulation. The idea behind it is that some memories get stored with their original alarm still attached, so they replay as if they were current. Bilateral processing gives the brain another pass at that memory. The aim is for it to settle into the past, recalled as something that happened rather than something your body keeps reliving.
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Why does preparation come first?
Standard EMDR does not open with the hardest memory. It begins with history and planning, then preparation: learning ways to steady yourself, such as grounding or a calm-place exercise, and agreeing on a signal for stopping. That order matches Erin's approach to trauma work. Early sessions build the relationship and the resources you will lean on, and nothing gets opened before you have a way to close it again. If preparation takes longer than you expected, that is not wasted time. It is the footing the rest is built on.
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What can a processing session feel like?
Once you and Erin agree you are ready, a processing session centers on one target: the image, the belief about yourself that comes with it, the feeling, and where you notice it in your body. Then come the sets of eye movements, with brief check-ins between them. Feelings can rise before they settle, and other memories sometimes surface along the way. Time near the end is used to bring you back to steady ground, so you are not leaving in the middle of something. You stay awake and aware throughout.
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How does EMDR relate to ART?
Accelerated Resolution Therapy belongs to the same eye-movement family as EMDR and follows its own protocol. Erin's certification is in ART, and EMDR is a method she draws on. ART sessions run about 100 minutes, since the protocol needs room to finish, and ART works with the images held in your memory instead of the narrative you have built around them. Neither approach comes with promises about outcomes or a set number of sessions. The guide comparing the two goes further if you want the details side by side.
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How do you and Erin choose a method?
You do not need to arrive knowing whether EMDR, ART or something else is right for you. On the free 15-minute consultation, you can describe what you are carrying in whatever words you have, and Erin can explain how she might approach it. In early sessions, the choice gets clearer as she learns your history and what steadies you. Each method is matched to you, explained in plain terms and used only with your agreement. If one is not helping, she will say so and suggest a change.
EMDR may be worth discussing if
- A memory still hits your body hard
- Reminders bring back the same rush
- Talking it through has not shifted it
- You want steadiness built before processing
This list is a prompt for the consultation call, not a diagnosis.
Questions
Common questions
- Is EMDR the same as hypnosis?
- No. In EMDR you stay awake, aware and able to talk the whole time. The eye movements or taps give your attention something to follow while the memory is held in mind, and you can signal to pause at any point. Nothing happens without your agreement.
- Do I have to talk about the trauma in detail?
- No. In EMDR you name the memory you are working on and, between sets, say briefly what comes up, without retelling the whole story. In ART, saying the details out loud is never required at all. Either way, the pace is agreed with Erin, and nothing is opened before you have ways to steady yourself.
- How many EMDR sessions will I need?
- Nobody can tell you honestly before meeting you. It depends on what you are carrying, how much preparation feels right and how processing goes. Erin will not name a number up front, and she will tell you plainly what she is seeing as you go, including whether a different approach might suit you better.
In Erin's words
What she would say if you called today.
I will not rush you toward the hardest memory. First we get to know each other and build what steadies you. When you feel ready, we look at the options together, and I will explain what I am suggesting and why. Nothing happens without your agreement, and you can change your mind.
Free 15-minute consultation
Book a consultation with Erin
Fifteen minutes by telehealth, at no charge. You can describe what is going on, ask how Erin works, and decide afterward whether to book a first session. Scheduling opens in her secure SimplePractice portal.
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