EMDR Therapy for Autistic Adults | A Neurodiversity-Affirming Perspective
Is EMDR therapy for autistic people different than EMDR for non-autistics? The answer is more complicated than you might think. An autistic therapist shares how neurotypes influence the way that we process trauma — and why EMDR can be a great fit for neurodivergent brains.
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a type of trauma therapy that helps people process and heal from distressing experiences.
EMDR uses a technique called bilateral stimulation, which involves moving your eyes back and forth or tapping on different sides of your body. This stimulation helps rewire the way your brain stores memories, so that traumatic events no longer feel as overwhelming.
As you process memories through EMDR, they gradually lose their emotional charge. It’s like moving old, dusty files into a new filing cabinet labeled “the past,” where they no longer cause you distress.
What is autism?
Autism is a neurotype, or brain-body system, that diverges from “typical” norms of communication, information-processing, social behavior, and sensory experiences.
Autism presents differently in each person. Contrary to common belief, autism is not exactly a “spectrum” where someone can be “more autistic” or “less autistic.” Rather, there are a multitude of autistic traits that someone may exhibit.
The Autism Wheel is a more accurate representation than a linear spectrum.
Photo Credit: Get Go Ally
Here are some common traits of autism:
preference for routines & familiarity
monotropism (tendency to focus attention on a small number of interests, which uses up much of the brain’s processing resources at a given time)
sensory differences (due to highly sensitive nervous system)
special interests & strong passions
natural tendency to recognize patterns and analyze/create systems
social differences (difficulty reading neurotypical, aka non-autistic, social cues)
differences in processing speed and style
difficulty switching tasks or starting new tasks (due to autistic inertia, the tendency to want to remain in a constant state)
divergent, out-of-the-box thinking
—> Want to learn more about autism?
Check out this blog post: “Autistic Person” vs “Person with Autism”: What’s the Difference? | A Neurodivergent Therapist’s POV
What is EMDR therapy for autistic adults?
Is it different from other types of EMDR?
Yes and no. It depends.
EMDR therapy for autistic adults is not inherently different. The results of EMDR can be equally beneficial for all neurotypes.
The basic protocols of EMDR (memory reprocessing through bilateral stimulation) remain the same, regardless of who is receiving the treatment.
That being said, EMDR is personalized to the needs, preferences, and processing style of each individual. Since processing styles are influenced by neurotype, EMDR for an autistic adult may look different than EMDR for a neurotypical adult, EMDR for an adult with ADHD, and so on.
EMDR for one autistic person may look completely different than EMDR for another autistic person.
One person may like talking a lot during the therapy process, while another person may prefer to draw their experience or to share just a few words at a time.
Here are 3 things you might notice if you’re an autistic adult doing EMDR therapy (based on the observations of an autistic EMDR therapist).
EMDR OBSERVATION #1:
BILATERAL STIMULATION = STIMMING
Stimming refers to the repetitive behaviors that autistic individuals engage in to regulate their emotions and sensory experiences. These behaviors can take various forms, such as rocking back and forth, flapping hands, tapping fingers, or repeating sounds or words.
Stimming is a natural way for autistic people to cope with sensory overload and express themselves.
Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is a key component of EMDR therapy, and it’s a lot like stimming.
BLS can look like: moving eyes back and forth, tapping hands on knees, tapping hands on the chest, rocking from side to side, marching in place, or tossing a ball from one hand to the other.
Additionally, auditory BLS techniques, like listening to alternating tones in the ears, can mirror the repetitive sensory experiences that autistic people find calming.
During EMDR, you might listen to sounds in alternating ears as a way to reprocess distressing memories.
The connection between bilateral stimulation and stimming can be comforting for autistic individuals doing EMDR therapy.
It’s familiar, it regulates the nervous system, and it allows healing to happen.
EMDR OBSERVATION #2:
DISRUPTING UNHELPFUL PATTERNS IN THE BRAIN
Autistic brains are known for their rich network of neural connections — often correlating with unique perspectives, expansive areas of knowledge, and deep special interests.
However, this intricate wiring can also contribute to repetitive thought patterns that can become overwhelming. These patterns might feel like a broken record playing on loop, constantly replaying distressing memories, worries, or negative self-beliefs.
EMDR therapy can disrupt these repetitive patterns, in ways that talk therapy cannot.
Through bilateral stimulation, EMDR nudges the brain to rewire unhelpful neural connections. The nervous system gets an “update.”
The result?
Traumatic memories that were stored with intensely vivid images become re-stored as memories with neutral, non-activating images. (Some people even report that the memory goes from technicolor to black-and-white, decreasing the emotional charge.)
Repetitive thoughts like “I am bad” or “There’s something wrong with me” become neutralized. The brain orients toward new beliefs, like “I accept myself the way I am” or “I’m doing my best.”
EMDR OBSERVATION #3:
NO PRESSURE TO TALK
Unlike traditional talk therapies, EMDR doesn’t make you talk very much – rather, it helps you feel.
During an EMDR session, the therapist and client might exchange only a handful of words. This can be relieving for many autistic individuals, who may struggle with verbal communication or who prefer to express themselves non-verbally.
With EMDR, you’re invited to simply notice what arises during the therapy session.
There’s no pressure to explain or make sense of your experiences.
In fact, too much talking can disrupt the processing, as it over-activates the cognitive regions in the brain and shifts attention away from the body, which is where the healing happens.
—> Want to learn more about trauma therapy for autistic people?
Check out these blog posts:
Bottom line?
EMDR therapy can be a great fit for many autistic brains — especially if you’re working with an autistic therapist.
Through EMDR therapy…
Bilateral stimulation can feel like stimming, which soothes the senses and regulates the nervous system.
The brain gets a chance to break out of unhelpful loops and explore alternative thought patterns.
There’s no pressure to talk, so your brain can focus on processing in your inner language – rather than expend resources “translating” your experience to another person.
Looking for a neurodiversity-affirming, autistic therapist who specializes in EMDR therapy?
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About the Author
Liz Zhou is holistic trauma therapist providing virtual therapy services in Colorado. She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults and couples heal from the past and connect with their authentic selves. Liz’s specialties include EMDR, IFS, psychedelic integration, and therapy intensives.
