Before you ever process a distressing memory through EMDR, you’ll first build your toolkit of resources. One essential tool is the Calm Place practice, designed to soothe and stabilize your nervous system. In this blog post, we’ll share creative examples of calm places and offer guidance for those who struggle with visualization.

EMDR accesses the parts of the brain where traumatic memories are stored and changes the neural wiring around those memories — through a simple technique called bilateral stimulation (BLS). Learn what BLS looks like in an EMDR session, and why it works so well for trauma reprocessing.

Positive States Practice is not about bypassing difficult emotions. It’s about nurturing the positive pathways that are already there, so that you can navigate difficult experiences in a more resourced way. Let’s explore what this practice looks like, and how it can enhance outcomes in EMDR trauma therapy.