What EMDR helps with
EMDR for depression that keeps coming back
Depression is often treated as a chemical problem or a thinking problem. For many people it is also a memory problem: a set of experiences that left behind the belief that they are worthless, trapped or alone. EMDR works on those.
The depression with a story underneath
Not every depression has a story, and medication helps many people. But if yours lifts and returns, if it started after a loss, a betrayal, a job that broke you or a childhood that taught you to expect nothing, then the experiences themselves are part of the picture. Talking about them helps; processing them changes them.
The aim is to lift a weight you may have stopped noticing, so that a belief like 'I am a failure' or 'nothing I do matters' can start to sound like something someone once said rather than a fact.
How EMDR works on depression
Research on EMDR for depression, including a European multi-center protocol developed specifically for depressive episodes, targets three things: the events that triggered the episodes, the beliefs those events installed, and the current situations that keep the mood down. Each is processed with bilateral stimulation.
In preparation we build enough stability to do the work safely. During the EMDR blocks, we move through the targets in the order your history suggests. Follow-up checks that the gains hold and that the beliefs have actually shifted rather than being argued with.
Is an intensive safe when I am depressed?
Intensives are for adults whose depression is persistent but not acute. If you are in crisis, actively suicidal or recently hospitalized, an intensive is not the first step and I will say so on the consult and help you find the right support. Many clients keep their psychiatrist or weekly therapist during and after the intensive; with your permission, I coordinate with them.
If you are on antidepressants, you can still do EMDR. Medication does not interfere with the processing.
Questions
Is EMDR an evidence-based treatment for depression?
Do I have to stop my medication?
What if the depression is not about anything?
Book a Free Consultation
Free 20-minute consult. The consult confirms your state, fit, and which option suits you.