What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, is a structured psychotherapy used primarily for trauma-related symptoms and PTSD.
During EMDR, a client briefly focuses on aspects of a distressing memory while also attending to alternating, back-and-forth stimulation such as eye movements, taps, or tones.
EMDR is more than eye movements. It follows a phased treatment model that includes history-taking, preparation, assessment, processing, installation, body awareness, closure, and reevaluation.
How the approach works
- Assessment of symptoms, history, safety, and readiness
- Preparation and development of grounding or coping resources
- Selection of specific treatment targets
- Bilateral stimulation while processing target material
- Closure at the end of each session
- Reevaluation of progress and remaining distress
What it may support
- PTSD and trauma-related symptoms
- Distressing memories and triggers
- Negative beliefs connected with traumatic experiences
- Avoidance, hyperarousal, or emotional distress when clinically appropriate
What to expect
A trained clinician explains the process, answers questions, and determines whether EMDR is appropriate. Clients remain awake and in control and can ask to pause.
Not every client begins trauma processing immediately. Stabilization, safety, medical or psychiatric coordination, and other therapies may come first.
Treatment at Montco Recovery Center
EMDR may be integrated into a broader individualized treatment plan when it is clinically appropriate and delivered by a trained provider. Treatment may also include coping skills, medication management, individual or group therapy, and care coordination.
Contact MRC at (215) 398-1888 to confirm current EMDR availability, provider training, admission criteria, and the settings in which it is offered.
Montco Recovery Center is located at 262 Bethlehem Pike, Suite 102, Colmar, PA 18915 and serves adults from Montgomery County, Bucks County, and surrounding communities.
Levels of care and services
Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) provides structured daytime support for adults whose symptoms significantly affect daily functioning but who do not require 24-hour inpatient care.
Outpatient mental health services may be appropriate for adults seeking individual, group, family, medication-management, and wellness support with greater schedule flexibility. Placement is based on assessment, safety, functioning, and clinical need.
Take the next step
If symptoms are affecting your daily life, you do not have to sort through them alone. Call Montco Recovery Center at (215) 398-1888 to ask about current services or schedule a confidential assessment.
If there is an immediate safety concern or life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. In the United States, call or text 988 for crisis support.
Frequently asked questions
Is EMDR hypnosis?
No. Clients remain awake, aware, and able to communicate throughout the session.
Do I have to describe every detail aloud?
EMDR does not necessarily require a detailed verbal account of every aspect of the memory, although the clinician needs enough information to plan treatment safely.
Is EMDR supported for PTSD?
EMDR is among the trauma-focused psychotherapies strongly recommended for PTSD in major clinical guidance.
Can anyone begin EMDR immediately?
No. A trained clinician must assess readiness, safety, stability, symptoms, and treatment goals.
Does MRC currently offer EMDR?
Availability should be confirmed directly with MRC at (215) 398-1888 before scheduling or publishing definitive service claims.
