EMDR Therapy at Faithland Recovery Center
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured trauma therapy that helps people process disturbing memories so they no longer impact with the same emotional intensity. The American Psychological Association describes EMDR as a structured therapy that asks the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while also experiencing bilateral stimulation, usually eye movements, to reduce the vividness and emotion linked to the memory. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs describes it as one of the most effective treatments for PTSD.
At Faithland Recovery Center, we approach EMDR with care, pacing, and respect. We do not rush people toward healing with overwhelming material. We help clients build safety first, then work carefully with the memories, beliefs, body sensations, and coping patterns that may be keeping them stuck. Often, we work with people living with both trauma and substance use, which can be a powerful part of the healing journey.
A Moment in Therapy: “I Don’t Want to Keep Running From It”
Imagine Helen, age 37. Years ago, she survived a horrific car accident. Since then, she has lived with a body that startles easily, a mind that replays the impact over and over at night, and a deep belief that she is never truly safe. Over time, she began drinking heavily in the evenings to cope. At first, it helped her sleep. Later, it became the only way she knew to blunt the flood of emotions, fear, and tension in her body.
She has been sober for a few weeks and is working with a Faithland therapist. Before beginning memory processing, they spend time building grounding skills and helping Elena feel more stable in the room and in her daily life.
Therapist: When you think about the crash, what feels strongest right now?
Helen: The sound. Then the thought: ‘It’s happening again.’ My whole chest tightens.
Therapist: Let’s slow it down. Notice the chair under you. Notice your feet. You are here, in this room, and the memory is in the past.
Helen: I know that logically. My body still doesn’t believe it.
Therapist: That makes sense. Trauma often stays in the body that way. We are not going to force this. We are going to help your nervous system learn that the danger is over.
Helen: That’s what I want. I’m tired of drinking to numb my thoughts.
In EMDR, the therapist may guide Elena to bring up part of the memory while staying anchored in the present and tracking a back-and-forth stimulus such as hand movements, tapping, or alternating tones. Over time, the memory often becomes less raw. The panic begins to loosen. New thoughts can emerge, such as “It was terrifying, but it is over,” or “I survived, and I am safe right now.”
It is not about erasing the past, but a careful way of helping the brain and body reprocess. For someone like Helen, that can also reduce the pressure to self-medicate with alcohol.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is an individual, trauma-focused psychotherapy. During treatment, the client briefly brings an upsetting memory to mind while also paying attention to bilateral stimulation such as eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds. According to the VA, this helps a person stay in the present while the brain processes information from the past and begins to connect it with new, less distressing meaning.
EMDR is not only about the memory itself; it also addresses the negative beliefs, emotions, and body sensations connected to that memory. Many survivors of trauma carry beliefs such as “I am not safe,” “It was my fault,” or “I have to keep guard all the time.” As treatment progresses, those beliefs can shift toward something truer and more grounded.
EMDR therapy follows an eight-phase approach:
- history-taking and treatment planning
- preparation and coping skills
- identifying the target memory
- processing the memory
- strengthening a healthier belief
- checking what still shows up in the body
- closing the session carefully
- and returning to re-evaluate in later sessions.
Trauma, the Nervous System, and Substance Use
Trauma can alter how a person’s nervous system responds to the world. Some people stay constantly anxious and vigilant, while others become shut down, numb, or disconnected. Many live moving between them. Alcohol, opioids, stimulants, cannabis, or other substances can become attempts to manage these highly uncomfortable states.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that many people diagnosed with PTSD also have a substance use disorder. Trauma can begin much earlier than an event or series of events in adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events in childhood, including violence, abuse, neglect, and growing up in a household with substance use or mental health problems. These early experiences shape how safe a person feels in relationships, in their body, and in managing daily life.
When someone has been using substances to cope with trauma, recovery often becomes stronger when treatment addresses both the substance use and the unresolved trauma beneath it.
How Effective Is EMDR?
The VA states that EMDR is one of the best-studied treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. Evidence suggests that most people who complete one to three months of weekly 50- to 90-minute EMDR sessions show noticeable improvement in PTSD symptoms, and many begin to notice changes after the first few sessions.
For substance use specifically, the evidence is still growing, but it is promising. A 2024 meta-analysis found a significant reduction in craving among people with substance use disorders who received EMDR therapy. Although it is not a stand-alone cure for addiction, for some clients it may reduce the trauma-driven intensity that fuels relapse, emotional spiralling, and the urge to numb feelings.
Living with trauma, triggers, or substance use can feel exhausting. Healing can begin with one honest conversation.
Faithland’s Treatment Philosophy in Residential Care
Our approach honors the whole person by focusing on mind, body, spirit, environment, and relationships.
- Mind: Evidence-Based Trauma Care
Some people need EMDR as a central part of trauma treatment, others benefit from combining it with relapse prevention, CBT, DBT-informed skills, psychoeducation, and ongoing individual therapy.
- Body: Regulation Before and During Processing
As trauma is often felt physically before it is understood mentally, we help clients strengthen first through grounding, breath work, sleep routines, nourishment, and body-based regulation. The goal is not to force intensity, but to build capacity.
- Spirit: Restoring Meaning and Dignity
Trauma and addiction can fracture a person’s sense of self, meaning, and trust. Faithland offers space to reconnect with faith, values, forgiveness, purpose, and the quiet sense that life holds more than just surviving.
- Environment: Safety Matters
EMDR works best in a place that feels safe and consistent. We aim to create a care environment that is calm, structured, and compassionate.
- Relationships: Healing in Connection
Trauma often isolates people and can disrupt close relationships. When appropriate and with consent, we help people reconnect. We also support families and loved ones through educating them about trauma responses and substance use patterns.
Treatment Options for EMDR at Faithland
For many clients, EMDR can be integrated into outpatient care as part of a broader trauma and recovery plan. Sessions are paced around stability, readiness, and what is happening in daily life.
For those who need more structure while remaining at home, our Virtual Therapy can support trauma-informed recovery work, coping skills, group support, and coordinated care. Some parts of trauma treatment may occur virtually when clinically appropriate.
For veterans, EMDR can be part of a trauma-informed care plan that also includes individualized therapy, dual diagnosis support, group work, and holistic healing. The focus is not only on substance use, but also on the underlying experiences that may be shaping it.
Medication Management (When Needed)
Medication does not replace trauma therapy, but for some people, it can help create enough stability for deeper therapeutic work. Additionally, support with sleep, anxiety, mood symptoms, or co-occurring conditions can make EMDR and broader recovery work more manageable.
What Healing at Faithland Looks Like Overtime
EMDR supports healing not by erasing the past, but by helping memories lose some of their grip. People often find they are better able to cope and feel less hijacked by triggers or weighed down by shame. Cravings for substances may also ease as the nervous system is no longer carrying so much unprocessed fear and alarm.
At Faithland, we help clients build practical tools for regulation, support, and recovery. With compassionate care and a pace that respects the whole person, EMDR can be one meaningful part of building a life beyond survival mode.
Take the first step toward steadier ground, trauma healing, and recovery. Speak With Us
Sources
- American Psychological Association (APA). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy.
- EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). What is EMDR Therapy?
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for PTSD.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Trauma and Stress.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About Adverse Childhood Experiences.
- Martínez-Fernández DE, et al. The Effect of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy on Reducing Craving in Populations with Substance Use Disorder: A Meta-Analysis. Brain Sciences. 2024.
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