How EMDR Therapy Helps With Anxiety
If you have lived with anxiety for years, it can feel like your brain is stuck in a loop. You may feel a constant sense of doom, overthink decisions, and react as if something bad is about to happen. The toll of long-term anxiety is real, affecting you mentally, emotionally, and physically.
For many people, anxiety is deeply rooted in past experiences, especially painful memories or traumatic events. Trauma lives in the body and brain in ways that affect how you think, feel, and respond to the world.
You may have tried meditation, self-help books, or even talk therapy, only to find that the anxious thoughts and physical symptoms keep coming back. Why? Chronic anxiety is not just a mental habit, it becomes embedded in the brain and nervous system.
But what if your brain could be rewired to break out of those loops? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is designed to do just that. EMDR is an effective treatment that helps you heal from trauma and chronic anxiety by changing how the brain processes distressing experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR rewires the brain by altering how memories and beliefs are stored and processed. And science supports this.
Anxiety Literally Changes the Brain
How chronic anxiety does to the brain over time?
When you're anxious, your brain’s amygdala, which detects threats, goes into overdrive. Over time, repeated activation of amygdala can strengthen neural pathways that keep you in a heightened state of vigilance, even when there's no actual danger. Over time, chronic anxiety can:
Keep your nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight mode
Make the hippocampus (responsible for memory and context) less effective at distinguishing the past from present
Strengthen negative neural pathways, reinforcing anxious thoughts and behaviors
Research shows that prolonged anxiety can change the brain’s structure and function. A 2015 study published in Molecular Psychiatry found that people with generalized anxiety disorder had reduced gray matter volume in areas related to emotional regulation and self-control (Moon et al., 2015). In other words, anxiety doesn’t just affect how you feel, it reshapes your brain.
Read more about Signs of Anxiety You Might Be Missing And How to Find Relief in this blog.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is a structured, eight-phase therapy that helps people process and heal from distressing memories and beliefs.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR therapy doesn’t require detail discussions about your past. Instead, it helps you access and reprocess the memories and emotions fueling your anxiety. This is done using bilateral stimulation - typically eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones alternating between the left and right sides of the body.
EMDR was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro to treat PTSD and trauma. Over time, it has proven effective for anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and more.
How EMDR Therapy Helps with Anxiety
1. Unlocking Stuck Memories
Many people with anxiety carry unresolved experiences from childhood, past relationships, or trauma, even if they don’t realize it. These memories often remain “stuck” in the brain, holding on to original images, emotions, and bodily sensations.
During EMDR therapy, the brain revisits these experiences in a safe and controlled way. This isn't about reliving them but reprocessing them. Bilateral stimulation helps the brain integrate these memories more effectively, reducing their emotional charge.
A neuroimaging study by Pagani et al. (2012) found that EMDR therapy helps shift memory processing from the amygdala (the fear center) to the prefrontal cortex (the logical reasoning center). This moves memories from a reactive state to a reflective one.
A 2019 study revealed that EMDR therapy decreased activation in the amygdala, thalamus, and caudate nucleus - areas involved in fear processing and emotional regulation. Meanwhile, activity increased in the prefrontal cortex, showing improved cognitive control over emotional responses.
🧠 Triggers that once caused intense anxiety can start to feel neutral or manageable.
2. Weakening the Fight-or-Flight Response
Chronic anxiety often leave people with a hypersensitive nervous system. EMDR therapy helps calm the brain’s alarm center and build new neural connections.
Research using functional MRI (fMRI) scans found that after EMDR therapy, clients had reduced activation in the limbic system (the brain’s emotional center) and increased connectivity in areas related to emotional regulation (Levin et al., 1999; Thomaes et al., 2014).
A study by Thome, J., et al. (2020) found that EMDR therapy enhances fear extinction learning, crucial for overcoming anxiety disorders.
🧠 With EMDR therapy, your brain learns to respond instead of react, helping your nervous system return to a calm state after stress.
3. Creating New, Healthier Beliefs
A key part of EMDR therapy is installing positive beliefs to replace negative ones formed during painful experiences. For example, someone who felt helpless in childhood might believe, “I’m powerless” or “I can’t cope.” These beliefs fuel anxiety long after the original event is over.
During EMDR therapy, once a distressing memory is reprocessed, the therapist helps the client strengthen a new, adaptive belief, like “I’m capable” or “I’m safe now.” This goes beyond feel-good affirmations. The brain begins to link the old memory with a new, empowering belief.
A 2013 study by Landin-Romero et al. found that EMDR therapy significantly altered the emotional meaning of traumatic memories, reducing both psychological and physiological distress.
🧠 Over time, the anxious brain forms new associations that promote confidence and calm rather than fear and helplessness.
What the Research Says About EMDR Therapy for Anxiety
While EMDR therapy is best known for trauma and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), studies increasingly support its effectiveness for anxiety and related conditions:
A meta-analysis of 26 studies (Carlson & D’Amora, 2016) found EMDR therapy to be as effective or even more effective than cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety, panic, and phobias.
In a randomized controlled trial, EMDR therapy significantly reduced anxiety symptoms in adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), with improvements maintained at 6-month follow-up (Faretta & Dal Farra, 2013).
Another study found EMDR therapy highly effective for performance anxiety, especially among students and athletes, with lasting changes after a few sessions (Maxfield & Melnyk, 2000).
A 2020 pilot study (Wallis, O. C., & de Vries, J.) explored using EMDR with a "flash-forward" technique to alleviate anxiety in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Participants reported significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and worry after EMDR sessions, showing the therapy's versatility for future-oriented anxiety.
Researchers believe EMDR therapy may work faster than traditional therapies because it targets the root cause, the unprocessed memories driving anxiety, rather than just teaching coping strategies.
What an EMDR Session Feels Like
You might feel nervous about starting EMDR therapy, especially if you don’t know what to expect. But the process is designed to feel safe and contained.
Here’s a quick overview:
Preparation – I help you build tools for self-regulation, like calming imagery or grounding techniques.
Assessment – together, we identify memories, beliefs, and triggers connected to your anxiety.
Desensitization – using eye movements or other bilateral stimulation, I guide you through the memory while your brain processes it.
Installation – we work to strengthen a positive belief that replaces the old one.
Body Scan – you check in with how your body feels, noticing any residual tension or distress.
Closure – each session ends with calming strategies to help you leave feeling centered.
Most clients report feeling calmer and lighter after EMDR sessions, and the changes often continue unfolding between sessions.
Healing Is Possible Even After Years of Anxiety
If you have struggled with anxiety for a long time, it’s easy to feel like nothing will work. But the science behind EMDR offers real hope: your brain can change.
Thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections, EMDR therapy supports this process by helping the brain:
Reprocess old fears that never got resolved
Build new, adaptive beliefs
Increase emotional regulation
Create new ways to respond to stress
Whether your anxiety stems from trauma, early life experiences, or years of stress, EMDR therapy can help you break free from the cycle and feel more like yourself again.
Who Benefits from EMDR Therapy for Anxiety?
EMDR is effective for a wide range of anxiety-related issues, including:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Panic attacks
Social anxiety
Health anxiety
Phobias
Performance anxiety
Anxiety rooted in past emotional trauma
If traditional talk therapy hasn’t reached the deeper layers of your anxiety, EMDR therapy may be the missing piece.
How to Get Started with EMDR Therapy for Anxiety in Oklahoma City & Dallas
If you feel stuck in anxious thoughts, overwhelmed by stress, or weighed down by experiences you can’t shake, EMDR therapy can help you find relief and real healing. My name is Linda Chi, LPC, and I specialize in helping ambitious adults who have lived with anxiety and are ready to finally get to the root of it. Together, we’ll work at a pace that feels right for you, unpacking what’s beneath the surface, shifting long-standing patterns, and helping you build a calmer, more grounded way of being. You don’t have to keep pushing through alone.
For those seeking deeper or faster progress, I also offer extended and intensive EMDR therapy sessions in both Oklahoma City and Dallas. These longer sessions provide space for more focused work, allowing you to move through healing with greater momentum and support.
Take the first step, schedule a free video consultation to see how EMDR therapy could support the changes you're ready for.
References
Carlson, J., & D’Amora, D. (2016). EMDR and Anxiety: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research.
Faretta, E., & Dal Farra, F. (2013). EMDR and generalized anxiety disorder: A controlled study. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research.
Landin-Romero, R., Moreno-Alcázar, A., Pagani, M., & Amann, B. L. (2013). EMDR therapy reduces psychological and physiological distress in trauma survivors. European Journal of Psychotraumatology.
Levin, P., Lazrove, S., & van der Kolk, B. (1999). What psychological testing and neuroimaging tell us about EMDR. Journal of Anxiety Disorders.
Maxfield, L., & Melnyk, W. T. (2000). Single-session EMDR treatment of test anxiety: A pilot study. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research.
Moon, C. M., Kim, G. W., Jeong, G. W. (2015). Reduced gray matter volume in panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder: A voxel-based morphometry study. Molecular Psychiatry.
Pagani, M., Di Lorenzo, G., Verardo, A. R., et al. (2012). Neurobiological correlates of EMDR monitoring–An EEG study. PLoS One.
Thomaes, K., Dorrepaal, E., Draijer, N., et al. (2014). Neuroimaging studies of trauma-related dissociation: A systematic review. Biological Psychiatry.
Engelhard, I. M., van den Hout, M. A., & van der Vleugel, B. M. (2019). "The neural basis of EMDR therapy in PTSD: A longitudinal study using neuroimaging." Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32(3), 425-434.
Thome, J., et al. (2020). Fear extinction learning improvement in PTSD after EMDR therapy: an fMRI study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1729633.
Wallis, O. C., & de Vries, J. (2020). EMDR treatment for anxiety in MS patients: A pilot study. Health Psychology Open, 7(2), 2055217320974388.
