EMDR therapy helps you process traumatic experiences by using guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation while you recall a difficult memory. Instead of reliving the trauma in detail, EMDR activates your brain’s natural ability to heal so the memory loses its emotional charge. The experience is still there, but it no longer controls how you feel day to day.
Research shows that approximately 20 to 30 percent of people with depression do not respond adequately to medication. For a significant number of those people, unresolved trauma is at the root of their depression. Depression is not a standalone condition. It is a signal that something in the brain never got the chance to fully process, and that unfinished business keeps showing up as sadness, numbness, irritability, or a sense that you are just going through the motions.
That is exactly where EMDR therapy and other alternative depression treatments come in. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It was developed in 1987 by Dr. Francine Shapiro and has since become one of the most researched trauma therapies in the world.
At Axis Integrated Mental Health, with clinics in Denver, Aurora, Boulder, the Denver Tech Center, and Westminster, has partnered with WellMinded Counseling, a trusted EMDR therapy practice serving Denver, Longmont, and Broomfield, to make sure that when trauma is part of your depression story, you have access to specialized EMDR therapy in Denver that works hand in hand with advanced psychiatric care.
This guide walks you through exactly how EMDR works, what the experience actually feels like, how to know it is working, how to find the right therapist, and how EMDR therapy in Denver can work alongside treatments like Deep TMS and Spravato to give you a path forward that medication alone could not provide.
How Does EMDR Therapy Help Process Traumatic Memories?
When something traumatic happens, your brain sometimes cannot process the experience the way it normally would. Under ordinary circumstances, your brain takes in new information, connects it with what you already know, and stores it in a way that makes sense. You can recall the memory later without it overwhelming you. It becomes part of your past.
But trauma disrupts that process. Think of it like a filing error in your brain’s storage system. Normal memories get stored neatly in your brain’s cortex, where language and logic live. Traumatic memories can get stuck in the limbic system, specifically in the amygdala, which is the part of your brain responsible for your fight, flight, or freeze responses. When a memory is stuck there, it does not feel like the past. It feels like it is still happening.
That is why a sound, a smell, a certain tone of voice, or even a particular time of year can suddenly flood you with panic, sadness, or rage that seems to come from nowhere. Your logical brain knows you are safe. But the part of your brain holding that memory has not received the update. It is still sounding the alarm.
EMDR therapy in Denver and across Colorado works by helping your brain finish that filing process.
During an EMDR session, your therapist guides you through recalling a specific memory while you follow a back and forth movement, like a finger, a light bar, or a set of tapping sensations moving from side to side. This bilateral stimulation activates both hemispheres of your brain. Researchers believe this dual activation helps the brain move the traumatic memory from the limbic system to the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for rational thought, language, and putting experiences into perspective.
As that transfer happens, something shifts. The memory starts to lose its emotional charge. The images might become less vivid. The body sensations connected to it, the tight chest, the clenched jaw, the pit in your stomach, begin to ease. You still know what happened. But recalling it no longer feels like reliving it. It starts to feel like watching something from a distance, a story from your past rather than a threat in your present.
Here is what makes EMDR different from traditional talk therapy:
- You do not have to describe your trauma in detail. Many people avoid therapy because they dread retelling the worst things that have happened to them. With EMDR, the emphasis is on the emotions and body sensations connected to the memory, not a play by play of the event itself. Your therapist does not need to hear every detail for the processing to work.
- There is no homework between sessions. Unlike cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR does not ask you to complete assignments, keep journals, or practice exposure exercises at home. The work happens during sessions, and the processing often continues naturally in the days that follow.
- Results can come faster than you might expect. Studies show that 84 to 90 percent of single trauma survivors no longer meet the criteria for PTSD after just three 90 minute sessions. For people who have lived with the weight of trauma for years, that timeline can feel hard to believe. But the research is consistent across multiple studies and populations.
EMDR follows an eight phase process that includes:
- History taking
- Preparation
- Identifying specific memories to target
- The desensitization and reprocessing phases where the bilateral stimulation happens
- Installation of positive beliefs
- Body scanning
- Closure
- Reevaluation
Your therapist controls the pace entirely based on what you are ready for. No one rushes you into the deep end.
The Connection Between Trauma and Depression
One of the biggest gaps in traditional depression treatment is that it often focuses on symptoms without asking what caused them. You feel hopeless, so here is an antidepressant. You cannot sleep, so here is a sleep aid. You are anxious, so here is something to take the edge off. But if unresolved trauma is the engine driving your depression, addressing symptoms alone is like putting fresh paint on a house with a cracked foundation.
How Trauma Rewires Your Brain
Trauma does not just leave emotional scars. It physically changes how your brain functions. Chronic stress and traumatic experiences can shrink the hippocampus, the brain structure involved in memory and learning. They can enlarge and overactivate the amygdala, making you hypervigilant, reactive, and prone to anxiety. And they can reduce activity in the prefrontal cortex, weakening your ability to regulate emotions, think clearly, and make decisions.
These changes look a lot like depression. And they are. But the root cause is not a simple neurotransmitter deficiency. It is a brain that adapted to survive threatening experiences and never got the signal that the threat has passed. Depression rooted in trauma is not something your brain is doing wrong. It is something your brain is doing in response to experiences it could not process.
This is why antidepressants alone often fall short for people whose depression has a traumatic origin. The medication may increase serotonin or norepinephrine levels, but it does not help the brain reprocess the stuck memories that are driving the symptoms. That is what EMDR therapy is designed to do.
Why This Matters for Alternative Depression Treatments
Understanding the trauma and depression connection explains why combining EMDR with other alternative depression treatments can be so powerful. Treatments like Deep TMS and Spravato work at the neurological level, restoring communication between brain regions and creating new neural pathways. EMDR works at the memory processing level, helping the brain unstick and refile the experiences that set the depressive pattern in motion. Together, they address the problem from both directions.
If you have been searching for alternative depression treatments in Denver, Boulder, Westminster, or the DTC area and you suspect that past experiences might be connected to how you feel now, this combination is worth exploring.
How to Stop Past Trauma From Affecting You
When traumatic memories are stuck in your brain’s limbic system, they do not connect properly to the parts of your brain that handle rational thought and language. Your amygdala keeps firing alarm signals even when there is no present danger. Your body stays braced for impact. Your nervous system is stuck in a loop, cycling between hypervigilance and exhaustion, between bursts of anxiety and the flatness of depression.
Here are steps that can help you start reducing trauma’s hold on your daily life:
Recognize that your reactions make sense. Your nervous system is trying to protect you based on old information. The panic, the numbness, the irritability, none of it means something is wrong with you. It means your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do in response to threat. It just needs help updating its files.
Find a qualified trauma therapist. Processing trauma on your own, or through apps that claim to offer self guided EMDR, can do more harm than good. EMDR activates deeply stored memories and emotions, and doing that without professional guidance can lead to flooding, dissociation, or retraumatization. A trained EMDR therapist at a practice like WellMinded Counseling knows how to keep you grounded and safe throughout the process.
Consider combining therapy with advanced treatments. If your depression has not responded to medication management alone, pairing EMDR with treatments like Deep TMS or Spravato can address both the trauma story and the neurological patterns it created. Learn more about what combination approach might work best for you.
Be patient with the process. Healing from trauma is not always linear. Some sessions may feel like breakthroughs. Others might feel heavy, or you might notice vivid dreams and heightened emotions in the days after a session. Both are normal parts of the processing. The discomfort is usually temporary and tends to decrease as the brain completes its work.
For people living in the Denver metro area, including Aurora, Boulder, DTC, and Westminster, there are excellent providers who specialize in EMDR therapy in Denver and trauma focused care. If you are not sure how to find the best EMDR therapist near me, the checklist below can help.
What to Expect in Your First EMDR Sessions
Not knowing what treatment involves is one of the biggest reasons people delay getting help. The idea of “processing trauma” can sound intimidating, especially if your past therapy experiences felt unproductive or retraumatizing. Here is what EMDR actually looks like in practice.
Assessment and History Taking
Your first session will not involve any trauma processing. Instead, your therapist will spend time understanding your history, your current symptoms, and what you hope to get out of treatment. They will ask about past experiences, but you will not be pressured to share details you are not ready to discuss. This phase is about building a map of what needs attention, not diving into the deep end.
Building Safety and Stabilization Tools
Before any processing begins, your therapist will teach you grounding and relaxation techniques. These might include guided breathing, visualization exercises (like imagining a calm, safe place), or body awareness practices. The purpose is to give you tools to manage strong emotions both during and between sessions. This preparation phase might take one session or several, depending on your needs. Skipping it is one of the most common reasons EMDR does not work well, so a good therapist will not rush past it.
Identifying Target Memories
Together with your therapist, you will identify specific memories to target during processing. Your therapist uses a structured set of questions to help you find the earliest or most significant memory connected to your current symptoms. You do not need to figure this out on your own. That is part of their training.
The Processing Sessions
During active processing, you recall the target memory while following your therapist’s guided bilateral stimulation. Each set of eye movements or taps lasts about 30 seconds. After each set, your therapist pauses and asks what came up for you. Images, emotions, body sensations, and even new memories may surface. Over multiple sets, the emotional intensity of the target memory typically decreases.
Most people describe the experience as intense but manageable. You remain fully awake, alert, and in control. You can stop the process at any time. Research shows that adverse reactions are rare when EMDR is delivered by a trained clinician, with deterioration rates typically below one percent.
Between Sessions
You may notice vivid dreams, emotional shifts, or new insights in the days following a processing session. This is normal and is generally a sign that your brain is continuing to integrate the work. Your therapist will check in about these experiences at the start of your next session and adjust the treatment plan accordingly.
How Do You Know EMDR Is Working? Signs of Healing
This is one of the most asked questions in EMDR communities and on forums like Reddit, and for good reason. After years of treatments that did not deliver, it is hard to trust that something new actually will. Here is what healing typically looks like as EMDR progresses.
Triggers start losing their grip. A situation, sound, or memory that used to send you into a spiral might still register, but it no longer takes over your body or your day. You notice the trigger and then you move on, which is something that was not possible before.
Nightmares and flashbacks become less frequent. They may also shift in quality. Instead of waking up in a cold sweat feeling like you are back in the traumatic moment, you might have a dream that touches on similar themes but feels more distant, like watching a movie rather than being in it.
Physical tension decreases. Many people carry trauma in their body without realizing it. Chronic jaw clenching, shoulder tension, stomach tightness, or headaches that doctors cannot fully explain. As traumatic memories process, that physical holding pattern often starts to release. Clients report sleeping better, breathing more deeply, and feeling more physically at ease.
You describe yourself differently. This one is subtle but powerful. Over the course of successful EMDR, the internal narrative often shifts. “I am broken” becomes “I survived something hard and I am healing.” “It was my fault” becomes “I was a child and I did not have control over what happened.” These shifts happen naturally during the reprocessing phases of EMDR, not because someone tells you to think differently, but because your brain arrives there on its own.
The memory is still there, but it no longer hijacks your day. This is the hallmark of successful EMDR. You remember what happened. You just do not feel trapped by it anymore. The facts remain, but the emotional charge that once accompanied them fades significantly.
It is worth noting that progress is not always smooth. Some weeks might feel harder than others. You might process one memory and notice that another surfaces behind it. This is normal and expected, especially with complex trauma. What matters is the overall trajectory: over time, the emotional weight gets lighter.
Checklist for Choosing the Best EMDR Therapist
Finding the right therapist matters as much as choosing the right treatment. If you are searching for how to find the best EMDR therapist near me, here is what to look for:
Verify their training and credentials. Look for therapists who have completed EMDR Institute or EMDRIA approved training programs. Certification from EMDRIA (EMDR International Association) indicates an advanced level of training, supervised practice, and ongoing education.
Ask about their experience with your specific type of trauma. EMDR therapists who primarily work with single incident trauma (like a car accident) may approach sessions differently than those experienced with complex or developmental trauma. Make sure your therapist has worked with situations similar to yours.
Make sure they follow the full eight phase protocol. Some therapists jump straight into processing without adequate preparation. The preparation phase is critical. It gives you grounding tools and stabilization skills so you can stay present and safe during the harder work. If a therapist wants to start reprocessing in the first or second session, that is a red flag.
Pay attention to how you feel in the room. The therapeutic relationship is one of the biggest predictors of successful treatment. If you do not feel safe, heard, or respected, it is okay to try a different provider. Trust your instincts.
Ask about their approach to bilateral stimulation. Eye movements are the most common form, but tapping, audio tones, and vibrating handheld devices work just as well for many people. A good EMDR therapist will explore what works best for you rather than using a one size fits all approach.
Check whether they coordinate with other providers. If you are combining EMDR with psychiatric care, medication management, or advanced treatments like Deep TMS or Spravato, it helps to have a therapist who communicates with your full care team. This is exactly how the Axis and WellMinded Counseling partnership is designed to work.
If you are looking for how to find the best psychiatry clinic near me that works alongside skilled EMDR therapists, this kind of coordinated care model is what you want.
How to Help a Loved One Try EMDR
Watching someone you care about struggle with the effects of trauma can feel helpless. You can see how much they are hurting, but bringing up therapy is not always easy. Many people on Reddit and Quora describe the frustration of wanting to help a loved one who resists treatment, either because of past negative experiences with therapy or because the idea of processing trauma feels too overwhelming to even consider.
Here is the thing: you cannot make the decision for them. But you can open the door in a way that feels safe rather than pushy. The key is to share information without pressure, validate their experience without minimizing it, and let them know you will be there regardless of what they decide.
Conversation openers that actually work:
- “I have been reading about this therapy called EMDR and it sounds really different from regular talk therapy. You do not even have to describe what happened in detail. Would you be open to hearing more about it?”
- “I know the medications have not worked the way we both hoped. I found a clinic in Denver that offers alternative depression treatments, and they work with therapists who specialize in trauma. Would it be okay if I shared the link with you?”
- “I am not trying to fix you or tell you what to do. I just want you to know that there are options beyond what you have already tried, and I would support you in exploring them whenever you are ready.”
- I read that 84 to 90 percent of people with a single trauma no longer have PTSD after a few EMDR sessions. That number surprised me. Have you ever heard of it?”
- “You have been so strong through all of this. I was thinking, what if there was a way to feel better that did not involve more pills or talking about every detail of what happened? EMDR works differently, and I would be happy to help you find a therapist if you ever want to look into it.”
Sometimes the seed you plant today becomes the decision they make next month. Your job is not to convince them. It is to make the information available and keep the door open.
Which Alternative Treatments Can Be Combined With EMDR?
EMDR therapy is powerful on its own. But for people whose depression has deep roots, whether from years of unprocessed trauma, treatment resistant symptoms, or the neurological effects of chronic stress, combining EMDR with other alternative depression treatments can create a more complete path to recovery.
At Axis Integrated Mental Health, two advanced treatments stand out as especially complementary to EMDR therapy.
Deep TMS (Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)
Deep TMS is a noninvasive, FDA approved treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the deeper brain regions responsible for mood regulation. Unlike traditional TMS, Deep TMS uses H coil technology to reach broader and deeper brain structures, which is why Axis uses it exclusively. There are no systemic side effects like weight gain or emotional blunting because the treatment does not circulate through your bloodstream.
Here is why combining Deep TMS with EMDR makes sense: Deep TMS helps restore communication between brain cells that depression and chronic stress have disrupted. When those pathways are functioning better, your brain is in a stronger position to process traumatic memories during EMDR sessions. Think of it as clearing the road before taking the journey. The processing goes more smoothly when the brain has the neurological resources to do the work.
Sessions last about 20 minutes, require no anesthesia or recovery time, and are available at Axis locations in Denver, Aurora, Boulder, DTC, and Westminster.
Learn more about Deep TMS and how it works.
Spravato (Esketamine)
Spravato is an FDA approved nasal spray for treatment resistant depression. It works through a completely different mechanism than traditional antidepressants by targeting NMDA receptors and boosting glutamate, which promotes the formation of new neural connections. Many patients report feeling relief within hours or days rather than weeks.
For people whose depression is deeply intertwined with trauma, Spravato can create a window of heightened neuroplasticity, a state where the brain is especially receptive to forming new pathways. Coordinating Spravato sessions with EMDR therapy can amplify the benefits of both. The neurological opening that Spravato creates means that trauma processing during EMDR may be more efficient and more complete.
Spravato sessions at Axis are administered under clinical supervision, and the treatment is often covered by insurance.
Read about how Spravato is changing lives for people with treatment resistant depression.
The idea is not to pile on treatments for the sake of it. It is about building a personalized plan where each piece addresses a different aspect of what is keeping you stuck. EMDR addresses the trauma story. Deep TMS and Spravato address the brain’s ability to heal and form new patterns. Together, they cover ground that no single approach can cover alone.
Explore the full range of options and find what combination might be right for you.
Axis and WellMinded: A Partnership Built Around Your Healing
Finding the right mental health care often means piecing together multiple providers on your own. A psychiatrist here, a therapist there, hoping they communicate with each other and share notes about your progress. For people dealing with trauma and treatment resistant depression, that fragmented approach can make an already exhausting process feel impossible.
That is why Colorado’s top mental health clinic – Axis Integrated Mental Health and WellMinded Counseling built a partnership designed to close that gap.
Axis specializes in alternative depression treatments, offering integrative psychiatry, Deep TMS, Spravato, medication management, and coordinated care across clinics in Denver, Aurora, Boulder, the Denver Tech Center, and Westminster. WellMinded Counseling is a therapy practice with locations in Denver and Broomfield that specializes in personalized, evidence based therapy for adults and teens, including EMDR, DBT, and trauma informed care.
Here is what this partnership means for you:
Coordinated care between your therapist and your psychiatric team. When your EMDR therapist at WellMinded and your providers at Axis are in communication, your treatment plan moves as one connected strategy rather than two separate efforts. Your therapist can share insights about what is coming up in trauma processing, and your psychiatric team can adjust treatment accordingly.
A smoother path from therapy to advanced treatments and back. If your EMDR therapist identifies that you might benefit from Deep TMS or Spravato, the referral process is already built into the partnership. And if your Axis provider sees that trauma work would strengthen your treatment outcomes, connecting you with WellMinded is just a conversation away.
No more navigating the system alone. Both Axis and WellMinded were built on the belief that healing should not require you to become your own case manager. This partnership exists so that your only job is to show up and do the work. The coordination, the communication, and the treatment planning happen behind the scenes.
If you have been searching for alternative depression treatments in Denver, Boulder, Westminster, DTC, or Aurora, and you want a care team that treats both the brain and the story behind the symptoms, this is the partnership that was designed for you.
Finding EMDR Therapy in Colorado: Access, Insurance, and Getting Started
Colorado’s demand for mental health services has grown significantly in recent years, and the Front Range is no exception. Finding a qualified EMDR therapist in Denver, Boulder, or Westminster can involve waitlists, especially for providers who accept insurance. Knowing your options ahead of time makes the process easier.
Insurance coverage for EMDR. Most major insurance plans cover EMDR therapy as part of outpatient mental health benefits because it is a recognized, evidence based treatment. WellMinded Counseling accepts several insurance plans, and Axis Integrated Mental Health accepts most major insurers including Medicaid. To check your specific coverage, you can visit the Axis fees and insurance page or call WellMinded directly.
Telehealth options. Both Axis and WellMinded offer virtual sessions for Colorado residents. Research shows that EMDR delivered via telehealth produces similar outcomes to in person sessions, which means you do not need to live near a specific office to get started.
If you are not ready for therapy yet. That is completely okay. You do not have to commit to a full treatment plan to take a first step. Here are some resources:
The EMDRIA Therapist Directory at emdria.org lets you search for certified EMDR therapists by location and specialty. Colorado Crisis Services is available at 988 (call or text) for immediate mental health support. Axis Integrated Mental Health offers free consultations where you can ask questions about treatment options without committing to anything. The Axis blog has additional guides on topics like treatment resistant depression, alternative depression treatments, and what to expect from advanced treatments like Spravato.
Whatever your next step looks like, whether it is booking a session, making a phone call, or simply reading more, it counts. The fact that you are here, learning about options and considering what might help, is already progress.
For specialized EMDR Therapy: contact WellMinded Counseling to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to understand EMDR and explore your options.
For integrated mental health care: Contact Axis Integrated Mental Health at our Denver, Aurora, Boulder, or Westminster location to schedule a comprehensive mental health assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does EMDR therapy help process trauma?
EMDR therapy helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories that have gotten stuck in an unfinished, emotionally charged state. During sessions, your therapist uses bilateral stimulation like guided eye movements while you recall a specific memory. This activates both sides of your brain and helps move the memory from a raw state into one your brain can file away naturally. You still remember what happened, but the emotional intensity fades. EMDR does not require you to describe your trauma in detail, which is one reason many people prefer it over traditional talk therapy. Learn more about alternative depression treatments at Axis Integrated Mental Health.
Can I combine EMDR with other depression treatments like TMS or Spravato?
Yes, and for many people this combination produces better outcomes than any single treatment alone. EMDR addresses the psychological roots of depression, especially when trauma is involved, while Deep TMS and Spravato work on the brain’s ability to regulate mood and form new neural connections. Coordinating these treatments means the brain is in a stronger position to process trauma during therapy sessions. Explore how Deep TMS and Spravato work at Axis Integrated Mental Health.
How do I find the best EMDR therapist near me?
Start by looking for therapists with EMDRIA certification or training through an EMDRIA approved program. Ask about their experience with your specific type of trauma and make sure they follow the full eight phase EMDR protocol. The therapeutic relationship matters too, so pay attention to whether you feel safe and heard. If you want a therapist who coordinates with a psychiatric team for a combined approach, the Axis and WellMinded Counseling partnership offers connected care across the Denver metro area. Contact Axis to learn more about coordinated treatment options.
What does EMDR feel like during a session?
Most people describe EMDR as intense but not as painful as they expected. You recall a difficult memory while following your therapist’s guided movements. Emotions, images, and body sensations may surface, but you remain fully awake, alert, and in control. You can stop the process at any time. Between sets of bilateral stimulation, your therapist checks in with you about what came up. Over time, the memory loses its emotional charge and starts to feel like something that happened in the past rather than something happening right now. Read about treatment options for depression that work alongside therapy.
How long does EMDR therapy take to work?
For a single traumatic event, many people notice significant improvement within 3 to 6 sessions. Complex trauma involving multiple events or long term experiences may require 8 to 12 sessions or more. Sessions typically run 60 to 90 minutes. Your therapist will assess your progress and adjust the pace based on what you need. Some people feel emotional shifts after just a few sessions, while others need more time building stabilization skills before the processing phase begins. Find out how alternative depression treatments in Denver can support your healing.
