How EMDR Changes the Brain Without You Telling Your Whole Story

If the idea of trauma therapy makes your stomach drop because you imagine sitting in a room and recounting every painful detail—you’re not alone. For many people, the fear of telling their whole story is one of the biggest barriers to getting help. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is different. It doesn’t require you to narrate every moment of what happened. In fact, it works even when words fail.

Our brains file memories and events more like a web than a chronological filing system.

Why? Because Trauma Lives in the Brain, Not in the Story

Francine Shapiro, who developed EMDR, noticed that trauma isn’t stored like a normal memory. It’s more like a stuck file—full of feelings, sensations, and beliefs that never got properly processed. EMDR activates the brain’s natural information-processing system (AIP model) so the brain can update that file.

That means:

• You don’t have to describe the whole event

• You don’t need to remember every detail

• Your brain can heal without verbal storytelling

This is especially important for people who:

✔︎ Shut down when talking

✔︎ Dissociate or feel overwhelmed

✔︎ Have preverbal trauma (before age 3)

✔︎ Can’t access details because the brain stored sensations, not narrative

EMDR Works With What You Can Access

Instead of a full story, we work with:

• A moment

• An image

• A body sensation

• A belief about yourself (e.g., "I’m unsafe" or "It was my fault")

Your brain takes it from there. EMDR isn’t about retelling trauma. It’s about reprocessing it so it no longer runs your life.

Why This Matters

You are not broken because you can’t talk about it.

Your brain protected you.

EMDR simply helps your brain finish what it started—without requiring you to relive pain you never wanted in the first place.

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About the Author

Brittany Rickett, Bachelor of Education, MA in Counselling Psychology, CCC, CCS LCT

Brittany Rickett, MA, LCT, CCS, is a licensed therapist and the Clinic Director of 3 Rivers Counselling in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. With over a decade of experience in education before moving into clinical work, Brittany brings a grounded, compassionate approach to therapy that blends neuroscience with evidence-based modalities. She integrates EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic work and Polyvagal-informed practices, supporting clients through trauma, stress, and life transitions.