A Review of EMDR Therapy by Guest Contributor Jackie Ourman, LMHC
Introduction by Dr. Daniel Zimmerman, M.D.
At our practice, we’re dedicated to providing access to transformative healing modalities, including innovative approaches like ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), because we believe that lasting change happens when we address suffering at its roots. As I’ve continued to deepen my own work in psychiatry, I’ve been fortunate to connect with practitioners who bring a similarly thoughtful, integrated lens to mental health. Jackie Ourman is one of them.
Jackie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, EMDR-certified therapist whose path into the healing professions is grounded in empathy, curiosity, and a commitment to clinical excellence. Her work draws from trauma-informed care, Attachment Theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). We’re happy to highlight her voice here as she shares more about EMDR therapy and how it supports clients in breaking free from deeply rooted patterns that hold them back.
Rewiring the Mind: How EMDR Therapy Helps Clients Break Free from Negative Beliefs
By Jackie Ourman, LMHC
When I began training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), it was part of a broader goal: to deepen my understanding of trauma and expand the tools I use to help clients heal. What I didn’t expect was how personally powerful the process would be. EMDR training requires clinicians to go through the protocol themselves, and that firsthand experience fundamentally shifted the way I view change and healing.
Since then, EMDR has become an essential part of my practice. It’s one of the few interventions I’ve seen consistently help clients unhook from painful, long-standing beliefs, especially the ones they know aren’t true intellectually but feel true in their bodies. Those are the kinds of beliefs that keep people stuck, no matter how much insight they gain in talk therapy.
EMDR Therapy and My Therapeutic Approach
In therapy, we often begin by identifying core beliefs, things like I’m not good enough, I’m unlovable, or I’ll never be safe. These are usually shaped by early attachment experiences and get reinforced over time through painful moments, relationship patterns, or trauma.
In my work, I draw from ACT and other behavioral therapy modalities to help clients observe these beliefs with more distance, but sometimes awareness isn’t enough. EMDR works at a deeper level, helping clients reprocess the emotional and physiological imprints of those experiences.
It’s a structured protocol, but it’s also intuitive. Clients map the network of memories that reinforce their belief, engage in bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping), and gradually begin to shift their narrative, not just in their thoughts, but in how they feel.
Over time, beliefs like I’m not worthy can give way to something more authentic: I am safe now. I matter. I can move forward.
What the EMDR Therapy Process Looks Like
Here’s a general sense of how EMDR works:
We identify the core belief – something that feels true but isn’t serving the client.
We trace its origin using a technique called the Float Back, which helps clients surface earlier memories that reinforced that belief.
We reprocess those memories using bilateral stimulation, mimicking the brain’s natural healing mechanisms.
We install a more adaptive belief and continue reinforcing it through future-focused work.
Before starting any reprocessing, we build safety first. Clients learn grounding tools, like the Safe Place visualization and the Container Exercise, to help them regulate between sessions and during challenging moments.
Why It Matters
I’ve worked with clients who’ve carried the weight of early emotional wounds for years. They often tell me they feel like something’s “off” internally, like no amount of logic can undo the sense of not being enough. When we use EMDR, we often see a shift that other methods couldn’t quite reach.
The goal isn’t to erase the past, but to loosen its grip.
EMDR Therapy and Attachment Work
Much of my work centers around helping people understand the attachment stories they carry, how early experiences shape their beliefs about themselves and others. EMDR fits beautifully here, because it allows us to go beyond labeling attachment “styles” and into the actual emotional experiences that shaped those stories. Clients begin to rewrite their narrative from the inside out.
Learn More
If you’re curious about EMDR or other trauma-informed modalities, I encourage you to speak with a clinician trained in these approaches. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. But when clients find a method that resonates, whether it’s EMDR, KAP, or something else, the transformation can be remarkable.
To learn more about my practice, visit my website. I work with individuals and couples navigating relationship challenges, anxiety, and trauma. I’m licensed in New York and Florida, and offer in-person and virtual sessions.
