If you’ve been exploring trauma healing, you’ve probably come across EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Maybe you’ve read about it, heard someone say it was life-changing, or even seen celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Prince Harry, or Sandra Bullock talk about how it helped them process past trauma. If you’re someone who likes to understand and manage things on your own (especially your emotions) you might be wondering: Can I do EMDR on myself?
Read Miley Cyrus’s recent interview on the therapy she says “saved her life”
The short answer? Kind of….but not the full thing.
EMDR is more than just a technique. It’s a structured, evidence-based trauma therapy that involves revisiting painful memories while engaging both sides of the brain. That process, called bilateral stimulation, helps your nervous system reprocess the experience so it’s no longer stuck on a loop. And while it looks simple from the outside, the work it does under the surface is incredibly layered. Trying to replicate the full EMDR protocol on your own, especially if you’re working with trauma, can be destabilizing or retraumatizing. This isn’t a self-help hack; It’s deep healing work that needs to be done with support. That said, there are parts of EMDR-inspired work that you can safely integrate into your daily life.
What EMDR Techniques You Can Safely Do on Your Own
1. Use Bilateral Stimulation for Grounding
You can try gentle, alternating taps on your shoulders or knees, or even listen to bilateral music while walking. This isn’t therapy, but it can help calm your nervous system in the moment. Many of my clients use this as a tool when they feel overwhelmed, shut down, or stuck in their heads. I once responded to a fellow airline passenger having a panic attack mid flight. By simply marching his feet one at a time and utilizing his deep breathing, he was able to regulate and reset his nervous system right there in his chair.
2. Journal Patterns Using the “TICES” Framework
In EMDR, we often use a tool called TICES to map out what’s coming up:
Trigger
Image
Cognition (What do I believe about myself?)
Emotion
Sensation (What am I feeling in my body?)
Just starting to notice these pieces—without trying to fix or change anything—can build awareness and gently prepare your system for deeper healing. This can be a great precursor to therapy, helping you achieve your therapeutic goals faster.
3. Learn and Practice Resourcing
Before we ever touch trauma in EMDR, we build what I call an emotional “toolbox”, a collection of skills and imagery that help you feel more grounded and safe. Some of these tools, like guided visualizations, breathwork, or safe place imagery, can absolutely be practiced on your own. Look for free meditation apps or write a few paragraphs in your journal about a calming scene like hiking through the mountains or laying on the beach.
Journaling and meditation aren’t a replacement for therapy, but they’re a beautiful bridge to it.
What to Avoid Doing Alone
I know it’s tempting to dive in, especially if you’ve found EMDR scripts online, YouTube videos, or downloaded apps with eye movement animations. But here’s the thing: EMDR isn’t just about the technique. It’s about knowing when to go in, when to pause, and how to stay resourced the whole time.
Without a trained therapist, you risk:
- Reopening wounds and “flooding” or overwhelming your nervous system
- Reinforcing negative beliefs instead of releasing them
- Feeling worse, not better
The EMDR International Association, EMDRIA, strongly advises against self-guided EMDR. It’s a little like trying to perform surgery on yourself with a YouTube tutorial. It’s not because you’re incapable, but because it’s not meant to be done alone. I met a colleague at an EMDR conference who had a very unfortunate experience with a less experienced coworker. This less experienced clinician performed EMDR therapy on a patient who wasn’t ready and wasn’t fully resourced. The patient became flooded, then tried to neutralize her overwhelming emotions, and accidentally fatally overdosed. The risks are real.
What EMDR With a Qualified Therapist Can Offer
If you’re feeling stuck in patterns like emotional reactivity, people-pleasing, shutting down, or looping thoughts, you’re not broken. These are survival responses, shaped by past experiences your body still remembers. EMDR helps the nervous system update those memories so they stop running the show. And when done in the context of a safe, attuned relationship, it can be incredibly effective. In my practice, we use EMDR and other brain-body therapies to help smart, capable people finally feel free. My patients move from coping to truly healing.
Final Thoughts
You can use EMDR-inspired tools to support your healing journey, but the deeper work requires more than an app or a video. It requires safety, guidance, and a relationship that can hold what’s been too heavy to carry alone. You don’t have to do this by yourself. You never did.
Ready to explore EMDR?
Let’s talk. You can book a free 15-minute consultation to see if EMDR therapy might be a good fit. No pressure, no jargon, just a real conversation.