What EMDR Actually Does to a Traumatized Brain | PTSD, Trauma & Healing | Alice Stricklin

Brooke finally does the deep-dive episode listeners have been asking for, an EMDR-focused conversation with Alice, an EMDR specialist recommended by Brooke’s own therapist. Brooke shares how EMDR first entered her life after Logan’s death, why she was too hijacked for it to land back then, and what changed when she returned to it years later alongside ketamine therapy. She also shares a personal update about filing for divorce, and how EMDR helped her connect present-day patterns to childhood wounds and the belief that love is not safe. From there, Alice breaks down EMDR in plain language, where it came from, what trauma responses look like in the body, why some people develop PTSD and others do not, and what complex PTSD really means. They talk through frozen memories, adaptive versus maladaptive networks, the importance of preparation phases, and why EMDR is not about living in the past, it is about being present enough to heal what still gets triggered today.In this episode we explore:What EMDR is, how it started, and why it works;Fight, flight, freeze, collapse, and how trauma responses develop;Complex PTSD and how repeated danger reshapes the nervous system;Why prep and resourcing matter before reprocessing;Letting go of control and staying present during healing.Alice Guest Links: Website: https://www.alicestricklin.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063789169941#Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicestricklincounseling/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQGPlsE834R0hUlh-2gYedAEmail Us: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠Be a guest: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/traumauncensored/episode-releases⁠⁠Instagram: @traumauncensoredTikTok: @trauma.uncensoredYouTube: @traumauncensoredWebsite, Merch, & More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.traumauncensored.com/⁠⁠Content Disclaimer: This episode includes discussion of child loss, divorce, childhood trauma, emotional abuse and unsafe caregiving, complex PTSD, dissociation, suicidal thoughts, OCD, and detailed discussion of trauma responses and treatment modalities including EMDR and ketamine therapy.If you are struggling or worried about someone, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for free, confidential support, 24/7.