What Is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

EMDR Is a type of therapy originally developed to treat trauma. It works by helping the brain process distressing memories in a safe, structured way. During a session, a therapist guides you to recall painful experiences while using bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, taps, or sounds. This helps your brain reframe the memory, reducing its emotional intensity and the negative beliefs tied to it.

How the Inner Critic Forms

The inner critic often has roots in early life. Over time negative messages become internalised into negative self-talk that can shape your thought patterns, self-image and behaviour. Logical reasoning or positive self-talk often doesn’t work because the inner critic is tied to emotional memory, not conscious thinking. Working with increasing our awareness of how the inner critic functions, (see blog on Gestalt therapy) can be key to our understanding of how things formed and for some this is an important part of the route to better self-understanding and readiness to work with EMDR.

EMDR Meets the Inner Critic

 Many inner-critical thoughts are linked to past experiences stored as unresolved memories. For example, if you constantly think, “I’m a failure,” EMDR can help trace that belief back to specific events where that thought process started. Through guided reprocessing, those memories lose their intensity, and the negative self-beliefs connected to them start to fade. Over time, your inner critic becomes quieter, and a more helpful mindset and more positive self-talk has space to develop.

Why EMDR Works

EMDR addresses both the cognitive and emotional parts of the brain. This dual approach makes it possible to tackle the inner critic at its root rather than just treating surface-level symptoms. Many people report feeling lighter and less controlled by self-judgment after EMDR therapy.

Takeaway

Living with our inner critic can feel overwhelming, and we can believe that it is impossible to change how we think and feel, however, just because it may seem that it’s been there for many years, it doesn’t have to dominate your life in the future. Change is possible.

EMDR therapy helps you reprocess old memories, reduce emotional intensity, and change self-critical beliefs.

If your inner critic feels overwhelming, reprocessing past experiences and reshaping the way you speak to yourself with EMDR might be the key for you, to finally give yourself the kindness and confidence you deserve.