Vanessa and Maria break down what EMDR is, why trauma stays stored in the body, and how a culturally responsive approach can help with fawning, over-functioning and racial trauma.
In this episode of Colors Out Loud, Vanessa Flores Newton, founder of Colors of Austin Counseling, and Maria Gregg, a therapist at Colors of Austin, talk about EMDR: what it is, how it works, and why it can help when talking about something just isn't enough.
Both trained in EMDR after starting out as skeptics. Maria, who blends somatic, attachment-focused EMDR with Internal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Vanessa explain how EMDR's bilateral stimulation relates to REM sleep, and why traumatic memories can stay stuck in the body even after we've intellectually moved past them.
They also look at EMDR through a culturally responsive lens: the fawning and people-pleasing responses many of us learned as kids, the pressure on eldest daughters and over-functioners, blocking beliefs and IFS parts, and how racial trauma and epigenetics show up in the work. They close with why EMDR isn't only for PTSD.
Curious about going deeper? Learn about EMDR intensives at Colors of Austin Counseling.
Content note: This episode includes discussion of childhood trauma, racial trauma, depression, and immigration-related fear. Please take care of yourself while listening.
This episode is for educational purposes and isn’t a substitute for therapy or crisis support. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988.
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