With Eyes Wide Open: Evaluating EMDR & Christian Integration

Camille McDaniel (00:28)
Welcome back to Christ in Private Practice. It is really great to have you here for another episode. At the beginning of the year, we started taking a closer look at some evidence-based counseling models to see how well they actually integrate with the Christian faith. We started by looking at evidence-based models such as cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused therapy.

Today, we are going to take another look at a very widely used evidence-based treatment for distress, trauma, and a multitude of other concerns, and that is EMDR. Today we will explore what EMDR is and whether EMDR fits within Christian faith integration. Can we use it with clients who come in wanting their Christian faith to be part of their counseling experience? We will also look at aspects of EMDR that may raise questions and then provide thoughtful answers to those questions.

As we begin to explore how counselors can integrate their faith into multiple treatment models, I want to start by providing some context for EMDR. First, I completed EMDR training myself over a year ago. It was a six-day training and included the purchase of Francine Shapiro’s book on EMDR, third edition. The training covered all eight phases of EMDR and explained how Francine Shapiro developed the model. It was a very detailed and extensive book that addressed many aspects of EMDR and how it is implemented.

During the training, we were taught a significant amount of material. We also broke into groups and completed role plays using the various EMDR scripts, since EMDR follows a structured script. That structure is part of what makes EMDR replicable and evidence-based. We also received supervision during the training, and those interested in certification were given clear guidance on how to obtain additional supervision and certification. The training was intense and covered a lot of ground.

The training did leave me with questions, though not about whether EMDR is evidence-based or effective. My questions were specifically about faith integration. As a therapist whose worldview is rooted in Christ, and who serves clients seeking Christian faith integration, I wanted to ensure that incorporating faith into EMDR could be done well and without conflict with Scripture.

That process required reflection after the training, which is common when learning a complex model. As you gain deeper understanding, questions naturally emerge. I believe it is important to recognize that different treatment models have different assumptions about suffering, healing, identity, and meaning. These assumptions matter when integrating faith.

My experience in training may not match everyone else’s, but it does reflect what a training can include. If clinicians receive different messages during training, that can directly impact clients seeking EMDR. Throughout the training, I found myself listening carefully while also asking internally how each concept aligned with Scripture. I was constantly evaluating whether what was being taught aligned with God’s Word and whether it could be used ethically, professionally, and in a Christ-centered way.

During the training, I was only able to ask limited questions about faith integration. In breakout groups, the supervisor rotated among several groups, so deeper discussion was limited. After the training, I joined an online Christian EMDR group. I asked how others were integrating faith into the model. Most responses focused on inviting God into the room or trusting that the Holy Spirit would show up.

While I understood those responses spiritually, they did not provide a replicable or clearly defined approach that maintained EMDR’s evidence-based structure. If integration looks different for every client with no framework, it raises important clinical questions. We also need to be able to explain what we are doing and why we are doing it.

I was looking for more clarity and direction. Two main concerns continued to stand out, and I believe I found ethical and professional ways to address them. I have since developed resources for clinicians who use EMDR and want to integrate Christian faith but may not have established clear steps for doing so.

These resources will be available through Thinkific, including a Christian Cognition Companion for EMDR, which provides faith-aligned negative and positive cognitions. There will also be a Phase Two resourcing guide for Christian clinicians and an informed consent add-on. Additional resources may be added as well, and links will be provided in the show notes and on the website.

As we move forward, let’s begin by explaining what EMDR is for those who may have heard of it but are not familiar with it. EMDR is an eight-phase treatment designed to help individuals process trauma and severe distress. It was developed in the late 1980s by Dr. Francine Shapiro and is based on the Adaptive Information Processing model, often referred to as AIP. This model proposes that the brain has a natural capacity to heal and process distressing experiences.

Francine Shapiro was not faith-based, and the model is often framed from a self-healing perspective, comparing emotional healing to how the body heals physical wounds. From a Christian perspective, we understand that this healing capacity reflects God’s design of the human body.

When the brain’s processing system functions properly, distressing events are processed and stored adaptively. When an experience is overwhelming, processing can become blocked. EMDR uses techniques, most notably bilateral stimulation, to help the brain resume processing.

Bilateral stimulation involves alternating left-right stimulation, often through eye movements, tapping, or other methods such as visual cues or handheld devices. This allows clients to focus on memories with reduced distress and gradually process them without the emotional intensity.

EMDR includes multiple phases designed to establish safety and assess readiness before trauma processing begins. We are not doing EMDR training here, but this overview provides necessary context.

Before addressing my concerns, I want to define a few key terms. The first is resourcing. Resourcing refers to techniques used to help clients regulate distress and increase safety and stability. This includes identifying calming imagery, inner strengths, and supportive resources.

The next term is positive cognition. A positive cognition is an adaptive belief installed during EMDR to replace a negative belief associated with a traumatic memory. For example, a belief such as “I am powerless” may be replaced with “I am in control now.”

Another term is float back. Float back is a technique used to identify earlier experiences connected to current distress. This may involve memories, emotions, images, or physical sensations.

With those definitions in place, let’s move into the first concern that arose during training. This concern involved float back and how it was described. During training, it was suggested that clients might float back to experiences in utero or even before birth.

From a Christian worldview, we do not believe humans have conscious memory prior to birth or awareness in utero in the way memory recall is described. Some belief systems include concepts such as reincarnation or prior lives, but these do not align with Christian theology.

To address this, we begin with Scripture. Psalm 139:13–16 describes God’s knowledge and formation of us in the womb. The text emphasizes God’s perspective, not human consciousness. Jeremiah 1:5 similarly speaks to God’s foreknowledge, not our awareness.

Neuroscience supports this understanding. Memory encoding requires a developed hippocampus, which is not present early in development. Therefore, experiences described as womb memories are not literal historical recall but symbolic expressions of deep emotional experience.

In practice, we can acknowledge emotional truth without affirming pre-birth memory. A clinician might say, “This imagery seems to represent a very deep emotional experience. Let’s notice how it shows up in your body and invite God’s presence into this space.” This approach honors the client’s experience while remaining aligned with biblical truth.

The second concern involved resourcing and protective figures. In EMDR, protective figures can include fictional characters, animals, or deceased loved ones. While these may create a sense of safety, Scripture clearly identifies God as our refuge and protector.

Psalm 46:1, Proverbs 18:10, and Psalm 121 affirm that protection comes from the Lord. For clients requesting faith integration, we must be careful not to rely on deceased figures or imagery that contradicts Scripture.

For example, consider a client named Marcus who identifies his deceased grandfather as his protector. Rather than encouraging reliance on the deceased, we can explore the qualities his grandfather embodied and connect those qualities to God’s character. This allows resourcing to remain aligned with faith.

If Marcus struggles to see God as protective due to past experiences, we can acknowledge that tension without forcing agreement. We can explore biblical images of God such as a strong tower, shield, or refuge and see what resonates somatically.

Faith integration remains client-led, biblically grounded, and ethically sound. It does not involve coercion or spiritualizing without consent.

It is also important to note that not all clients can visualize imagery. Some individuals have aphantasia, meaning they cannot form mental images. In those cases, resourcing can use language, sensations, or concepts rather than imagery.

Ethical integration is about informed consent, not imposing faith. Clients should know how EMDR will be integrated with Christian faith before beginning treatment. The client determines how faith is incorporated.

Christian integration in EMDR includes informed consent, client initiation, biblical accuracy, clinician self-awareness, staying within scope of practice, and ongoing consultation and supervision. EMDR is complex and requires continued learning and accountability.

EMDR is an evidence-based tool that can align with God’s design of the brain when practiced ethically and rooted in Scripture. Thank you for staying with me through this longer episode.

If you believe this episode could benefit another clinician integrating faith into practice, please share it. Stay tuned for future episodes as we continue examining counseling models and emerging trends in the field. Until we meet again, God bless you.