Can EMDR Help with Chronic Relational Trauma?
This blog is adapted from one of our recent podcast episodes. You can take a listen at the button above.
If you’ve experienced ongoing relational trauma (especially during formative years) you know that healing isn’t always as simple as “just talk about it.” When trauma becomes chronic, especially in close relationships, it often leaves a physical imprint on the body, reshaping how your nervous system reacts to everyday life.
In this post, we’re exploring how EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can support healing from chronic relational trauma and why it often works best when paired with body-based interventions like chiropractic care.
What Is Chronic Relational Trauma?
Chronic relational trauma refers to repeated emotional, psychological, or physical harm that occurs in close relationships, often over a long period. It can stem from childhood neglect, emotional abuse, attachment wounds, or toxic dynamics in adulthood.
Unlike single-incident trauma, chronic trauma changes how your brain and body function. Your nervous system becomes hypervigilant. Your brain rewires itself to protect you, even when you’re no longer in danger. And your body may hold tension patterns that mirror your emotional pain.
Why EMDR Works for Chronic Trauma
EMDR is a trauma-focused therapy that helps reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge. Instead of reliving the past every time something reminds you of it, your brain starts to file that memory where it belongs: in the past.
For chronic relational trauma, EMDR can:
Interrupt the internal “demolition” process of trauma that continues long after the events are over.
Reduce triggers that send your body into fight, flight, or freeze mode.
Calm an overactive amygdala (your brain’s alarm system).
Support emotional regulation by restoring function to the vagus nerve.
In other words, EMDR helps stop the cycle of damage.
But What About the Body?
Here’s the key: EMDR can stop the trauma demolition… but it doesn’t rebuild the house.
That’s where body-based support like chiropractic care comes in. Trauma doesn’t just live in the brain - it reshapes posture, breathing, muscle tension, digestion, and even sleep. If your nervous system stays stuck in survival mode, you may continue to experience anxiety, pain, or disconnection - no matter how much therapy you’ve done.
Chiropractic care can:
Relieve chronic tension around the vagus nerve
Support better regulation of the sympathetic (fight/flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest) systems
Interrupt feedback loops that keep your body in a reactive state
When paired with EMDR, it helps your body integrate what your brain is healing.
Nervous System Basics: A Quick Primer
To understand why this matters, let’s look at the nervous system players involved in trauma:
Amygdala: Your brain’s alarm system. Chronic trauma increases its size and sensitivity, making it react even to safe situations.
Hippocampus: Your brain’s memory processor. Trauma makes it harder to “time-stamp” memories, so the past feels like the present.
Vagus nerve: Your body’s calm-down switch. When it’s impaired, emotional regulation becomes harder.
Sympathetic nervous system: Activates stress response (fight/flight). Should be temporary.
Parasympathetic nervous system: Brings calm. Many people with trauma rarely feel this.
Together, chronic trauma can lead to a sympathetic dominant state where your body is constantly on high alert, even in everyday situations.
The Power of a Holistic Approach
If you're navigating chronic PTSD or complex trauma, EMDR can be incredibly powerful, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all fix. Many people benefit most when EMDR is just one part of a larger care plan.
That could include:
Chiropractic adjustments
Somatic bodywork
Mindful movement (yoga, stretching)
Nervous system education
Talk therapy or CBT
Safe social connection and support
It’s not about “doing everything.” It’s about doing what helps your unique system feel safe again.
You’re Not “Too Broken” for Healing
If you’ve been told that your anxiety, depression, or trauma symptoms are a life sentence, please know that’s not true. Many of the symptoms we label as “mental illness” are actually adaptive responses to chronic trauma. With the right care and support, your brain and body can find safety again.
Healing isn’t about going back to who you were before trauma—it’s about becoming who you were always meant to be, with your nervous system finally on your side.
Ready to Explore EMDR or Trauma-Informed Care?
At Seen Therapy Services, we specialize in trauma recovery that honors both the brain and body. Whether you're just starting your healing journey or you’re ready to add deeper layers of support, we’re here to help you feel seen, safe, and supported. Learn more or schedule a consultation at seentherapy.org
