Millions of people are living with depression and anxiety right now. Some have found relief through medication. Others rely on coping strategies to get through difficult moments. Many have been in and out of therapy for years. But for a significant number of them, something still feels unresolved, like they are managing the symptoms without ever addressing the source. If that describes you, then EMDR might be exactly what you have been looking for.
What Makes EMDR Different from Other Therapies
The reason EMDR stands apart from many conventional approaches comes down to where it operates. Most therapy works at the level of conscious thought. You talk about your experiences, examine your thought patterns, and develop strategies for handling difficult situations. All of that is genuinely useful. However, it primarily engages the part of the brain responsible for rational thinking.
Trauma and the emotions connected to it do not live in that part of the brain. They live in deeper, older structures that respond to threat, store emotional memories, and drive behavioral patterns largely below the level of conscious awareness. This is why thinking your way out of depression or anxiety is so hard. The problem is not located where the thinking happens.
How EMDR Reaches the Deeper Brain
EMDR for depression and anxiety uses bilateral stimulation, most often guided eye movements or tapping, to engage both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously. This appears to activate the brain's natural information processing system, allowing it to finally work through memories and experiences that were previously stuck.
The result is what researchers call "adaptive resolution," meaning the memory is still accessible, but it no longer carries the same emotional charge. People often describe it as the memory becoming like a photograph: still there, but no longer alive in a way that hurts.
Ashley Burkett and Waystone Counseling Studio
The quality of EMDR therapy depends significantly on the quality and training of the therapist delivering it. Ashley Burkett, LCMHC, is EMDRIA certified and has spent 17 years specializing in trauma therapy. She practices out of Waystone Counseling Studio in Salt Lake City's Sugarhouse neighborhood, offering both in-person and telehealth sessions.
Her practice is grounded in trauma-informed care, which means that EMDR is never introduced in isolation. It sits within a broader therapeutic relationship built on safety, trust, and genuine collaboration. Clients are prepared carefully before any EMDR processing begins, and the pace of treatment is always guided by the client's own readiness.
The Depression Side of the Equation
Depression is often described as feeling stuck, flat, or hopeless. For many people who experience it, there is a persistent sense that things will never really get better, no matter what they try. This hopelessness itself is often a symptom of the underlying issue rather than an accurate reflection of reality.
In many cases, depression is maintained by deeply held negative beliefs about oneself that developed in response to painful experiences. EMDR works by processing the specific memories or experiences that gave rise to those beliefs. As those memories resolve, the beliefs themselves often shift. Clients begin to see themselves differently, and their emotional landscape begins to change.
The Anxiety Side of the Equation
Anxiety, on the other hand, tends to feel like being constantly braced for something bad to happen. The nervous system stays activated, scanning for threat even in safe situations. This is exhausting, and over time it shrinks a person's world as they avoid more and more situations that trigger their alarm system.
EMDR helps by identifying and processing the original experiences that trained the nervous system to stay on high alert. Once those root experiences are processed, many people find their baseline level of anxiety drops significantly. Situations that once felt overwhelming begin to feel manageable.
What to Expect When You Begin
Starting EMDR therapy is not like diving into deep water. It is more like wading in gradually, with a skilled guide beside you at every step. Here is a general outline of what the early process looks like:
- Initial consultation and history taking to understand your background and goals
- Preparation phase where coping skills and stabilization techniques are established
- Identification of specific target memories or current distressing situations
- Active EMDR processing using bilateral stimulation in a safe, supported environment
- Regular check-ins and integration work between processing sessions
The entire process moves at your pace. There is never a rush to get to the harder material before you are ready.
A Practice That Serves a Broad Range of People
One of the things that makes Waystone Counseling Studio stand out is the breadth of Ashley's experience. She has worked with clients spanning ages 2 to over 90, which means she brings an understanding of how trauma and mental health present differently across the lifespan. She also holds a specialization in chronic pain alongside trauma, recognizing that the mind and body are deeply interconnected.
For prospective clients, Waystone offers a free initial consultation to discuss whether EMDR and this particular practice are the right fit. There is no obligation. It is simply an opportunity to ask questions, share a little about where you are, and find out what healing might look like for you.
Conclusion
Depression and anxiety do not have to define your life. With the right therapeutic support, it is genuinely possible to move from surviving to thriving. EMDR for depression and anxiety offers a proven, compassionate path to that kind of change. At Waystone Counseling Studio, that path is walked together, one careful, supported step at a time.