EMDR for narcissistic abuse in Chicago isn’t limited to processing past memories. In SAFE EMDR, we can also target nervous system states, present-day triggers, core beliefs, and somatic sensations (because narcissistic abuse lives in the body, not just the past).

Narcissistic abuse doesn’t move through time in a straight line. It reaches backward into old attachment wounds while simultaneously creating new trauma in the present. At Two Lights Therapy Center, we use somatic and attachment-focused EMDR to support survivors of narcissistic abuse, complex trauma, and patterns consistent with C-PTSD by restoring nervous system safety, emotional authority, and self-trust.

EMDR for dismissive avoidant attachment offers a powerful way to process without feeling pressured to talk through every emotion. Because EMDR works through the nervous system, you only need to share a “headline” of what you’re experiencing and not every single detail. This allows avoidant clients to expand emotional capacity and vulnerability at a pace that feels safe to them.

Healing from narcissistic abuse isn’t always super straightforward. If you’ve felt stuck in therapy, it doesn’t mean you or your therapist are failing, but it may be time to integrate bottom-up trauma therapies like EMDR. With the right support and active engagement outside of sessions, recovery is possible.

EMDR therapy helps survivors of narcissistic abuse and relational trauma reprocess and integrate painful memories utilizing what we know about the AIP model. By targeting the root of emotional wounds, EMDR reduces distress, rewires negative beliefs, and offers lasting relief. This blog explains how it works—and how Chicago-based EMDR therapy can support you in your recovery after narcissistic abuse.

Does EMDR therapy work online? Learn how virtual EMDR helps trauma, anxiety, and narcissistic abuse, from a licensed Illinois therapist

Struggling to heal after narcissistic abuse? EMDR therapy in Chicago can help process painful trauma and let you feel like yourself again.