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The Art of Self-EMDR for Trauma Recovery & Writing: Clear, creative strategies to calm anxiety, write your story, connect with loved ones, and transform past pain into personal power
Welcome to the first two books in The Art of Self-EMDR series . . . written to guide you in using self-EMDR (eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing) therapy techniques to resolve trauma and turn it into art.
The memories you least like to think about have more of a hold on you than you realize… and EMDR has the power to change that.Trauma affects us all… Even if we’re not the ones who have experienced it directly.
It shapes our behaviors, our perception of the world, and the way we interact with others, and when we’re able to address it, we can make the world a kinder and more connected place.
Whether you’re a therapist or someone searching for new inroads to emotional healing, your goal is to address trauma, and talk therapy is far from the only way to do this.
In fact, to be truly effective, you need to engage the creative brain… and that’s where Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) comes in.
EMDR is designed to ease the distress you associate with your most traumatic memories and experiences, combining cognitive, somatic, and emotion-focused therapies with bilateral stimulation—usually in the form of guided eye movements.
The result?
The way you perceive your memories changes, giving you a more balanced understanding of both yourself and the world around you.
It has extraordinary power, and simply familiarizing yourself with how it works can change the way you experience a negative memory, even if you have no specific trauma you can pinpoint.
This fascinating guide to EMDR is exactly the introduction you need.
. . . And maybe you’ve always wanted to write your life story—but something keeps getting in the way.
Maybe the memories feel too painful. Maybe the words don’t come. Maybe you’re afraid of what you’ll uncover—or what you won’t be able to let go.
You've thought about trying EMDR therapy—but you can't find a therapist, you feel intimidated or skeptical, or you simply can't afford to pay for sessions right now.
In The Art of self-EMDR Writing, psychologist, EMDR therapist, and author, Deborah Cox, offers a powerful, trauma-informed method for writing your story in a way that creates learning and calming as you go. Combining the principles of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) with creative, guided writing practices, this book gives you the tools to reprocess the past, find your story, and transform pain into personal power.
Maybe you don't think you can write . . . or you believe it's impossible for you to feel hopeful, connected, joyful, organized, or in charge of your life again. The Art of Self-EMDR Writing brings you focused awareness through both pen-and-paper exercises and guided bilateral stimulation (self-EMDR) methods that promote your nervous system's ability to sort through the frightening, shameful, or heartbreaking elements of your life in a new way. Through this deeply creative life-writing exploration, you can develop self-compassion, see yourself differently, and find the meanings embedded in your lived experience. Adding self-EMDR recruits your body's participation in healing, moving forward, owning your strengths, and aiming your thoughts in new directions.
This is more than journaling. It's more than acknowledging emotions. It’s a structured, compassionate, and literary approach designed for people who want clarity, soothing, and perspective on their unique and engaging story—without getting overwhelmed in the process.
The memories you least like to think about have more of a hold on you than you realize… and EMDR has the power to change that.Trauma affects us all… Even if we’re not the ones who have experienced it directly.
It shapes our behaviors, our perception of the world, and the way we interact with others, and when we’re able to address it, we can make the world a kinder and more connected place.
Whether you’re a therapist or someone searching for new inroads to emotional healing, your goal is to address trauma, and talk therapy is far from the only way to do this.
In fact, to be truly effective, you need to engage the creative brain… and that’s where Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) comes in.
EMDR is designed to ease the distress you associate with your most traumatic memories and experiences, combining cognitive, somatic, and emotion-focused therapies with bilateral stimulation—usually in the form of guided eye movements.
The result?
The way you perceive your memories changes, giving you a more balanced understanding of both yourself and the world around you.
It has extraordinary power, and simply familiarizing yourself with how it works can change the way you experience a negative memory, even if you have no specific trauma you can pinpoint.
This fascinating guide to EMDR is exactly the introduction you need.
. . . And maybe you’ve always wanted to write your life story—but something keeps getting in the way.
Maybe the memories feel too painful. Maybe the words don’t come. Maybe you’re afraid of what you’ll uncover—or what you won’t be able to let go.
You've thought about trying EMDR therapy—but you can't find a therapist, you feel intimidated or skeptical, or you simply can't afford to pay for sessions right now.
In The Art of self-EMDR Writing, psychologist, EMDR therapist, and author, Deborah Cox, offers a powerful, trauma-informed method for writing your story in a way that creates learning and calming as you go. Combining the principles of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) with creative, guided writing practices, this book gives you the tools to reprocess the past, find your story, and transform pain into personal power.
Maybe you don't think you can write . . . or you believe it's impossible for you to feel hopeful, connected, joyful, organized, or in charge of your life again. The Art of Self-EMDR Writing brings you focused awareness through both pen-and-paper exercises and guided bilateral stimulation (self-EMDR) methods that promote your nervous system's ability to sort through the frightening, shameful, or heartbreaking elements of your life in a new way. Through this deeply creative life-writing exploration, you can develop self-compassion, see yourself differently, and find the meanings embedded in your lived experience. Adding self-EMDR recruits your body's participation in healing, moving forward, owning your strengths, and aiming your thoughts in new directions.
This is more than journaling. It's more than acknowledging emotions. It’s a structured, compassionate, and literary approach designed for people who want clarity, soothing, and perspective on their unique and engaging story—without getting overwhelmed in the process.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2025
About the author
Deborah Cox
24 books9 followersI’m cautious in real life. The biggest chances I have taken were 1) quitting my job and going back to college at the age of 38 – two years before I sold my first novel, and 2) moving to New Orleans without a job in 2002. Or maybe it was moving back in 2011 after being away for six years since Katrina threw my life into chaos.
I wasn’t born in New Orleans, but this is where my heart wants to be, and as we know the heart wants what the heart wants.
So as I was saying, except for those big leaps and the fact that I live in a dangerous, mercurial, funky, amazing place, I’m pretty cautious.
While I yearn for adventure, I am too much of a worst case scenario thinker to actually take big risks. But that’s what I do in my writing. My novels and stories are all about people taking chances – often out of necessity. The difference is with the stories I write, no matter how bad things look, I have seen the ending and it is happy.
I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing or reading. I've wanted to be a writer since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I am also a very amateur photographer, professional sightseer, and I make a mean gumbo!
I wasn’t born in New Orleans, but this is where my heart wants to be, and as we know the heart wants what the heart wants.
So as I was saying, except for those big leaps and the fact that I live in a dangerous, mercurial, funky, amazing place, I’m pretty cautious.
While I yearn for adventure, I am too much of a worst case scenario thinker to actually take big risks. But that’s what I do in my writing. My novels and stories are all about people taking chances – often out of necessity. The difference is with the stories I write, no matter how bad things look, I have seen the ending and it is happy.
I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing or reading. I've wanted to be a writer since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I am also a very amateur photographer, professional sightseer, and I make a mean gumbo!
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