The Dance of Healing: Exploring Synchronicity and Energy Exchange in EMDR Therapy
Have you ever noticed how life seems to unfold in repeating themes, always urging us toward the next stage? As children, we’re eager to “grow up.” As teens, we just want to “get through it.” Then come the familiar phases of finishing the degree, landing the job, paying the mortgage, raising the kids, each chapter pushing us forward, even when we feel stuck.
And in those moments of pause, we wonder how to move ahead and whether there’s really a difference between the right way and our right way.
These patterns don’t just shape our personal lives; they echo into our professional identities too, especially for those of us in the therapeutic world, where even with extensive training and theory, progress sometimes can feel mysteriously stalled.
It’s in these moments that a deeper question emerges: What makes therapy truly effective? What keeps both the therapist and the client going forward?
Research offers its explanations: modality, allegiance, therapeutic relationship. But anyone who’s ever experienced the magic of EMDR therapy knows there is something more subtle at play, something that extends beyond the protocols alone, and into the realm of synchronicity and energy.
When the Science Meets the Energy
Lately, I’ve been pondering these questions while attending two insightful workshops:
Andrew Leeds’ “Beyond Resistance: Learning from Impasses, Ruptures, and Inadequacy in EMDR Therapy” (EMDR Europe Conference, Prague, May 2025), and
Roger Solomon’s “The Therapeutic Relationship in EMDR Therapy” (EMDR NZ Conference, October 2025).
Between the two, I had several lightbulb moments, those “aha” flashes that remind us why we do what we do. The biggest realization?
I’m not crazy when I feel my client.
There’s something deeply real about the energy exchange that happens in EMDR sessions. Sometimes it’s dense and heavy, sometimes light and flowing—almost like a dance. Turns out, “dancing” through the therapeutic process isn’t just poetic; it’s a recognized way to describe the therapeutic synchronicity that emerges when two nervous systems align.
Beyond Technique: The Evolution of EMDR
In the early days, EMDR therapy was all about protocols and precision—mechanics, if you will. And they worked. But were those sessions powerful because of the technical skill, or because attunement was quietly at play all along—just unspoken, unnamed?
Today, as we evolve as clinicians, it’s becoming clearer that the magic often happens in the space between:
When our nervous systems resonate.
When our egos step aside.
When we allow the process to unfold rather than control it.
Maybe achieving that level of professional “nirvana” doesn’t require decades of meditation after all—just presence, humility, and deep human connection.
The Human Side of Healing
What strikes me most is that this evolution reminds us: we’re still human. Therapists feel, sense, and connect on multiple levels. Sometimes we bring fragments of our own stories into the room. Sometimes our clients mirror something back to us. And through it all, we learn to dance without stepping on each other’s toes.
Therapy, at its best, is an artful exchange of energy, empathy, and evolution. A dance of synchronicity and healing, guided by science but grounded in soul.
So, here’s to all the therapists out there finding their rhythm: those who sense the pulse of the process, stay curious through the ruptures, and keep dancing, even when the steps aren’t clear. Because when we do, something truly transformative happens.
And for those still standing on the sidelines, watching… trust me - this dance is seriously worth it.