Summary
Frank Levandowski shares his deeply personal experience with EMDR therapy, describing how a two-day intensive with therapist Jamie Born transformed his life. Frank, a healthcare worker in his early 30s, had tried everything from meditation to hormone replacement to carnivore diets to address recurring depression and anxiety, never realizing that unprocessed emotional trauma was the root cause. His traumas included being run over by a truck at age 16, childhood bullying, and his parents' divorce. The episode provides a raw, first-person account of what EMDR processing actually feels like, including experiencing somatic symptoms like back pain during sessions, visualizing trauma as an orb being released from his body, and the pivotal moment of embracing his inner child with self-love. Frank shares that studies show 84-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have PTSD after just three 90-minute EMDR sessions, and emphasizes that EMDR is drug-free and forces genuine change by reprocessing traumatic memories stored in the subconscious. Co-host Anthony also briefly shares his own DIY EMDR experience processing trauma from his divorce.
Key Points
- Studies show 84-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have PTSD after only three 90-minute EMDR sessions
- Car accidents are the number one cause of PTSD, not combat; ER nurses have higher PTSD rates than combat veterans
- EMDR uses bilateral stimulation through paddles, eye movements tracking a red dot, or other methods to help reprocess traumatic memories
- The therapy works by accessing the subconscious where traumatic memories are stored, changing how those memories are filed in the brain
- Physical somatic symptoms like back pain can manifest during EMDR processing and release as the trauma is reprocessed
- EMDR intensive formats (two full days) can accomplish what months of weekly therapy would take
- Many people carry unrecognized childhood trauma that manifests as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and relationship issues
- The therapy is drug-free and can produce lasting change by addressing root causes rather than symptoms
Key Moments
84-90% of single-trauma victims lose PTSD after three EMDR sessions
Frank cites research showing that 84-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have PTSD after only three 90-minute EMDR sessions. He emphasizes there is no pill in the world that can match those results, and that car accidents are actually the number one cause of PTSD.
"there's more than 30 positive control studies that have been done on emdr some studies show 84 to 90 percent of single trauma victims no longer have ptsd after only three 90 minute sessions"
Somatic symptoms release during EMDR processing
During his EMDR intensive, Frank experienced physical back pain that emerged while processing a traumatic memory. Through bilateral stimulation with paddles, he visualized massaging the pain out and pictured a creature absorbing an orb of trauma from his upper right back.
"I would have a memory. I'd be working on it. And she'd be like, well, what are you feeling? I'm like, God, I have back pain. And she's like, where is this back pain? I'm like, well, it's like up and to the right. And I was actually having somatic or physical symptoms from my trauma."
Inner child moment brings lasting self-love and transformation
On the second day of his EMDR intensive, Frank had a pivotal moment where he visualized his current self embracing his 10-year-old self, telling that child he was loved and worthy. This moment of self-love transformed his outlook on life, relationships, and even his desire to have children.
"I had a moment where I pictured myself right now at 30, and I pictured myself at 10, dude, and I went up to myself, I hugged myself, and told myself, I love you, and you're worthy, and like, you're an amazing person."
