Can EMDR therapy help with low self-esteem?

A lot of self-esteem struggles come from old experiences or negative beliefs we’ve picked up along the way, often without even realizing it. Things like “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t matter,” or “I’ll never get it right” usually don’t just pop up out of nowhere — they’re often rooted in earlier moments where we felt criticized, rejected, or unseen. Even if those events seem “small” now, our brains can store them in a way that keeps triggering that same painful belief.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps by going back to the root of those beliefs and reprocessing them so they don’t carry the same emotional weight anymore. In session, you focus on a memory that feels tied to a negative belief about yourself, while also engaging in bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, tapping, or sounds). This helps your brain “digest” the memory properly, so it’s stored in a way that feels less charged. Over time, the negative self-beliefs loosen up, and more adaptive, positive beliefs (like “I am enough,” “I matter,” “I can handle things”) start to feel true at a deeper, gut level — not just intellectually.

So, EMDR doesn’t just give you affirmations to repeat — it actually shifts the way your brain holds those old experiences, making room for authentic, grounded self-esteem.