Healing at the Root: How EMDR Therapy Transformed Miley Cyrus—and How It Can Transform You Too

At EmpowerHer Therapy, we believe in the power of healing deeply and authentically. For many women navigating trauma, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm, traditional talk therapy isn’t always enough. That’s where EMDR therapy—Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing—comes in. It’s a research-backed, transformative modality that helps people process and release painful memories so they can step into clarity, peace, and personal power.

And it’s not just our clients who’ve found healing through EMDR—Miley Cyrus herself has publicly shared that EMDR “saved her life.”

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR is a psychotherapy approach that uses bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements or tapping) to help individuals reprocess traumatic memories. Instead of staying stuck in distress, the brain is supported in forming new, adaptive associations with the event—reducing emotional triggers and physical symptoms over time.

It’s especially helpful for:

  • PTSD and trauma

  • Anxiety and panic attacks

  • Low self-esteem rooted in past experiences

  • Grief, loss, and life transitions

  • Emotional dysregulation

EMDR truly saved my life. It helped me understand where my anxiety was coming from—and finally let it go.
— Miley Cyrus, via The New York Times
 

Miley Cyrus’s entire life has been shaped by fame. ” She opens up about the therapy that helped her work through her complicated feelings about stardom, and her need to be loved. Watch her full conversation with Lulu Garcia-Navarro on "The Interview,” a series from The New York Times Magazine.

 

Miley Cyrus’s EMDR Journey: From Stage Fright to Self-Freedom

Pop star and performer Miley Cyrus has spoken candidly about how EMDR helped her reclaim her mental and emotional well-being. She shared that EMDR allowed her to:

🌿 Process Childhood and Teenage Trauma

Growing up in the spotlight as a child star came with emotional burdens. Through EMDR, Miley was able to confront and heal from unresolved childhood experiences and the generational trauma linked to her mother’s adoption.

🎤 Overcome Performance Anxiety

Despite her success, Miley revealed that she struggled with debilitating stage fright. EMDR helped her trace this anxiety back to its roots, making connections between emotional patterns and fears of being seen. It helped her finally step on stage without panic holding her back.

🧠 Reclaim Emotional Regulation & Identity

One of the most powerful outcomes Miley expressed was how EMDR helped her separate her identity from external validation. She no longer felt trapped by the pressure to perform or please—and began to rebuild her sense of self on her own terms.

In her words, EMDR was “life-saving.”

 

The EMDR Process: What to Expect

EMDR therapy involves:

  1. Identifying distressing memories or experiences

  2. Recalling those memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping)

  3. Reprocessing the memory so it no longer feels emotionally triggering

  4. Installing positive beliefs and developing inner calm

What’s beautiful about EMDR is that you don’t have to rehash every detail of the trauma. Your brain does the work of healing in a guided, safe space.

 

Ready to Begin Your EMDR Journey?

If you’ve been carrying pain, fear, or anxiety for far too long, it may be time to try a new approach. Just like Miley, you don’t have to carry the weight of your past alone. At EmpowerHer Therapy, our trained EMDR clinicians are here to support your healing—at your pace, with compassion, and with lasting impact.

Contact us today to learn more about EMDR and how it could be the therapy that changes everything.

EmpowerHer Therapy: Because healing is your birthright—and your power is waiting.

 

🔍 Want to Learn More About EMDR?

Here are a few trusted resources to explore:

Inspired by Miley’s story? You don’t have to be a celebrity to benefit from EMDR. If you’ve been carrying the weight of anxiety, trauma, or emotional stress, EMDR could be your path to freedom.

Reach out today to EmpowerHer Therapy and begin your journey to healing, peace, and personal power.

 
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