When the Brain Hits a Paper Jam: Understanding EMDR and the Mind's Natural Healing System
- Jolene Siemens, R. Psych.
- Jul 15
- 6 min read
At Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness, one of the most common things we hear from clients is, "I know this happened years ago, so why does it still affect me?" It's a great question. The answer may be simpler than you think: sometimes the brain gets stuck.
Imagine feeding a piece of paper into a shredder. Most of the time, the machine does exactly what it's supposed to do. It takes the paper in, processes it, and stores it away as tiny pieces. But every now and then, the paper gets crumpled or catches at the wrong angle. The shredder jams.
The paper doesn't move forward, and the machine can't finish its job.
According to the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model that guides understanding EMDR therapy, our brains can experience something very similar.
Another way to think about it is like a physical injury. If you sprain your ankle, you wouldn't expect yourself to simply "get over it." You would likely rest it, support it, and allow it to heal. If it didn't heal properly, you might continue to limp or compensate without even realizing it. Emotional injuries can work the same way. Even when the event is over, our brains sometimes continue to compensate around an unhealed wound. EMDR helps the brain return to that injury so it can heal naturally, rather than simply learning to live around the pain.
What Is the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model?
The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model is the foundation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
In plain language, the model suggests that our brains are naturally designed to process life's experiences and learn from them.
Most experiences are handled automatically. We experience them, make sense of them, learn what we need to learn, and store them away as memories.
Over time, even difficult experiences lose their emotional charge. BUT when something is particularly overwhelming, distressing, frightening, or painful, the brain's natural processing system can become disrupted and instead of being processed and filed away, the experience gets stuck.
That's the paper jam.
Why Do Traumatic Memories Get Stuck?
Many people assume that only major traumas can overwhelm the brain's processing system.
In reality, what matters is not whether something seems traumatic to others, but how your nervous system experienced it. Paper jams can develop after:
Car accidents
Medical procedures
Bullying
Relationship betrayals
Workplace conflict
Childhood criticism
Loss and grief
Sudden frightening events
Repeated experiences of feeling unsafe, helpless, or rejected
When the brain cannot fully process an event, the memory may become stored with the emotions, body sensations, and beliefs that were present at the time.
Years later, something can trigger that memory network, causing the old emotions to feel surprisingly current.
Signs Your Brain May Have Hit a Paper Jam
When memories become stuck, people often notice symptoms such as:
Anxiety or panic
Intrusive memories
Nightmares
Emotional overwhelm
Avoidance of certain situations
Feeling "stuck" despite understanding the problem intellectually
Sometimes the jam shows up as negative beliefs that seem difficult to shake:
"I'm not good enough."
"I'm not safe."
"I can't trust anyone."
"I'm powerless."
"I have to be perfect."
These beliefs often make perfect sense when viewed through the lens of experiences that have not been fully processed.
Understanding EMDR Therapy
At Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness, we use EMDR therapy to help the brain resume the natural healing process that was interrupted.
During therapy, clients focus on specific memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds.
Researchers believe this process helps activate the brain's natural information-processing system.
Returning to our metaphor, EMDR doesn't throw away the paper. It doesn't pretend the jam never happened. Instead, it helps clear the blockage so the shredder can finally finish its work.
Using the injury analogy, EMDR isn't like covering up pain with a bandage, but it helps the underlying injury heal. The event doesn't disappear, just as a healed bone doesn't vanish from your history. Instead, the pain no longer controls how you move through your life. The memory remains, but it no longer feels like your brain and body are reliving it.
The brain is then able to process the memory in a more adaptive way.
What Happens After EMDR Processing?
One of the most remarkable things clients report is that the memory remains, but it feels different.
They can remember what happened without feeling overwhelmed by it.
The emotional intensity decreases.
The body no longer reacts as though the event is happening right now.
Negative beliefs often shift naturally.
A person who once believed, "I'm powerless," may begin to feel, "I survived something difficult."
Someone who carried the belief, "I'm not enough," may begin to recognize their strengths and worth.
The memory becomes part of their history rather than something that controls their present.
Can EMDR Help with Anxiety, Trauma, and Stress?
EMDR is best known as an evidence-based trauma therapy, but it can also be helpful for many concerns, including:
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Phobias
Stress-related difficulties
Low self-esteem
Performance anxiety
Grief and loss
Disturbing life experiences that continue to affect daily life
Because EMDR focuses on the underlying memories and experiences that contribute to current symptoms, many clients find that lasting change becomes possible.
A Personal Note: My Own Paper Jam
One of the reasons I am passionate about EMDR is that I've experienced its benefits firsthand. For years, I had a significant fear of flying. Intellectually, I knew that flying was safe. I could remind myself of the statistics, tell myself that turbulence was normal, and reassure myself that everything would be okay.
But my nervous system didn't get the memo.
As soon as I boarded a plane, my body reacted as though I was in danger. My logical brain and my emotional brain seemed to be telling two very different stories.
Looking back, it wasn't a lack of information that was keeping me stuck, it was a paper jam.
Using EMDR, I was able to process the experiences and associations that were fueling my fear. Rather than trying to force myself to think differently, EMDR helped my brain do what it was naturally designed to do: process the information, file it appropriately, and let go of the alarm response.
The goal wasn't to make me love flying.
The goal was to help my brain recognize that getting on a plane was not the same thing as being in danger.
Today, I can travel without the overwhelming anxiety that once accompanied every flight.
That experience deepened my appreciation for what EMDR can do. Sometimes healing isn't about learning something new. Sometimes it's about helping the brain finish processing something that got stuck along the way or giving an old emotional injury the opportunity to finally heal.
Whether it's a fear of flying, anxiety, a difficult life event, or a traumatic experience, EMDR can help clear the jam and allow the brain's natural healing process to move forward.
EMDR Therapy in Airdrie, Calgary, and Cochrane
At Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness, we believe people are remarkably resilient.
Often, healing isn't about fixing something that's broken. It's about helping the brain do what it was designed to do all along.
Just as a paper shredder works again once the jam is cleared, and just as a physical injury can heal with the right care and rehabilitation, the brain often resumes its natural healing process when given the right support.
If you're looking for EMDR therapy in Airdrie, Calgary, or Cochrane, our psychologists provide compassionate, evidence-based counselling for trauma, anxiety, PTSD, phobias, grief, stress, and other difficult life experiences. We offer both in-person and virtual therapy throughout Alberta.
If you find yourself reacting to old experiences, feeling stuck in patterns that no longer serve you, or carrying emotional burdens that seem difficult to move beyond, EMDR therapy may help clear the jam and create space for healing.
At Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness, we're honoured to walk alongside individuals and families across Airdrie, Calgary, and Cochrane as they rediscover their resilience and move toward lasting healing.
This blog was written by Jolene Siemens l, R. Psych. | Off the Beaten Path Psychology and Wellness | Airdrie, Calgary, and Cochrane, Alberta
At Off the Beaten Path Psychology, we provide counselling and therapy services to individuals, couples, and families in Airdrie, Calgary, and Cochrane, Alberta. Our team supports anxiety, burnout, relationship challenges, and trauma recovery. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your mental health journey.