What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.
The American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs/Dept. of Defense, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the World Health Organization among many other national and international organizations recognize EMDR therapy as an effective treatment. More specific information on treatment guidelines can be found on our EMDR and PTSD page.
How is EMDR Therapy Different From Other Therapies?
EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process.
EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.
How Does EMDR Therapy Affect The Brain?
Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help.
Stress responses are part of our natural fight, flight, or freeze instincts. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create feelings of overwhelm, of being back in that moment, or of being “frozen in time.” EMDR therapy helps the brain process these memories, and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered, but the fight, flight, or freeze response from the original event is resolved.
Does EMDR Really Work?
The EMDR technique does two very important things. First, it “unlocks” the negative memories and emotions stored in the nervous system, and second, it helps the brain to successfully process the experience.
EMDR makes it possible to gain the self-knowledge and perspective that will enable the client to choose her/his actions, rather than feeling powerless over one’s reactions. Longer-term benefits of EMDR therapy include the restoration of each client’s natural state of emotional functioning. This return to normalcy brings with it a greater sense of personal power, more rewarding relationships, and a more peaceful life.
Approximately 20 controlled studies have investigated the effects of EMDR. These studies have consistently found that EMDR effectively decreases/ eliminates the symptoms of post-traumatic stress for the majority of clients. Clients often report improvement in other associated symptoms such as anxiety. The current treatment guidelines of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies designate EMDR as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress as has the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, the United Kingdom Department of Health, the Israeli National Council for Mental Health, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and much other international health and governmental agencies. Research has also shown that EMDR can be an efficient and rapid treatment. For further references, a bibliography of research is available through EMDR International Association’s website.
What Happens During an EMDR Session?
Just as EMDR assists the brain with its natural processing of emotional information, the EMDR therapist assists the client in their healing process by becoming a partner on a journey to release past trauma from the client’s nervous system. A typical EMDR session begins with the therapist gently guiding the client to pinpoint a problem or event that will be the target of the treatment. The client calls to mind the disturbing issue or event, what s/he saw, felt, heard, thought, etc., and what the current negative thoughts and beliefs are about that event. The client simultaneously focuses on an alternating bilateral stimulus (ABS) and the disturbing material and just notices whatever comes to mind without making any effort to control direction or content. Each person will process information uniquely, based on personal experience.
The EMDR technique does two very important things. First, it “unlocks” the negative memories and emotions stored in the nervous system, and second, it helps the brain to successfully process the experience.
Sets of ABS continue until the memory becomes less disturbing and is associated with positive thoughts and beliefs about one’s self: for example, “I did the best I could.” During EMDR, the client may experience intense emotions, but by the end of the session, most people report a great reduction in the level of disturbance.
How Often Would I Need EMDR Therapy?
One or more sessions are required for the therapist to understand the nature of the problem and to decide whether EMDR is an appropriate treatment. The therapist will also discuss EMDR more fully and provide an opportunity to answer questions about the method. Once the therapist and client have agreed that EMDR is appropriate for a specific problem the actual EMDR therapy may begin. A typical EMDR session lasts from 60-90 minutes. The type of problem, life circumstances, and the amount of previous trauma will determine how many treatment sessions are necessary.
Is There Any Discomfort Involved In The EMDR Process?
The EMDR treatment can evoke strong emotions or physical sensations during a session. This is perfectly normal and desirable, since the technique works on the negative feelings when they are brought into the client’s awareness. However, the re-experiencing of these unpleasant feelings is brief and they will soon leave when the process is completed.
If the client will persevere through the upsetting memories for a short time, s/he will likely be thrilled with the outcome of the therapy. Relief occurs rapidly, and for many, permanently.
What Happens Between EMDR Sessions?
After an EMDR session, there may be a strong sense of relief, a feeling of openness or even euphoria. Some clients may experience physical tiredness due to emotional release. This is a normal reaction to the release that takes place. From time to time, some clients experience unusual thoughts or vivid dreams that may or may not have any meaning. This is part of the releasing process and should not cause undue concern. Actually, unusual experiences during the time period of the EMDR therapy indicate that it is working. It is helpful to keep a log of those triggers.
How Did EMDR Therapy Start?
In the late 1980s, Francine Shapiro discovered a connection between eye movement and persistent upsetting memories. With this personal insight, she began what became a lifelong study and development of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
Over the years, and in the face of initial skepticism, Dr. Shapiro’s work developed from a hypothesis to a formal therapy process. EMDR therapy has been demonstrated to be effective for treating trauma in randomized clinical trials, case studies, and millions of clinical hours treating trauma and trauma-related disorders across the globe. From the American Psychiatric Association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USVA) and Department of Defense (USDOD), the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE), and the World Health Organization (WHO), multiple global organizations now recognize the effectiveness of EMDR therapy that Dr. Shapiro developed. Most recently, the public acceptance of EMDR therapy was illustrated when Prince Harry reported that he engaged in EMDR therapy to treat trauma from his childhood.
Dr. Shapiro encouraged the foundation of EMDRIA, which comprises over 10,000 mental health professionals who use EMDR therapy in their clinical practice to treat many conditions that impact mental health. Dr. Shapiro died in 2019, but her legacy of trauma-informed mental health care lives on in the EMDR therapists, researchers, and patients for whom EMDR therapy heals.
EMDR Therapy is a Recognized Effective Treatment for PTSD
Anyone can experience intense trauma. EMDR therapy is widely considered one of the best treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and it has been endorsed as an effective therapy by many organizations.
