eye movement desensitization
and reprocessing (EMDR)
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a structured form of therapy that helps people process traumatic memories. During sessions, clients focus briefly on difficult experiences while engaging in guided bilateral stimulation, often through eye movements. This process can reduce the intensity and emotional charge of those memories over time.
Extensive research supports EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. Studies also show it can be helpful for anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, chronic pain, addictions, and other challenging life experiences. In some cases, EMDR has even shown results comparable to or exceeding traditional treatments.
What Sets EMDR Therapy Apart
EMDR therapy differs from many traditional approaches in that it does not require clients to talk in detail about distressing experiences or complete homework between sessions. Rather than focusing on changing thoughts, emotions, or behaviors related to trauma, EMDR supports the brain’s natural ability to heal.
The purpose of EMDR therapy is to help the brain process memories that were not fully resolved when the events occurred. Once these memories are reprocessed, the emotional distress connected to them often decreases significantly. Because EMDR directly addresses unresolved trauma, many clients experience progress in fewer sessions than with other forms of psychotherapy.
EMDR and Brain-Based Healing
The brain is naturally equipped to recover from difficult or traumatic experiences. This healing process relies on communication between key brain regions, including the amygdala, which detects threat and triggers stress responses; the hippocampus, which organizes memories and helps determine safety; and the prefrontal cortex, which supports emotional regulation and thoughtful decision-making. When trauma overwhelms this system, memories may remain unprocessed.
Unresolved trauma can keep the nervous system stuck in a fight, flight, or freeze response, causing memories, emotions, or physical sensations to feel immediate and overwhelming. EMDR therapy helps the brain reprocess these experiences so they can be stored in a more adaptive way. While the memory itself remains, the emotional and physiological reactions tied to it are significantly reduced, allowing the body and mind to return to a state of balance.
When EMDR Therapy May Be Helpful
EMDR therapy can be used with both children and adults and is effective across a wide range of concerns. Therapists use EMDR to support individuals experiencing:
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Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
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Chronic illness and medical-related stress
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Depression and bipolar disorders
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Dissociative symptoms and disorders
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Eating disorders
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Grief and loss
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Chronic pain
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Performance-related anxiety
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Personality disorders
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma- and stress-related concerns
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Sexual assault
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Sleep disturbances
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Substance use and addiction
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Experiences of violence or abuse
Your EMDR Therapy Experience
If you and your therapist feel that EMDR therapy is a good fit, treatment follows a structured eight-phase process designed to ensure safety, stability, and effective processing. During reprocessing, attention is given to specific memories along with the related images, beliefs, emotions, and body sensations. Positive beliefs are identified and strengthened as healing progresses.
EMDR sessions typically last between 60 and 90 minutes. EMDR therapy may be integrated into ongoing talk therapy, used alongside supplemental treatment, or offered as a stand-alone approach, depending on individual needs and goals.