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What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy technique that is primarily used to treat PTSD but has also been used to treat anxiety, panic, OCD, and more. EMDR is a relatively new mode of therapeutic treatment developed in 1990.

After someone experiences a trauma, they often have trouble making sense of what happened. EMDR therapy reconnects a traumatized person to the images, thoughts, emotions, and body sensations associated with their trauma, aiming to help them process it and begin to heal.

Unlike other treatments that focus directly on altering the emotions, thoughts, and responses resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR therapy focuses directly on the memory to help change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, and to reduce or eliminate the problematic symptoms associated with that memory.

The Potential Benefits of EMDR

  • Can help replace negative thoughts/beliefs about self with positive ones
  • Can help decrease chronic pain
  • Requires minimal talking
  • Often yields fast results

Who EMDR Therapy Will Help

People who are dealing with traumatic memories and PTSD are thought to be the most likely to benefit from EMDR therapy. It is often also helpful for those who struggle with traumatic memories and PTSD to talk about their past experiences with a licensed mental health clinician. EMDR therapy is also being used to treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, and addictions.

How EMDR Therapy Works

The brain’s information processing system naturally is geared towards adaptability and healing. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound does not heal and will continue to cause suffering; you might say it gets “stuck.” Once the blockage is removed, healing is possible. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians are often able to help individuals reactivate the body’s natural healing processes.

What Happens During an EMDR Therapy Session

EMDR therapy has multiple phases. First, a therapist will engage the individual in a series of questions to determine which memories will be targeted. Next, eye movements or tapping (or some other form of bilateral stimulation) are used while the clinician asks the individual to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind. Typically, as this happens, internal associations arise, and the individual begins to process the memory and associated feelings and beliefs about self.

In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level. For instance, an individual may shift from feeling shame for a situation to believing that they are strong for surviving that situation. Unlike talk therapy, the insights individuals gain from successful EMDR therapy result not so much from clinician interpretation, but from the individual’s own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes. The net effect is that those individuals begin to feel empowered by the experiences that once debased them.

Because of the depth of the work being done, an EMDR therapy session often lasts longer than a traditional therapy session and can range from 50 to 180 minutes.

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How Long EMDR Takes to Work

The degree and length of time for relief will depend on the individual and what they are bringing for reprocessing. Processing of a specific memory might be completed in as little as 4-6 sessions, but complex trauma can sometimes take longer. EMDR therapy differs from other trauma-focused treatments in that it does not include extended exposure to the distressing memory or detailed descriptions of the trauma.

The Eight Phases of EMDR

EMDR therapy uses a structured eight-phase approach that includes:

  • Phase 1: History-taking
  • Phase 2: Preparing the individual
  • Phase 3: Assessing the target memory
  • Phases 4-7: Desensitization and re-processing the memory to adaptive resolution
  • Phase 8: Evaluating treatment results

How EMDR is Different Than Other Therapies

Some individuals who have gone through successful EMDR treatment feel that they have been transformed in a short period of time. Their thoughts, feelings, and behavior are all telling them that they have achieved emotional health and a resolution—all without having to speak in great detail about it or doing the other kinds of work associated with other therapies.

Should You Choose a Short-Term EMDR Treatment or Psychotherapy?

Several studies have shown that some people receiving EMDR therapy experience many of the benefits of psychotherapy in a fraction of the time. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy results have shown that it is possible for the mind to heal from psychological trauma in a shorter time, in much the same timeframe that your body can recover from physical trauma.

References

About EMDR Therapy (n.d.). Emdria™ EMDR International Association. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/

Shapiro, Frances (December 29, 2017). Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (Third Edition).

photo of LifeStance provider Luisa Spadafino, LMFT

Clinically Reviewed By:

Luisa Spadafino, LMFT
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Luisa Spadafino has been a practicing Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2016. She received two Masters Degrees from Rutgers University and Mercy College, and has a particular focus of addressing various forms of trauma. This includes domestic violence, sexual assault/childhood sexual abuse, human trafficking, hate crimes, and other forms of trauma. Luisa is a systemic therapist with training in EMDR to address symptomology as well as DBT and CBT interventions. Luisa is a collaborative therapist and believes in empowering patients to advocate for themselves internally and in their relationships, and acts as a co-pilot to help patients get un-stuck to lead healthier and happier lives.