Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

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What is EMDR therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help the brain process and heal from distressing or traumatic experiences. Through guided bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements), EMDR helps reduce the emotional intensity of painful memories and reshape the negative beliefs connected to them. Extensive research supports EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD, and it has also been shown to benefit individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, performance anxiety, and other stress-related concerns. By targeting the root experiences that contribute to present-day symptoms, EMDR promotes lasting emotional relief and adaptive coping. 

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 an overwhelming feeling 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.

Information provided by https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/