eye movement desensitization & reprocessing (EMDR)

What is it?
EMDR is an evidence-based, eight-phase therapeutic intervention developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987. It uses guided bilateral stimulation, like eye movements or tapping, to help your brain reprocess distressing or traumatic memories.
Central tenets of EMDR
The past is present ● When we go through something distressing or traumatic, the body and mind remember. We hold onto the sensations, our emotions internalize the experience, and our beliefs about ourselves can get stuck in that moment, even years later,
What fires together, wires together ​● ​Our brains build associations. If a memory got linked to shame, fear, or danger at the time it happened, those same feelings can get triggered by things that resemble it now, even when we're actually safe. EMDR works to loosen and rewire those old associations.
Healing is innate ​● Our neurobiology is built to adapt and repair itself, the same way a wound naturally heals. Sometimes trauma interrupts that process and we get stuck partway through. EMDR helps the brain finish what it started.
Is EMDR only for trauma?
Nope. A growing body of research shows EMDR is also effective for anxiety, depression, addiction, OCD, and even chronic pain.
References
  1. Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
  2. Meysner, L., Cotter, P., Lee, C.W. (2016). Evaluating the efficacy of EMDR with grieving individuals: A randomized control trial. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 10(1), 2–12. doi:10.1891/1933-3196.10.1.2
  3. Baas, M. A. M., van Pampus, M. G., Stramrood, C. A. I., Dijksman, L. M., Vanhommerig, J. W., & de Jongh, A. (2022). Treatment of pregnant women with fear of childbirth using EMDR therapy: Results of a multi-center randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, Article 798249. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.798249
  4. Malandrone, F., Carletto, S., Hase, M., Hofmann, A., Ostacoli, L. (2019). A brief narrative summary of randomized controlled trials investigating EMDR treatment of patients with depression. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 13(4), 302–306. doi:10.1891/1933-3196.13.4.302
  5. Jamshidi, F., de Jongh, A., Rajabi, S., Dehghani, Y., & Pakizeh, A. (2025). Face-to-face versus web-based EMDR therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms: A randomized controlled trial. Cognitive Therapy and Research. Advance online publication. doi:10.1007/s10608-025-10641-x
  6. Marsden, Z., Lovell, K., Blore, D., Ali, S., & Delgadillo, J. (2018). A randomized controlled trial comparing EMDR and CBT for obsessive–compulsive disorder. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 25(1), e10–e18. doi:10.1002/cpp.2120
  7. Zat Çiftçi, Z., Delibaş, D. H., Kaya, B., Külcü, D. G., Sarı, A., Nazlıkul, H., Coşkun Topsakal, İ., Aydın, Ş., Kavakçı, Ö., Savran, C., & Konuk, E. (2024). A randomized controlled trial of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, Article 1286118. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1286118

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