What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy that addresses the psychological and physiological symptoms stemming from adverse life experiences.

EMDR therapy is grounded in extensive research and is recommended as an effective treatment for trauma by numerous organizations, including the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the World Health Organization.

Unlike other trauma therapies, EMDR does not involve or require:

a) Detailed descriptions of the event.

b) Direct challenging of beliefs.

c) Extended exposure.

d) Homework (yay!).

What can EMDR can help with?

• Trauma symptoms related to a specific traumatic event (often called single incident trauma, e.g., a car accident, being assaulted)

• Complex or relational trauma (being hurt or abused by someone or something that has happened over period of time e.g., childhood abuse and neglect, the absence of love and care, sexual abuse, domestic violence, spiritual or racial abuse and much more)

• Preparation for a future feared situation

• Grief

• Depression

• Phobias

• Anxiety

• Addiction

• Binge eating

• Much more

What is EMDR therapy?

Memories for stressful and traumatic experiences can be stored in the brain with vivid pictures, sounds, thoughts, feelings and body sensations.  EMDR reactivates these different parts of disturbing memories and allows the brain to reprocess the experience. The bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements or tapping) used in EMDR therapy helps the brain to reprocess the way information is stored in the brain. 

It is your brain’s own ability to heal that does all the work and you are in control. With reprocessing, memories tend to fade until they are no longer disturbing.  After reprocessing is complete, they will be just the story of what happened without the disturbance. The goal is to facilitate adaptive reprocessing of the traumatic experiences, reducing the emotional intensity and including new, more helpful beliefs.

How does it work?

The exact mechanisms underlying EMDR's efficacy are not fully understood, but it is theorized that the bilateral stimulation creates a demand on the person’s working memory. When you activate the memory while doing the bilateral stimulation at the same time this means that your working memory must process a lot of information at the same time, therefore ‘overloading’ your working memory.

As a result of all of this, three things usually happen:

Image by Lucy Frankham

Connections begin to form between the emotional and logical regions of the brain, prompting a shift in your perspective of the memory. This shift leads to the memory having a less negative impact on you.

Image by Lucy Frankham

As you engage in EMDR therapy and gradually work through your experiences, you can anticipate a decrease in trauma symptoms. At the same time, adaptive and more positive thought patterns are likely to emerge, leading to a change in your responses and behaviour. These changes can pave the way for you to feel better, get on with your life and lean into new challenges.

 How long does the process take? 

 EMDR can work relatively quickly, a typical course of therapy for someone with a single trauma can be around 3-7 sessions, without homework. On the other hand, complex trauma typically requires longer term therapy.

The amount of time it will take to complete EMDR therapy will depend upon your history and treatment goals. Single incident trauma may be processed within 3-7 sessions, unless you have other existing trauma, which might mean it will need more time. You will also need more time if you want to work on other issues.

 People often think EMDR is just bilateral stimulation (phase 4) however, EMDR actually involves working through 8 phases.

 Although EMDR therapy may produce results more rapidly than other forms of therapy, speed is not the goal of therapy, and it is essential to remember that every client has different needs.

Research in support of EMDR effectiveness:

EMDR has been shown to effectively reduce trauma symptoms and has been found to be the most cost-effective trauma therapy. Not only is EMDR highly effective, it has also has been shown to maintain gains and even continue to show improvements at six months follow up.  Research studies can be found here. 

Where can I find an EMDR specialist to help me?

 The EMDR Association of Australia provides a list of therapists trained in EMDR.

EMDRAA members must have completed a minimum of 50 hours of training including:

• 20 hours of EMDRAA approved training.

• 20 hours of practice.

• 10 hours of consultation with an EMDRAA approved consultant.

 Five tips for choosing the right therapist:

 The relationship between you and your therapist can influence the outcomes of your therapy, so finding the right one for you is very important.

•  Ask someone you trust. While everyone has different needs, a referral suggestion from someone you trust can often be a good option.

• Don’t be afraid to treat health professionals like any other service. Call or send an email and ask them questions. Describe what you are looking for and ask whether they have competencies in that area.

• Get familiar with the different types of therapists and what they each do. For example, look at the differences between psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counsellors to see which will suit your needs the best.

• If you belong to a minority or marginalised group – look for someone who is familiar working with your group.

• If after a couple of sessions, it feels like it is just not going to work for you, move on and try someone else, it is okay to shop around.

 Learn more about EMDR

• What is EMDR? Learn the basics

• What is an actual EMDR session like? Learn the 8 phases of treatment

• Videos and further details about EMDR EMDR Association of Australia website

• EMDR experts explain the benefits of EMDR

• EMDR clients share their stories