EMDR: What It Is, How It Works, and Whether It’s Right for You
If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety, trauma, or persistent negative thoughts, you might have heard of EMDR therapy - but what exactly is it? And could it help you?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) sounds a bit technical, but it’s actually a powerful and evidence-based treatment to help people heal from emotional distress. While it started as a trauma treatment, EMDR is now used to address a wide range of mental health concerns - from anxiety and depression to phobias, grief, and low self-esteem etc.
Let’s break down what EMDR is all about, how it works, and what you can expect if you commence treatment
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR actually dates back to the 80’s and since then has been extensively studied and validated as an evidence-based psychotherapy. Through a combination of talking, memory recall, and bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements, tapping, or sounds/music), EMDR helps your brain safely process these memories so they ultimately lose their emotional charge.
How does it actually work?
At its core, EMDR helps the brain "reprocess" difficult or disturbing experiences that may be “stuck” in the nervous system (i.e., also known as our implicit memory system). These memories are often laid down in fragments (images, thoughts, sounds, physical sensations etc) with highly charged emotions which can keep triggering reactions long after the event has passed. This can occur whether it's a major trauma or a less acute, unresolved experience. On the surface, this can present as anxiety, depression, PTSD, low self-esteem etc. You may also experience dissociative amnesia which is struggling to remember large chunks of time from your past.
“Processing” reactivates the different parts of the disturbing memories and pairs this with bilateral stimulation to assist the brain to reprocess the experience (what typically happens for your other memories during REM sleep). This taps into your brain's innate ability to heal and assists it to make more appropriate, healthy connections (similarly to how your body will heal a physical injury without you consciously thinking about it).
We even have neurological evidence of memory processing in EMDR - functional MRI and EEG studies have shown bilateral stimulation reduces amygdala activity (linked to fear and emotional arousal) and increases prefrontal cortex activation (linked to cognitive control; Pagani et al. 2012).
It’s important to know that EMDR is an overall treatment approach and the eye-movements are only one part of the treatment. Just because you may not be doing bilateral stimulation right away doesn’t mean you’re not doing EMDR.
It’s Not Just for Trauma
While EMDR is most well-known for treating PTSD, it is frequently used for many other common difficulties or disorders, such as:
Anxiety and panic attacks
Depression
Phobias (like fear of flying or public speaking)
Complicated grief or loss
Low self-worth and negative self-beliefs
Stress and burnout
Addiction and compulsive behaviors, especially when trauma is part of the picture.
Research shows EMDR can be as effective - or even more effective - than traditional talk therapy for certain conditions, and often works in fewer sessions (check out all the research here: https://www.emdr.com/research-overview/)
What Happens in a Typical EMDR Session?
The idea of eye movements and “reprocessing” might sound a little strange at first, but EMDR sessions are structured and guided by your therapist. Here’s what you can expect:
1. Getting Started
First, your therapist will get to know you - your history, symptoms, and what you hope to work on. Together, you'll create a plan and identify target memories, experiences, beliefs and/or sensations to address. During this initial stage you will also complete a joint formulation with your therapist so you both have an accurate understanding of what your current difficulties are, where they may have come from and what is maintaining them. This will help you to identify “targets” for processing (i.e., images or memories, negative self-beliefs and emotions or physical sensations linked to the memories).
2. Preparation
Before diving into tough memories or sensations, your therapist will teach you grounding and calming techniques. These tools help you stay centered and safe throughout the process. This is often referred to as a “stabilisation” phase and can include lots of somatic and nervous system work.
3. Bilateral Stimulation
This is where the active “processing” begins. While focusing on the memory, your therapist will guide you through bilateral stimulation - like following their fingers with your eyes, tapping your hands, or listening to alternating tones. This helps your brain start reprocessing the experience and is likened to REM sleep processing. You might notice different emotions, thoughts, images or body sensations arise. It’s all part of your mind doing the work. Your therapist will check in and support your brain moving naturally through the process in a safe and controlled way.
4. Reframing
As the memory becomes less distressing, you’ll start reinforcing more adaptive or balanced beliefs about yourself and the experience. You’ll also be guided through a “body scan” to make sure no tension or discomfort remains.
5. Session Closure
Every session ends with time to return to a calm state. Even if a memory isn’t fully processed in one sitting, the aim is to have you leave feeling grounded and in control.
How long does it take?
The short answer is, we don’t know. Every individual’s story, current difficulties and past experiences are different and you will get a more accurate answer to length of treatment once the initial few sessions with your psychologist have been completed. For a single incident trauma the treatment can be quicker compared to more complex traumas (e.g., a history of emotional neglect or childhood trauma).
Is EMDR Right for You?
EMDR might be a good fit for you if:
You have distressing memories or recurring emotional patterns
You’ve tried traditional therapy and want a different approach
You find it hard to talk about your experiences in detail (or you can’t remember a lot of memories)
You like a more structured, time-limited therapy that gets to the root of the issue
It’s important to make sure that EMDR is right for you. There are some contraindications which can be assessed in your initial phases of therapy with your psychologist. If you have experienced significant complex trauma, dissociation, and/or psychosis it’s helpful to work with a therapist with advanced training in EMDR. Complex trauma and significant dissociation typically requires more individualised and integrated interventions to make the treatment a success.
The Bottom Line
EMDR is a unique, evidence-based therapy that goes beyond just talking about your problems - it helps your brain truly process them. If you're working through trauma or struggling with persistent emotional patterns, EMDR may provide a safe and structured approach to help you process and move forward.
If this information resonated with you and you're considering EMDR, you're welcome to get in touch with us and together we can explore whether it’s the right step for you.
The information shared in this resource is for educational purposes and used to compliment your therapeutic work with your psychologist. Resources and blogs are not a substitute for individualised therapy.
