What EMDR is, in plain words

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. The name reflects one of the methods used during the approach - bilateral stimulation such as side-to-side eye movements, taps, or sounds - and the aim described by its originator of helping people process distressing memories.

The approach was developed several decades ago. Different therapists and training bodies have added practices and refinements since then, so people who practice EMDR do not all work in exactly the same way.

A session is usually a conversation plus guided activity. You and the therapist spend time talking about what you want to work on, about how you cope with stress now, and about what you hope to achieve.

At some point the therapist may use bilateral stimulation while you focus on a specific memory or belief. Bilateral stimulation can be eye movements, gentle taps, or sounds. Therapists vary in which they use and why.

EMDR is often described in eight phases. These are history-taking and treatment planning, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation.

Most of those phases are about preparation, safety, and checking how the work is going. A careful therapist typically spends a lot of time in the early phases - getting a clear plan, helping you develop coping skills, and ensuring you feel able to pause if things become intense - before they ask you to focus on a difficult memory.

People commonly report a range of responses. Some say they notice feelings or images change during a session. Others say the work feels upsetting at times or that it brings up strong emotions in the moment. Some people find elements of a session tiring or unusual.

Therapists who practise EMDR typically check in regularly during a session to keep the work within what you can handle. That does not mean the work will be easy, and it does not promise any particular result.

Why bilateral stimulation might help is debated. Different researchers and clinicians offer competing ideas about what is happening - memory processing, focusing attention, changing how the body holds stress, and other possibilities. None of those explanations is settled fact.

That debate matters because it affects how people describe EMDR and how therapists use it. Practical differences can include which memories are selected, how long a therapist spends preparing you, and which kind of stimulation they use.

This site records the approaches a therapist names on their own profile. Saying a therapist names EMDR among their approaches is not evidence of training in it, and this directory checks no training records.

If you look for a therapist here or elsewhere, consider asking them directly about their experience with EMDR and whether they are licensed or registered where they practise. A US therapist holds a licence issued by a state board and usually an NPI. A UK therapist is registered with a membership body such as the BACP or NCPS. An Australian therapist is registered with PACFA, AASW or ACA.

Pages on this site that may help you are /therapy-types/ and /therapists/.

People can worry that EMDR will force them to relive an experience. Many therapists work slowly and build skills with you so you can manage strong feelings. Still, working with distressing memories can bring up strong reactions. I acknowledge that this can feel hard without making it bigger.

This piece is not advice or diagnosis and a clinician who is actually talking to you is the person who can say. If you are in immediate danger, call emergency services - 911, 999, or 000 where those apply. If you are in crisis and not in immediate danger, you can call or text 988 in the US, Samaritans at 116 123 in the UK, or Lifeline at 13 11 14 in Australia.