What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychological therapy recommended by NICE and WHO for post-traumatic stress disorder. Rather than requiring detailed verbal description of distressing events, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones) whilst you briefly focus on traumatic memories in a managed environment.

When you experience trauma, memories can become frozen in their original form instead of being processed naturally. These unprocessed memories remain highly charged, triggering intense emotional and physical reactions when recalled. EMDR activates the brain’s natural information processing system, facilitating the integration of traumatic memories with adaptive information and reducing their emotional intensity. Following successful treatment, people typically report that whilst they remember what happened, the memory no longer carries the same visceral distress.

How EMDR Works

During trauma, threat-detection systems become highly activated whilst reflective processing regions may become temporarily impaired. This creates memories richly encoded with sensory and emotional information but poorly integrated with contextual understanding. The person experiences fragments of the trauma as though the threat were current.

EMDR engages the working memory system through the dual task of attending to both the traumatic memory and the bilateral stimulation. This reduces the vividness and emotional intensity of the memory during recall, facilitating reconsolidation in a less distressing form.

The eight-phase protocol guides reprocessing systematically: history-taking, preparation, establishing safety resources, targeting specific traumatic memories, and addressing present triggers and future scenarios.

Who Benefits from EMDR?

EMDR is particularly effective for single-incident trauma such as accidents, assaults, or acute medical events. Complex trauma resulting from prolonged adverse experiences (childhood abuse, domestic violence, repeated exposure to threatening situations) also responds to EMDR, though typically requires longer-term work.

People experiencing flashbacks, intrusive memories, nightmares, emotional numbness, or persistent hypervigilance following traumatic events often respond well. Beyond PTSD, EMDR can address anxiety disorders and depression, particularly when verbal description feels difficult or overwhelming.

What Happens in EMDR Sessions

Sessions typically last 60-90 minutes. You identify the most distressing image, the negative belief about yourself connected to that memory, and the physical sensations you experience when you think about it. You then hold the memory in mind whilst following bilateral stimulation, typically eye movements created by following the therapist’s hand or a moving object on screen.

During processing, you take the role of observer, noticing your stream of consciousness. Brief breaks allow you to report what you observe, and report back specific items to your therapist. The bilateral stimulation continues in sets until the memory is desensitised and you can hold the memory in mind without it prompting emotional distress.

Processing usually continues between sessions, with new integration taking place across the week following each session. People often report interesting dreams, stray thoughts, old memories viewed with a compassionate lens, and the experience of emotions starting to ‘integrate’.

How Long Does EMDR Take?

Single-incident trauma may respond within 3-6 sessions. Complex trauma involving multiple experiences may nee longer-term work. A detailed assessment at the beginning will enable your therapist to estimate the number of sessions.

Common Questions About EMDR

• Will I have to describe my trauma in detail? No. You identify the memory and hold it in mind whilst engaging in bilateral stimulation. Extensive narrative is not always necessary, though some knowledge of the event helps identify important themes and help your therapist remain aware of hotspots.
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• Can it make things worse?  Some clients report an experience where their emotions feel somewhat shaken across the week, which settles as memories become integrated with the rest of the self. The structure and pace of a session provides a container in which emotional processing can take place safely. Continued processing between sessions indicates the therapy is working.
• Does EMDR erase memories? No. EMDR changes how memories are psychologically experienced. Following treatment, clients remember events without the same emotional intensity. Many people report a ‘zooming out’ effect, where the the previously difficult memory now fits within an explanatory context – where connections and causes become more clear, and the distress reduces significantly.
• How do I know if EMDR is working? Signs include reduced distress when recalling traumatic memories, fewer intrusive images or flashbacks, improved sleep, decreased hypervigilance, and increased capacity to engage in social situations that a person used to enjoy before their traumatic event.
• Can EMDR be used for other issues? Yes. We have successfully used EMDR to address complex anxiety issues, particularly around issues stemming from childhood where a person has difficulty identify clear events from their life experience. It can be incorporated into an ongoing therapeutic plan if you prefer, and the practicalities of doing so can be discussed with you at any time.

Is EMDR Right for You?

A thorough assessment determines whether EMDR is suitable or whether preparatory work is needed first. While EMDR is known for not requiring you to go into detail about a traumatic event, it is helpful for the assessment for your therapist to understand the ‘headlines’ and most difficult points within your visual recollections of the memory. A good clinician will be able to identify ‘hotspots’ without pushing you to talk about experiences that are very difficult to explain.

There are several reasons why we would not recommend EMDR, such as: (a) if a person has active substance use that impairs the ability to engage and process information; (b) they are undergoing an acute mental health crisis or experiencing easily triggered dissociation.

A programme of EMDR sessions includes a lot of preparation and resource-building to ensure it is successful. Most people can identify within one session if an EMDR approach is having the intended effect.