What Is EMDR?

EMDR is a popular type of therapy—and for good reason. Chances are, if you’re looking into pursuing therapy for trauma, you’ve come across this acronym once or twice. But what is EMDR? 

EMDR is a relatively new therapeutic modality. Research shows that it can be extremely effective for a variety of conditions, including anxiety and PTSD. Read on to explore whether this trauma therapy is right for you.

What Does EMDR Stand For?

It stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This term comes from early forms of EMDR, which used light bars to visually trigger bilateral stimulation (BLS). While light bars can be effective, it’s not the only option. Therapists may also use tools like neural beats, tapping on shoulders, or moving an object from side to side. 

How Does EMDR Work?

As with many therapeutic techniques, we don’t know for 100% certain why or how EMDR works. The most popular explanation uses the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) theory. 

AIP proposes that memories of traumatic events may be stored maladaptively, which makes it difficult for survivors of trauma to process those events rationally. It hypothesizes that the reason EMDR works is by using BLS to reprocess the memory. This reprocessing allows the brain to store memories in a more adaptive way and reduce trauma symptoms. 

In addition to the use of BLS, EMDR practitioners may also use other modalities to support their patients. Some modalities that people use in combination with EMDR include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), somatic therapy, and internal family systems (IFC) therapy.

EMDR Treatment Structure

EMDR treatment can get heavy, but practitioners don’t usually start by jumping right into processing traumatic memories. Instead, this type of mental health treatment follows a structured process across multiple appointments. For example, when treating PTSD, the treatment structure usually looks something like this:

1. Review and planning. During the first appointment, your therapist will usually talk with you about your goals. This may include the memories you want to process, your symptoms, and your definition of success. Then, they will collaborate with you on setting goals and building a treatment timeline.

2. Preparation. During this stage, your therapist will explain how they do EMDR so you understand what to expect from each session. The preparation stage also involves learning and strengthening coping skills because, while EMDR can greatly reduce emotional distress over time, it can increase stress temporarily.

3. Assessment. This stage involves assessing the severity of the memories you would like to focus on. These assessments are usually done using two scales: Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) and Validity of Cognition (VOC). Measuring severity of symptoms before, during, and after treatment can show progress over time.

4. Desensitization. While using BLS, you will focus on the distressing memory and tell your therapist about any new thoughts. Often, negative thoughts that come up become a focus point for a future session of BLS.

5. Installation. Once the memory is no longer distressing, the focus shifts to strengthening your new, adaptive understanding of the memory. This can include reinforcing positive beliefs about yourself and the world around you.

6. Body Scan. Your therapist will ask you to check in with your body at various times throughout EMDR treatment. Early on, this can focus more on staying within your window of tolerance. As you move through the treatment process, you might instead focus on scanning for any lingering sensations of distress when you think of the distressing memory.

7. Closure. At the end of each session, your therapist will guide you toward a sense of closure. If the targeted memory is still distressing, they may go over strategies for managing your symptoms until your next session.

8. Re-evaluation. An essential part of EMDR is re-evaluating progress at the beginning of each session. This can help guide treatment and show how symptoms change over time.

The stages of EMDR treatment don’t go in a straight line; these stages are cyclical and each appointment may include several stages. Your therapist will work with you to decide what to focus on during each session.

Does EMDR Always Use a Light Bar?

While EMDR started with using light bars to help with eye movement, the modality has expanded since then to include many other techniques for bilateral stimulation (BLS), including: 

• Auditory. With auditory BLS, patients may listen to sounds moving from one side to the other with headphones or speakers. At Phoenix Therapeutics, we often use neural beats for auditory BLS during EMDR trauma therapy sessions.

• Tactile. In person, patients may use bilateral pulsers for BLS, holding one in each hand as they alternate stimulation. Tactile BLS may also use taps on the patient’s chest, shoulders, or legs, which is more common when doing EMDR via telehealth.

• Other Guided Eye Movements. Instead of a light bar, many practitioners will create guided eye movements with other methods . For example, a patient may watch a practitioner’s finger going back and forth or focus on an object that the practitioner is moving from side to side. This is the method we usually use for visual BLS at Phoenix Therapeutics.

What Are the Benefits of EMDR?

One of the main benefits of EMDR compared to other types of therapy is how quickly it can have an impact. EMDR can meaningfully reduce symptoms in as few as six to twelve sessions. Generally, single-incident traumatic events require fewer sessions to see improvement, whereas people who are processing multiple traumatic events may require longer treatment timelines. 

Another benefit of EMDR is that it has a relatively high long-term success rate. EMDR usually supports healing both during the treatment process and long after treatment is complete.

EMDR also allows patients to reduce their symptoms without extensively discussing traumatic events. While some patients feel relief after verbally processing their trauma with a therapist, that isn’t ideal for everyone. Some patients may struggle to discuss their traumatic memory for a variety of reasons, including learning disabilities, language barriers, and extreme distress. EMDR offers a route toward healing that may be more accessible to those people.

What Can EMDR Treat?

EMDR can help treat a wide range of disorders. It is most well-known as a treatment for trauma disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or acute stress disorder. However, it can also be an effective treatment for other mental health issues, including:

• Anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.

• Depression and affective disorders, such as bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

• Dissociative disorders, such as dissociative identity disorder (DID), amnesia, or derealization disorder.

• Eating disorders, such as anorexia, binge-eating disorder, and bulimia.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), including hoarding disorder, which is on the OCD spectrum.

EMDR can also be an effective treatment for other disorders that may be connected with underlying trauma, such as personality disorders and substance abuse disorders. Often, traumatic memories can make symptoms of these disorders worse, playing a role in outbursts or relapses. In combination with other treatments, such as medication and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), EMDR can help reduce symptoms and make these disorders more manageable.

Does EMDR Treat Triggers?

Yes, EMDR can help treat triggers by helping the brain reprocess memories and behaviors associated with those triggers. Because the process of EMDR reduces the distressing feelings associated with specific memories and sensations, by extension, it can reduce the occurrence and intensity of triggers.

Can EMDR Help With Complex PTSD?

Yes, EMDR can help reduce symptoms of complex PTSD, also known as C-PTSD. While C-PTSD is not currently in the DSM, some people use it to refer to types of PTSD that stem from repeated experiences of trauma rather than one or a few distinct traumatic events. For example, some therapists may refer to symptoms associated with ongoing abuse throughout childhood as C-PTSD.

Is EMDR Evidence-Based?

Yes, EMDR is an evidence-based type of therapy that helps people reprocess their memories, reducing symptoms of PTSD and a variety of other disorders. It’s relatively new, with initial research into the modality beginning in the late 1980s, but has proved time and time again to be an effective treatment for people who have experienced trauma. The World Health Organization lists it as one of the treatments for PTSD with the most evidence, alongside trauma-informed CBT.

At Phoenix Therapeutics, we focus on evidence-based modalities for treating trauma, including CBT, somatic experiencing, and EMDR. Often, these modalities can work well in combination with one another, so your therapist may recommend multiple modalities as part of your treatment plan. 

Can EMDR Help My Relationship?

While EMDR isn’t usually part of couples therapy, pursuing EMDR individually can support relationship health and growth. Trauma impacts the way we show up in all kinds of relationships, and depending on the symptoms, it may lead to increased interpersonal conflict, distress, or disconnection between people. By using EMDR to improve your symptoms, you may find you are able to be a better partner, friend, and family member because you are more present and less likely to experience triggers in your daily life.

If you are concerned about your romantic relationship, couples therapy can be a good place to start. From there, your couples therapist may be able to provide insights on whether EMDR would improve your relationship or whether other therapeutic modalities might be a better fit.

Is EMDR The Same as Therapy?

Short answer: yes, EMDR is therapy.

Long answer: EMDR is one therapy modality, but it is most effective in combination with other forms of therapy, such as talk therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. EMDR can be an effective part of a holistic treatment plan for people struggling with mental health conditions including PTSD, acute stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Most practitioners will include other therapeutic modalities throughout the process of EMDR, further supporting your processing of distressing memories. In addition, you may continue to pursue other types of therapy after you have completed a course of EMDR.

Who Does EMDR Help?

EMDR can help a variety of people. If you’re curious about incorporating EMDR into your treatment plan, consider talking to your provider or contacting Phoenix Therapeutics at (224) 276-8930.

A few types of people that EMDR can be especially helpful for are:

First Responders

Compared to most people, first responders see a lot of traumatic events, as it is part of their day-to-day work. Because they witness so much trauma, they may be at a higher risk of developing trauma-related mental health disorders.

Types of first responders include, but are not limited to:

• Police officers

• Emergency Medical Technicians

• Doctors

• Nurses

• Firefighters

• Military personnel

• 911 dispatchers

Our team at Phoenix Therapeutics includes our founder, Brooke, who is a therapist and a first responder. One of her specialties is treating first responders who are struggling with trauma. She also has a certification for EMDR. If you are interested in seeing Brooke or one of our other therapists, please contact us at (224) 276-8930 or info@phoenixtherapeutics.org.

People with Medical Trauma

Many people live with post-traumatic stress surrounding medical situations, such as near-death experiences or times their right to give informed consent was not respected by a provider. Like any other trauma, medical trauma can contribute to trauma-related disorders like PTSD, with symptoms like nightmares or triggers. EMDR can help survivors of medical trauma as they process what happened to them and figure out how they want to move forward.

Natural Disaster Survivors

EMDR can be a strong treatment option for people who are struggling after experiencing a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, wildfire, or tornado. Not everyone who experiences a natural disaster will require treatment, but for those who experience long-lasting effects, EMDR is one of the most evidence-based modalities available.

People with PTSD

One of the most common disorders we treat with EMDR is PTSD. People may experience PTSD for a multitude of reasons, including but not limited to childhood trauma, intimate partner violence, and witnessing violent events. Regardless of the initial event, people with PTSD tend to respond well to EMDR in combination with other treatments, such as anxiety medication or prolonged exposure therapy.

People with Executive Functioning Issues

EMDR can also be a good fit for people who struggle to do homework between therapy appointments. Many other types of therapy, such as narrative therapy, can involve assignments at regular intervals that patients work on between sessions. EMDR, on the other hand, focuses on working through trauma in-session and regulating or containing trauma between sessions. This can make it a better fit for people with disorders that impact executive functioning, such as ADHD.

Can Children Benefit from EMDR?

Yes, children and adolescents can benefit from EMDR. Therapists may adjust the process somewhat to be age-appropriate, such as using more engaging forms of BLS for young children. So far, the positive impact of EMDR seems to be similar on patients of all ages. 

What Is Online EMDR?

Online EMDR usually refers to EMDR sessions with a licensed professional that happen online through a secure patient portal. These sessions usually involve video calls between the patient and healthcare provider and follow essentially the same structure as an in-person EMDR session would, with small modifications to make them more accessible.

Does EMDR Therapy Work Via Telehealth?

Yes, there are a variety of ways we use EMDR with telehealth patients at Phoenix Therapeutics. We usually use guided eye movements or bilateral taps for these sessions, as they don’t require the patient to have any specific equipment on hand. EMDR can be just as effective via telehealth as it is in person, though it does still require a quiet, private space for the patient to participate from so they can fully focus throughout the session.

Can I Do EMDR At Home?

Yes, with a practitioner who does EMDR online, you can participate in EMDR therapy from home. To make the most of each session, make sure you have a quiet, private space in your home to join the call from; a fully charged or plugged in device; and a secure internet connection.

You may also practice calming techniques you learn through EMDR sessions when you are at home. In fact, practicing these strategies at home can help you strengthen those skills and may make it easier for you to use them during sessions and as you need them in day-to-day life.

Can I Do EMDR Remotely?

Yes, you can do EMDR remotely with a trained professional. Most patients who do EMDR remotely prefer to join their sessions from home because that creates a private, comforting environment for them, but other spaces may be appropriate. If you aren’t sure whether your preferred location for remote EMDR will work, please discuss it with your therapist before your next appointment.

What Can I Expect At My First EMDR Appointment?

At your first appointment, your therapist will likely focus on learning more about you, your goals for treatment, and what trauma you want to start targeting in your EMDR sessions. This first session may include some bilateral stimulation, but is more likely to revolve around creating a treatment plan and ensuring you have the skills you need to regulate throughout the process, such as grounding exercises and self-regulation strategies. 

Because EMDR involves several sessions, you may experience a short-term increase in symptoms as you are reprocessing your traumatic memories, which is why it is important to make sure you have tools to manage that distress between sessions. 

Your therapist may also take some time to explain how they do EMDR, such as the types of bilateral stimulation they use and any other therapeutic modalities they may use during your EMDR sessions. Depending on your treatment goals, they may also recommend other therapies before or after doing EMDR to support your long-term mental health.

How Can I Start EMDR?

If you’re interested in beginning EMDR, you can reach out to Phoenix Therapeutics to schedule an appointment. Our team has experience with a variety of trauma therapies, including EMDR. 

You can contact us at info@phoenixtherapeutics.org or (224) 276-8930 at any time and a member of our team will get back to you. If you have any questions about our approach to therapy, how to use insurance, or what to expect, you may also be able to find answers on our FAQs page.