EMDR therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses eye movements, tapping, or sounds to stimulate the brain's natural healing process. The therapist guides the patient to focus on a traumatic event while simultaneously engaging in a rhythmic bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping.
Read MoreEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. While taking a walk, she noticed that, as she processed difficult information, her eyes naturally moved back and forth. This was the beginning of years of research and development that have produced one of the most effective forms of trauma treatment that we have today.
EMDR therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses eye movements, tapping, or sounds to stimulate the brain's natural healing process. The therapist guides the patient to focus on a traumatic event while simultaneously engaging in a rhythmic bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping. The bilateral stimulation is believed to help the brain process the traumatic memory, reducing the emotional distress associated with it.
According to the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), EMDR therapy works by helping the brain process traumatic memories in a more adaptive way. When a person experiences a traumatic event, the memory of it can become "stuck" in the brain's processing system, causing ongoing distress and symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and flashbacks. EMDR therapy aims to help the brain process the traumatic memory so that it becomes less distressing and disruptive.
EMDR therapy is typically delivered in eight phases:
During the desensitization phase, the patient focuses on the traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation. The installation phase involves the therapist guiding the patient to focus on positive beliefs or feelings to replace the negative ones associated with the traumatic memory.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of EMDR therapy in treating trauma-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.
A meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 1,418 participants found that EMDR therapy was more effective than other therapies for reducing PTSD symptoms (Bisson et al., 2013). Another meta-analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials involving 1,204 participants found that EMDR therapy was effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD (Lee et al., 2018).
A randomized controlled trial comparing EMDR therapy to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) found that both therapies were effective in treating PTSD, but EMDR therapy was more effective in reducing symptoms of avoidance and emotional numbing (van den Berg et al., 2015). Avoidance and numbing are some of the most common responses to sexual and physical abuse, as well as other forms of trauma.
EMDR therapy is a well-established form of psychotherapy that has been shown to be effective in treating trauma-related disorders. By stimulating the brain's natural healing process, EMDR therapy helps patients process traumatic memories in a more adaptive way, reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. While further research is needed to fully understand how and why EMDR therapy works, the evidence to date suggests that it is a valuable tool in the treatment of mental health disorders.
References:
Bisson, J. I., Roberts, N. P., Andrew, M., Cooper, R., & Lewis, C. (2013). Psychological therapies for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (12), CD003388.
EMDR International Association. (n.d.). What is EMDR therapy? Retrieved from https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
Lee, C. W., Cuijpers, P., Alves-Neto, H., et al