What Is EMDR Therapy and How Does It Work?

When firefighter Aaron's wife gave him an ultimatum - "You can get help, or we can get a divorce" - he had no idea that a therapy technique involving eye movements would transform his life. His story illustrates the profound impact that EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) therapy can have on those struggling with trauma and PTSD.

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It's a therapy used to help people recover from distressing events and the problems they have caused, like flashbacks, upsetting thoughts or images, depression or anxiety. EMDR is best known for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it can also help with a range of mental health conditions in people of all ages (EMDR UK, 2024).

This evidence-based therapy is recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which also recognises it as an effective treatment for children (EMDR UK, 2024). Rather than requiring years of talking about problems, EMDR takes a more direct approach to help your brain heal by working with how memories are stored and processed.

When people experience traumatic or deeply upsetting events, normal memory processing can become disrupted. Instead of being stored as a past event, these memories remain "active" - still carrying their original emotional intensity, physical sensations, and negative beliefs. This explains why someone might feel the same overwhelming distress years after the original incident occurred, just as Aaron experienced with his Thanksgiving Day call from 2017 that haunted him every holiday season.

“EMDR is based on the idea that traumatic memories can get ‘stuck’ in the brain, causing ongoing emotional distress. EMDR helps unstick those memories so the brain can heal.”– EMDR Association UK

How EMDR Works

The key feature of EMDR is bilateral stimulation - typically eye movements from side to side, alternating taps, buzzes, or tones. This rhythmic back-and-forth stimulation helps the brain process difficult memories while you briefly focus on different aspects of the original experience.

This process resembles REM sleep, when your eyes move rapidly and your brain processes the day's information. EMDR essentially gives your brain a structured opportunity to reprocess difficult memories in a safe, controlled environment.

As Aaron describes his experience: "My therapist was able to find a specific traumatic memory to focus on and then able to get me into a meditative state to recall the traumatic memory in greater detail. She guided me into a bilateral stimulation (rhythmic left-right eye movement) while we processed the memory."

The goal is to help you heal from trauma by allowing the processing of thoughts that are "stuck" in our memories, making us feel like we are reliving the incident over and over again. EMDR seeks to get us "unstuck" so we can process the thoughts and move on from them.

What to Expect in an EMDR Session

EMDR therapy begins by identifying a specific memory that feels distressing and the negative belief attached to it, such as “I’m not safe” or “I’m not good enough.” Together, we assess how upsetting this memory feels and where you notice the sensation in your body.

From there, we use bilateral stimulation (BLS) - a key part of EMDR. This means rhythmic, left-right stimulation of the brain, which can take the form of:

• Eye movements (like tracking my fingers side to side)

• Taps (alternating taps on your hands or knees)

• Sounds (tones alternating between left and right ears via headphones)

This process mirrors what happens naturally during REM sleep, the brain’s nightly system for sorting through memories and emotions.

While you're being gently guided through this process, you’ll simply notice whatever arises - whether that’s thoughts, emotions, images, or body sensations. After each set of stimulation, you’ll briefly share what you noticed. I’ll support and guide you without steering your mind in a specific direction.

EMDR works with your brain’s natural ability to heal itself.

One of the unique benefits of EMDR is that you don’t need to go into detailed verbal descriptions of your memory for the process to be effective. Over time, the memory loses its emotional intensity - you may still remember what happened, but it no longer has the same charge or triggers the same reaction in your body.

The Research Behind EMDR

EMDR isn't just anecdotal success stories - it's backed by robust scientific evidence. Multiple meta-analyses have demonstrated its effectiveness:

Adult Research Findings:

• A meta-analysis by Chen et al. (2014) examining 26 studies with 1,133 participants found that EMDR significantly reduced PTSD symptoms (p < 0.001) with moderate effect sizes

• EMDR significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety with moderate effect sizes

• A large effect size was evident for reducing subjective distress

• Research comparing EMDR to CBT found EMDR was significantly more effective in reducing PTSD symptoms, intrusion, and arousal

Adolescent Research:

• Studies show EMDR can be highly effective for young people aged 12-17

• In one study comparing EMDR to CBT for sexually abused girls, EMDR participants required significantly fewer sessions (mean 6.1 vs 11.6 for CBT)

• Zero EMDR participants required ongoing treatment after completion

Current UK NICE guidelines (NG 116; 2018) recommend both trauma-focused CBT and EMDR therapy for treating psychological trauma in adolescents, though they suggest TFCBT as first-line treatment primarily due to the greater number of studies available at the time.

Official Recognition and Guidelines

EMDR has gained significant recognition from major health organisations. It is recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which also recognises it as an effective treatment for children (EMDR UK, 2024). This official endorsement reflects the substantial research base supporting EMDR's effectiveness across different populations.

When EMDR Can Help

While EMDR was first developed for post-traumatic stress, it has proven effective for many concerns:

• Childhood difficult experiences and trauma

• Specific fears and anxiety problems

• Performance anxiety and creative blocks

• Troubling memories that won't fade

• Complicated grief

• Deep negative beliefs about oneself that don't respond to logical thinking

Real-Life Transformation

Aaron's experience demonstrates EMDR's transformative potential. After struggling with anger, nightmares, and trauma responses that nearly destroyed his marriage and family relationships, he found hope through EMDR therapy.

"With the guidance of the therapist, EMDR has been a crucial tool for some of my worst calls, the ones that keep me up at night, the nightmares, the triggers."

Aaron shares. "Anger was my only emotion. I'm now able to understand my triggers and more effectively manage my emotions when something comes up."

The progress was measurable: "The most recent holiday season was the first when I didn't completely lose my head over a Thanksgiving Day call from 2017 that always came back to me during the holidays. I credit this progress to EMDR and its process of working through the pain."

More Than Trauma Recovery

One of the most valuable aspects of EMDR is its versatility. While excellent for processing difficult experiences, it's equally effective for building positive resources and installing healthier beliefs about yourself.

Whether you're dealing with a specific traumatic event or persistent patterns that no longer serve you, EMDR offers an efficient path forward that doesn't require years of talking about problems. Many clients notice meaningful improvements within a relatively short course of EMDR sessions, though everyone's healing journey is unique.

Moving Forward

For clients who haven't found the relief they're seeking through other approaches, EMDR therapy presents a well-researched alternative worth considering. The approach works with your brain's natural capacity for healing when given the right conditions to do so.

Aaron concludes: "Going to the retreat with my wife was the best thing I ever did, and the decisions that followed - getting first responder-focused therapy and EMDR - truly saved my life. My life has changed so much, and I'm thankful for a clear view as I continue to work with the therapist and do EMDR to be a better dad and husband."

Is EMDR Right for Me?

If you’ve tried other therapies but still feel stuck…

If you avoid talking about certain memories because they feel too overwhelming…

Or if you’re just curious about a different way to heal…

EMDR might be worth exploring. As an HCPC-registered Counselling Psychologist, I’ve seen first-hand how transformative this approach can be – not just for trauma, but for helping people feel whole, calm, and self-connected.

Want to Learn More?

You can read more about EMDR therapy on my main service page here »

Or, if you’re wondering whether EMDR might be the right fit for you, feel free to get in touch. I offer sessions remotely and in person from my practice in Brighton & Hove.

References:

EMDR UK. (2024). What is EMDR? Retrieved from https://emdrassociation.org.uk/

Chen, Y. R., Hung, K. W., Tsai, J. C., Chu, H., Chung, M. H., Chen, S. R., et al. (2014). Efficacy of eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing for patients with posttraumatic-stress disorder: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. PLoS ONE, 9, e0103676.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence. (2018). NG 116 Nice Guideline Post-traumatic stress disorder. UK: National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

If you're struggling with trauma, PTSD, or persistent distressing memories, EMDR therapy might be the breakthrough you're looking for. As a HCPC-registered Counselling Psychologist, I'm trained in EMDR and here to support your healing journey. Contact me to discuss whether EMDR could be right for you.