What is it?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychotherapy that helps people process and recover from distressing life experiences, particularly those that continue to cause emotional pain long after the event has passed.

It was first developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro, who discovered that certain eye movements appeared to reduce the intensity of upsetting thoughts.

What does it involve?

An EMDR session follows a structured process, guided carefully by a trained therapist.

EMDR uses a structured eight-phase approach where a therapist guides you to briefly focus on a troubling memory while also engaging in bilateral stimulation (this could be side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or sounds). This process helps the brain “reprocess” difficult memories so they are stored in a less distressing way.

EMDR is a process that helps people manage their emotional stress and traumas through horizontal eye movement, auditory or kinesthetic stimulation which enables any stuck memories and feelings to be processed more effectively and naturally and released.

The number of sessions you might need will depend on your personal circumstances, but some people notice improvement after just a few, while others may benefit from a longer course.

How can it help you?

Once these thoughts feelings and emotions have been processed then they can effectively be removed and no longer need to act as a trigger for future stress and anxiety.

Research suggests that EMDR works by stimulating the brain’s natural healing mechanisms. When we experience trauma, the brain sometimes struggles to process the event fully, leaving the memory “frozen” with the same emotional intensity as when it happened. EMDR helps unlock this, allowing the memory to be integrated into your wider life story without the same emotional charge. Over time, this can reduce symptoms such as anxiety, flashbacks or intrusive thoughts and help replace negative beliefs.

Although EMDR was originally designed for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is now widely used for a range of issues including anxiety, depression, grief, phobias and the emotional challenges linked with serious illness such as cancer.

For more information, you can read more here.