What Is EMDR Therapy? A Guide for Curious Clients
If you’ve ever wondered what EMDR therapy is and whether it might help you heal, you’re not alone. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has gained recognition for its powerful, evidence-based ability to treat trauma, anxiety, and other distressing life experiences. But despite its effectiveness, EMDR can still feel a bit mysterious. Let’s change that.
Whether you're exploring EMDR for yourself or supporting someone who is, this guide will help you understand what it is, how it works, what to expect, and how it may help you move forward.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a structured, trauma-informed therapy that helps people reprocess painful or distressing memories so they no longer feel emotionally overwhelmed.
In other words, EMDR doesn’t erase your memories. Instead, it helps your brain file them away correctly, so they stop showing up uninvited, triggered by a smell, a sound, or a moment you didn’t see coming.
Originally developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), EMDR is now used to address:
Childhood trauma
Sexual assault
Grief and loss
Panic attacks
Medical trauma
Phobias
Attachment wounds
Anxiety, depression, and more
“EMDR doesn’t erase your memories. Instead, it helps your brain file them away correctly”
A (Brief) History of EMDR
EMDR was developed in the late 1980s by Dr. Francine Shapiro, a psychologist who noticed that certain types of eye movements seemed to reduce the emotional intensity of disturbing thoughts. Through clinical research and application, she built out a method that is now recognized as a first-line treatment for PTSD by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Over time, EMDR has evolved into an eight-phase treatment model backed by decades of research and thousands of success stories.
The Science Behind EMDR: How Does It Work?
EMDR therapy taps into your brain’s natural healing ability, kind of like how your body heals a wound. When trauma overwhelms the brain, memories can become “stuck,” frozen in time. Instead of being processed and stored like other memories, they remain vivid, raw, and often disconnected from a sense of safety or context.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation—like guided eye movements, tapping, or audio tones alternating left and right—to activate both hemispheres of the brain. This stimulation helps unlock the stuck memory and “reprocess” it, allowing your brain to finally digest the experience and store it in a healthier way.
Think of it as clearing the emotional charge around a memory. After EMDR, people often say things like:
“It still happened, but it doesn’t hold the same power over me anymore.”
“I remember it, but I don’t feel overwhelmed when I think about it.”
The Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy
EMDR isn’t just about eye movements—it’s a structured process that takes place over several sessions. Here’s a look at the eight phases:
1. History Taking
We get a complete picture of your background, symptoms, and what you’d like to work on. We’ll talk about past experiences, triggers, and your goals for healing.
2. Preparation
This phase is all about safety and trust. You’ll learn grounding techniques, resourcing, and calming strategies so you feel emotionally prepared for deeper work. If you're postpartum, neurodivergent, or trauma-impacted, this part might take more time, and that's okay.
3. Assessment
We identify specific memories, beliefs, and emotions you want to target. We look at how you feel in your body, what negative thoughts are connected to the memory, and what you’d rather believe about yourself instead.
4. Desensitization
Using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping), we begin processing the memory. The goal isn’t to re-live trauma—it’s to gently activate the memory while helping your brain move it to a more resolved place.
5. Installation
This is when we strengthen the positive belief you want to hold about yourself (like “I’m safe now” or “I did the best I could”).
6. Body Scan
We scan the body for any remaining tension or discomfort. The body holds so much of our story—we want it to feel settled and safe, too.
7. Closure
We make sure you leave each session feeling grounded, whether we’ve fully processed a memory or not. You’ll revisit your coping strategies and reflect on how you’re doing emotionally.
8. Reevaluation
At the beginning of the next session, we’ll check in. Has the distress gone down? Do we need to return to that memory or move to another one? Healing is a process, not a one-time fix.
What to Expect Between Sessions
EMDR can be powerful—and sometimes, it stirs things up between sessions. You might notice:
More vivid dreams
Old memories resurfacing
Increased emotions (this is a sign your brain is doing its job!)
Fatigue or mental fog (processing takes energy!)
That’s why the preparation phase and closure phase are so important—we’ll make sure you’re equipped with tools to stay grounded.
I always recommend clients journal, use grounding techniques, and reach out if anything feels too intense between sessions. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
How Long Does EMDR Take?
That depends on a few things:
The complexity of the trauma
Your nervous system and level of regulation
How much groundwork we do in the preparation phase
How many memories you want to target
Some people experience noticeable relief after just a few sessions. Others need more time. On average, research suggests 8–12 sessions for single-incident trauma, but complex trauma, developmental wounds, or long-term abuse may take longer.
That said, EMDR often leads to faster and deeper relief than traditional talk therapy alone.
Want to Learn More?
Here are a few trusted resources to dig deeper:
EMDRIA.org – The official EMDR International Association, with a great FAQ section
Book: "Getting Past Your Past" by Dr. Francine Shapiro – a client-friendly introduction to how EMDR works
Final Thoughts
Healing isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about freeing yourself from the weight of it. EMDR offers a pathway to do just that, using your brain’s built-in ability to heal.
If you're curious about EMDR therapy or want to explore if it’s a good fit for your healing journey, reach out. You don’t have to navigate this process alone.
