If you have been researching therapy for trauma, anxiety, or PTSD, you have probably come across the term EMDR. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing sounds technical — even a little strange — and many people are understandably curious about what it actually involves before committing to it.

This post is my attempt to explain EMDR clearly and honestly: what it is, what the research says, what happens in a session, and who it tends to help most.

The Origins of EMDR

EMDR was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Dr Francine Shapiro, who noticed that certain eye movements seemed to reduce the emotional intensity of distressing thoughts. Over the following decades, it was developed into a structured eight-phase therapy and subjected to extensive clinical research.

Today, EMDR is recognised as an effective treatment for PTSD by the World Health Organisation, the American Psychological Association, and numerous other international health bodies. It has also been shown to be effective for a range of other conditions, including anxiety, depression, grief, and the effects of childhood trauma.

How EMDR Works: The Theory

To understand EMDR, it helps to understand how traumatic memories are stored differently from ordinary ones.

When you experience something overwhelming, your brain's normal memory processing system can become disrupted. Instead of the memory being integrated into your broader life narrative — filed away as something that happened in the past — it gets "stuck" in its raw, unprocessed form. The sights, sounds, smells, emotions, and physical sensations associated with the event remain vivid and activated, as if the threat is still present.

This is why trauma survivors often describe their memories as feeling more like reliving than remembering. The past intrudes on the present because it has never been fully processed.

EMDR appears to work by activating the brain's natural information-processing system — the same system that processes memories during REM sleep — and allowing stuck traumatic memories to be digested and integrated. The bilateral stimulation used in EMDR (more on this below) seems to facilitate this process, though researchers are still working to fully understand the mechanisms involved.

EMDR 2.0: Working Memory and the Science of Trauma Processing

More recent research has led to the development of EMDR 2.0, which offers a more precise explanation of why EMDR works — and refines the technique accordingly.

The core insight of EMDR 2.0 is the intentional taxing of the working memory by a range of stimulation. Working memory is the mental workspace we use to hold and manipulate information in the moment. It has a limited capacity — when it is occupied with one demanding task, it has less room for another.

When a client holds a traumatic memory in mind while simultaneously engaging in a range of stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones), the stimulation competes for working memory resources. This reduces the vividness and emotional intensity of the memory as it is being recalled — and because memories are reconsolidated each time they are retrieved, the memory is effectively stored back in a less charged form.

In practical terms, EMDR 2.0 places greater emphasis on making a range of stimulation more cognitively demanding — faster eye movements, more complex tasks — to maximise this working memory load. Research by Nexhmedin Morina, Ad de Jongh, and colleagues has shown that this enhanced approach can produce faster and more robust results, particularly for clients with PTSD.

This working memory model also helps explain why EMDR does not require clients to talk through their trauma in detail. The processing happens at a neurological level, not a narrative one. You do not need to find the words — you simply hold the memory in awareness while a range of stimulation does its work.

The Eight Phases of EMDR

EMDR is a structured therapy with eight distinct phases. Not all of these involve a range of stimulation — much of the work is preparation and integration.

Phase 1: History-taking and treatment planning. The therapist gathers a thorough history and identifies the memories and experiences that will be targeted in treatment.

Phase 2: Preparation. This phase focuses on building the therapeutic relationship, explaining the EMDR process, and equipping the client with stabilisation and self-regulation skills. This phase is particularly important for clients with complex trauma.

Phase 3: Assessment. The therapist and client identify the specific memory to be processed, the negative belief associated with it (for example, "I am not safe" or "It was my fault"), and the desired positive belief.

Phases 4–7: Desensitisation, installation, body scan, and closure. These are the active processing phases, where a range of stimulation is used to process the targeted memory. The therapist guides the client through sets of stimulation, pausing periodically to check in on what is arising.

Phase 8: Re-evaluation. At the start of each subsequent session, the therapist checks in on the work done previously and assesses whether further processing is needed.

What to Expect in a Session

EMDR sessions are typically 60–90 minutes. During the processing phases, you will be asked to briefly bring to mind a distressing memory — not to describe it in detail, but simply to hold it in awareness — while engaging in a range of stimulation.

Many clients find this process surprisingly manageable. You are not required to talk through every detail of what happened. You remain in control throughout — you can stop at any time, and the therapist will check in with you regularly.

After a set of stimulation activity, the therapist will ask you to notice what comes up — an image, a thought, a feeling, a physical sensation. You simply report what you notice, without trying to analyse or direct it. The processing tends to unfold naturally.

Between sessions, it is common to notice that memories continue to process — you might have vivid dreams, or find that new insights or emotions arise. This is a normal part of the process.

Who Benefits Most from EMDR?

EMDR is particularly well-suited for:

• Single-incident trauma (accidents, assaults, medical procedures)
• Complex or developmental trauma (childhood abuse, neglect, or chronic relational trauma)
• PTSD and complex PTSD
• Anxiety and phobias rooted in past experiences
• Grief and loss
• Betrayal trauma and relationship trauma

It is not the right fit for everyone, and a thorough assessment is important before beginning. For clients with complex trauma or significant dissociation, a longer preparation phase is typically needed before active processing begins.

A Note on What EMDR Is Not

EMDR is sometimes misunderstood as a form of hypnosis, or as a technique that erases memories. Neither is accurate. You remain fully conscious and in control throughout. The goal is not to forget what happened, but to change your relationship to it — so that the memory no longer carries the same emotional charge, and the past no longer intrudes on the present.

If you are curious about whether EMDR might be right for you, I would be glad to discuss it in a free initial consultation.