EMDR therapy is approved by NICE in the UK as an effective treatment for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)<\/a>. Single-incident traumas (such as violent incidents, sexual assault, road traffic accidents and terrorist attacks) are particularly likely to respond well to EMDR treatment. EMDR can also be used for helping treat anxiety, shame, phobias, complex trauma<\/a>, and more. EMDR was originated and developed by Francine Shapiro, PhD.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what is EMDR, and how does EMDR therapy work? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMDR is a powerful kind of psychotherapy which appears to unlock your brain’s natural healing processes after trauma has caused a blockage or glitch in your emotional healing system. No one exactly knows how or why EMDR works, but it is believed that the success of this treatment, when it works, is due to ‘adaptive information processing’ (AIP) – the in-built natural ability of your brain and nervous system to process traumatic information under the right circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\nEMDR Therapy – What is it? <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n

EMDR stands for ‘Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing’. There are specific stages within EMDR treatment, and a clear protocol that EMDR therapists use. The stage that is most obviously “EMDR-ish” is where the client is guided to bilateral stimulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bilateral stimulation could be tapping alternate sides of the body (a recent interview with Prince Harry showed him doing this, using what’s sometimes called ‘the butterfly hug’ to alternately tap each side of his upper chest as his therapist taught him). A client might also tap their thighs; or follow a moving series of lights with their eyes. The therapist’s fingers may be held up and used as a moving object for the client to track with their eyes. (This is the bit that gets shown on TV, usually in a heavily fictionalised manner that bears little resemblance to the way EMDR is actually done!) While the bilateral stimulation is going on, the client is encouraged to use their mind and emotions to process the painful memories and move through experiencing all the body sensations and emotions that come up. The tapping or eye movements help the person not to get too overwhelmed by these sensations, which can be quite intense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMDR treatment must be done in phases over many sessions, and not rushed. Depending on the person and their particular needs, the phases of EMDR could take place over several months of once-a-week therapy. Unlike in the media portrayals, EMDR is rarely a ‘quick fix’. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a clip in which Jameela Jamil tells Russell Brand about her personal experience with EMDR therapy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n