What is EMDR?

Georgia Veteran Trauma Project

What is EMDR and How Does it Relieve Trauma?

EMDR is a planned, structured approach to psychotherapy for resolving trauma and its effects in one’s life. While most traumatic experiences will resolve naturally over time, some are too intense and overwhelm the body/mind’s adaptation system. The memory becomes fixed and the mind continues to replay it over and over especially when triggered by reminders of the original incident. The person experiences all the images, feelings, sensations and thoughts of the incident. It may become a full blown flashback in which it seems that the incident is actually occurring again, or it may be a powerful and distressing memory that one cannot seem to overcome even with much talk about it.
With trauma there are two broad pathways to treatment -- coping and resolving. It is important to have tools for coping and many approaches offer these. Sometimes, however, people do not want to have to keep using coping tools -- they want to resolve the trauma once and for all. EMDR is an approach for achieving this resolution. It has been approved by the Department of Defense as an effective method for resolving combat-related trauma and PTSD.
In EMDR, we work together in the office to focus on a specific disturbing memory (or memories) in a special way while simultaneously doing sets of eye movements, or other alternating sensory stimulation as led by the therapist. The process requires preparation, history and planning in advance as well as informing you in detail about what to expect with EMDR. This preparation usually requires at least several sessions before actually beginning any eye movements. You are in charge -- you decide with your therapist when you are ready to start, and you can stop the process at any time.
The mechanism by which EMDR produces change is not fully understood and continues to be researched. What we do know from extensive research and clinical experience is that it works. The best thinking so far is that EMDR stimulates the same neurological process as in REM sleep where eye movements during sleep are associated with stress reduction. For more extensive information, we refer you to the following web sites: