What EMDR Therapy Is, How It Works, and Why It's Gaining Popularity
- May 6
- 8 min read
Written by Kiara Brown, Licensed Professional Counselor, EMDR-Certified Therapist & Certified Hypnotherapist
Kiara Brown is a Licensed Professional Counselor, EMDR-certified therapist, and hypnotherapist specializing in trauma healing, nervous system regulation, and the integration of clinical and spiritual approaches.
If you have been hearing or seeing people online talk about receiving EMDR therapy and have ever wondered what it is, this article is for you. People have been talking about EMDR for years since it was created, but not many people know what it really is or what it helps with. Many famous people have spoken about it and how it helped them, there is a reason people have been raving about it.
Who is this for?
This article is for you if you’ve been in therapy before, understand your patterns logically, but still feel triggered. Nothing has changed in the way you hoped when you first started therapy. If, even after being in therapy for a long time, you still experience anxiety, panic, shutdown responses, or your body reacts before your mind can catch up to the triggers, this is for you. As an EMDR-certified therapist, I’ve seen how powerful this approach can be when talk therapy alone isn’t enough. In my work, I often see clients who feel frustrated because they understand their trauma, but their body hasn’t caught up yet.
Pause for a moment. As you read this, notice your body. Feel into your shoulders. Are they tense? Focus on your breathing. Is it shallow and fast? Take one slow breath in through your nose, and then slowly, fully out through your mouth. This is the kind of awareness EMDR helps you build, learning to listen to your body, not just your thoughts.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It was first created by Francine Shapiro in 1989 to help clients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She found that traumatic memories are stored in maladaptive ways, and when the memory is activated in a controlled way through eye movements or bilateral stimulation (moving both sides of the body at once), the brain and body can naturally heal them, making them more adaptive.
EMDR has eight phases that each client goes through for each core negative belief they have about themselves. The first step is to identify the negative belief a client holds about themselves and the positive belief they want to have instead. After those are identified, core memories are selected for each negative and positive belief. By the end of all eight phases, clients report a significant reduction in symptoms. This doesn’t mean the memories go away, it just means the intense psychological and physical symptoms are reduced to the point that they no longer cause problems in day-to-day life.
What are the eight phases of EMDR?
History taking: During this phase, the client and therapist discuss the client’s life history and assess their symptoms. This is also where the client and therapist work together to formulate the treatment plan.
Preparation: This is one of the longest parts of EMDR. This phase is about building rapport between the client and therapist. During this phase, affect-regulation skills and teaching stabilization occur. This phase takes the longest because it can take clients time to get into the habit of using regulation skills consistently to process their trauma, and building rapport is an ongoing process throughout therapy.
Assessment: This is the phase where target memories are identified. Memories are associated with images, feelings, physical sensations, or simply the act of remembering. The negative and positive beliefs are also identified. The validity of positive beliefs and the distress associated with the memory are measured.
Desensitization: Phase four is when the main work begins. This is where the therapist applies bilateral stimulation (eye movements, sounds, body taps, or vibrations) while the client focuses on the core memory. During this time, the client allows the memory to unfold as needed and allows whatever emerges to continue until distress decreases. This phase can take a long time, depending on how long you spend in each session. When clients do the traditional 60-minute session per insurance regulations, it can take numerous sessions to fully process a memory.
Installation: This is the phase where the focus is on the positive. The client and therapist begin integrating and strengthening the positive belief while continuing bilateral stimulation. This phase will occur after each session, even if the negative memory hasn’t been fully processed. It is always important to focus on the positive, as this helps ground clients after processing hard memories.
Body scan: This is very important when working with trauma. Trauma is stored in the body, and focusing on how the body is feeling is a good way to know how much improvement a client has made with processing their trauma. This phase also continues to process the somatic disturbances until they dissipate.
Closure: This is the end of one session, which concludes with grounding and containment. The therapist ensures the client is stable before the client leaves the session.
Reevaluation: At the next session, the therapist and client reassess the targets and overall effectiveness of the treatment. This will be the session to discuss the previous one, then continue processing the memory if needed, or move on to another memory.
What does EMDR feel like?
Once you start processing memories with EMDR, it doesn’t feel like traditional talk therapy. Many clients notice memories, emotions, or body sensations coming up in waves. It can also be described as your brain connecting the dots or finally processing something that felt stuck for years. Throughout the process, you are always in control, and the therapist guides and supports you. For example, someone may know that they are safe now, but their body still reacts as if the past is happening to them. EMDR helps resolve that disconnection.
What can EMDR help with?
Even though EMDR was originally created for PTSD, it has been shown to have a great impact and improvement for people who have anxiety, depression, personality disorders, panic disorders, specific phobias, dissociative disorders, somatic symptoms, medical-related conditions, substance use disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, and so many more conditions that are currently being researched.
EMDR works by helping clients get out of their logical mind and focus on their emotions and body sensations. The overall message of EMDR is that it’s not based on the diagnosis, it’s about targeting maladaptive memories and bringing forward adaptive responses to them.
What EMDR is not
EMDR is not a quick fix for any of the symptoms clients have been experiencing. It has been shown to be faster than talk therapy alone, but it is not a one-time fix. EMDR has a full eight-phase protocol for a reason.
When working with a certified EMDR-trained therapist, the first step is to ensure clients remain present throughout the process. If a client dissociates or continues to struggle with maintaining calm during their day-to-day life, it is not the right time to dive deep into core memories of their trauma. EMDR can still take months or years to reach full remission, depending on how severe the trauma is.
How to know if EMDR is right for you
You may be wondering if EMDR is right for you. A lot of people who have been in traditional talk therapy for years have seen little to no improvement in their symptoms. EMDR does help clients move through years of trauma in a shorter period, but clients must be emotionally stable before starting.
If you are someone who can generally handle stress well without dissociating or struggling with day-to-day life, you may be ready to start processing trauma. If you are someone who still struggles with stress and managing day-to-day life, EMDR is still helpful because it teaches people how to handle those stressors more effectively than just talking things out.
If you are tired of focusing on the logic of the situation and ready to focus on its emotional and physical aspects, EMDR may be right for you. A big thing to remember with any therapy is that the relationship between client and therapist is what really makes the difference. So, make sure the therapist you choose is one you feel comfortable with.
Interested in learning more
Sometimes healing is not about understanding more, it is about finally allowing your system to process what it has been holding onto.
You can learn more, reach out here, or explore more conversations like this on my YouTube podcast.
Read more from Kiara Brown
Kiara Brown, Licensed Professional Counselor, EMDR-Certified Therapist & Certified Hypnotherapist
Kiara Brown is a Licensed Professional Counselor, EMDR-certified therapist, and certified hypnotherapist who specialized in trauma, anxiety, and nervous system regulation. She is the founder of Lunar Counseling, where she blends evidence-based approaches like EMDR with somatic work, subconscious healing, and spiritual integration. Her work focuses on helping people understand how trauma is stored in the body and how to safely begin releasing it. Kiara approaches healing as both a clinical and deeply personal process, one that involves the mind, body, and something deeper. She is the host of the Lunar Counseling Podcast, where she explores the intersection of mental health, embodiment, and spiritual growth in a grounded and accessible way.
Resources:
Original EMDR Study (1989): Shapiro, F. (1989). Eye movement desensitization: A new treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 20(3), 211–217.
Early Outcome / Foundational Text (Late 1990s): Shapiro, F. (1995/2001). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (1st ed. 1995; 2nd ed. 2001). New York: Guilford Press.
PTSD (Strongest evidence base): Systematic reviews & meta-analyses
Chen, Y.-R., Hung, K.-W., Tsai, J.-C., Chu, H., Chung, M.-H., Chen, S.-R., Liao, Y.-M., & Chou, K.-R. (2014). Efficacy of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLOS ONE, 9(8), e103676.
Cusack, K., et al. (2016). Psychological treatments for adults with PTSD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine, 165(5), 326–336.
Clinical guidelines: World Health Organization
World Health Organization. (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress.
Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense. (2023). VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of PTSD.
Depression: Meta-analysis / Systematic review
Carletto, S., et al. (2021). EMDR for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 660459.
Hase, M., et al. (2015). EMDR therapy in the treatment of depression: A matched pairs study. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 9(2), 64–72.
Anxiety disorders: Meta-analysis
Valiente-Gómez, A., et al. (2017). EMDR beyond PTSD: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1668.
Yunitri, N., et al. (2020). Effectiveness of EMDR for anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 123, 102–113.
Panic disorder & phobias
Faretta, E. (2013). EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of panic disorder: A comparison study. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 7(3), 121–133.
De Jongh, A., et al. (2011). Treatment of specific phobias with EMDR. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25(3), 357–364.
Somatic & Medical Conditions
Behnammoghadam, M., et al. (2015). Effect of EMDR on stress in myocardial infarction patients. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 20(4), 426–432.
Gerhardt, A. (2016). EMDR for chronic pain: A systematic review. Pain Medicine, 17(2), 246–254.
OCD / Intrusive symptoms
Nazari, H., et al. (2011). Comparison of EMDR and citalopram in treatment of OCD. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25(8), 1021–1025.
Substance use disorders
Hase, M., et al. (2008). EMDR in the treatment of substance abuse: A review. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2(3), 170–179.
Markus, W., et al. (2020). EMDR therapy in addiction: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 546.
Body dysmorphic disorder
Brown, T. A., et al. (1997). EMDR in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder: Case series. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.
Dissociation / Complex trauma
Dworkin, M. (2005). EMDR and the relational imperative: The therapeutic relationship in EMDR treatment.
Korn, D. L., & Leeds, A. M. (2002). Preliminary evidence of EMDR resource development for complex trauma. Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Neurological / Functional conditions
Chemali, Z., et al. (2004). EMDR for phantom limb pain: Case report. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.
Sexual / Relational conditions
Doering, S., et al. (2013). EMDR in the treatment of vaginismus: A controlled study. Journal of Sexual Medicine.
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