Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy approach designed to help clients overcome traumatic memories and experiences. EMDR is based on the principle that traumatic events can be stored in the brain in an incomplete or fragmented way, which can cause ongoing emotional distress, intrusive thoughts, or maladaptive beliefs. By facilitating the brain’s natural processing mechanisms, EMDR helps integrate these memories safely and effectively.
How EMDR Works
During an EMDR session, the therapist guides the client to recall the traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, tapping, or auditory cues. This process encourages the brain to reprocess the memory, reducing associated negative emotions and distorted beliefs.
For clinicians, EMDR offers a structured, evidence-based approach to help clients gain a new perspective on traumatic experiences, alleviate symptoms of anxiety or depression, and improve overall emotional and psychological functioning.
Clinical Benefits of EMDR
EMDR has been shown to be effective for a variety of mental health concerns, including:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Phobias
By addressing the root of traumatic memories rather than only their symptoms, EMDR can be a powerful addition to a clinician’s therapeutic toolkit.
What an EMDR Session Looks and Feels Like (from a Client’s Perspective)
As a non-EMDR clinician, your clients may ask, “What actually happens in EMDR?” A concise,
accurate description might be:
- You and the EMDR therapist agree on a specific memory or theme to work on.
- While you bring that memory to mind (image, thoughts, feelings, body sensations), you will follow back-and-forth eye movements, alternating taps, or tones.
- After each short “set,” your therapist asks what you notice now – thoughts, images, feelings, sensations.
- The process repeats, following your mind’s associations, until the memory feels less disturbing and more “in the past,” often with new insights or more balanced beliefs.
Your role, if you are not the EMDR provider, may include:
- Helping clients decide whether they feel ready to request an EMDR referral.
- Supporting emotion regulation and stabilization before or during EMDR work.
- Reinforcing new adaptive beliefs and behaviors that emerge after EMDR sessions (e.g., “I am safe now,” “I can set boundaries”).
Integrating EMDR Into Your Practice
Major international guidelines (e.g., APA, WHO, VA/DoD, ISTSS) now list EMDR as a first-line treatment for PTSD and other trauma-related conditions. By adding EMDR, therapists can provide clients with a research-supported method for processing trauma while expanding their professional expertise and service offerings.
Getting Started with EMDR
If EMDR is brand new to you and you want to learn a little more about it, CEU Creations offers a 2-hour on-demand course that makes a great starting point. For clinicians who are already familiar with the basic concepts and want to incorporate EMDR into their practice, EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Basic Training from AATBS is an ideal next step. This 40-hour foundational training covers the theory, eight-phase protocol, and core techniques of EMDR therapy, giving participants the tools to begin using EMDR with clients under supervision.
From there, clinicians can progress toward EMDR certification, which involves advanced training, consultation hours, and demonstration of clinical competency. Certification signals a higher level of expertise and provides clients with assurance that they are working with a therapist fully trained in EMDR.