EMDR – eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of talking therapy.

It's mainly used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD. 

Through EMDR I learned how trauma affects the mind and body. It helped me realise that my other mental health issues were trauma-based. It felt like a breakthrough.

What is EMDR therapy?

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy involves remembering a traumatic event that happened to you. Usually as you move your eyes side to side.

But some EMDR might involve listening to sounds, tapping, or flashing lights. This part of the therapy is called ‘reprocessing’.

You’re in control and can stop the treatment if you need to. It’s not the same as hypnosis.

You won’t do the eye movements right away. First you and your therapist will work on a plan for the treatment.

Your therapist will ask you questions about your symptoms and what happened to you. This will help you decide on what memories to work on. And you can talk about how you’ll cope with how those memories make you feel.

You might also spend some time learning about how your mind and body respond to trauma.

If EMDR works for you, this process can make the memory of your trauma less distressing. This is called ‘desensitisation’.

What is EMDR used for?

EMDR therapy is mostly used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD.

It’s sometimes used for other mental health problems like anxiety and phobias. And some people might find it helps with these experiences. But there’s not as much research in this area.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes guidelines for the NHS. It doesn’t recommend using EMDR if you have trauma from military combat. This is because it doesn’t think the evidence is strong enough yet to say that EMDR would help. But some therapists will still offer it.

The charity Combat Stress has more information.

How does EMDR work?

In EMDR therapy you’ll recall a traumatic memory. You usually do this while moving your eyes, like following your therapist’s finger moving side to side. But some therapists might tap their finger, play sounds or use a light instead. This process is often called bilateral stimulation.

You might have to go over the memory multiple times. And you can repeat the method again for different memories.

Researchers aren’t sure exactly why or how EMDR works. It’s thought that it helps your mind process the memory in a different way. This makes it less upsetting. But not everyone finds it helpful.

My therapist never pressured me to address my more triggering memories until I felt ready. This built a trust between us that was crucial to the EMDR working.

Side effects of EMDR therapy

In EMDR therapy you’ll remember upsetting things that happened to you. This can be very hard. It can also cause emotional and physical side effects.

Side effects can include:

• Headaches
• Feeling sick
• Feeling tense. This might cause pain in your body
• Feeling tired and drained
• Crying
• Anxiety
• Feeling sensitive. Like getting upset very easily.
• Sleep problems
• Confusion or brain fog

You might have other emotional reactions as well. These are usually connected to the trauma you’re remembering. This can happen in any type of therapy that involves remembering your trauma. Not just EMDR.

If these side effects don’t go away or cause you a lot of distress, you should talk to your therapist.

It’s important to only get EMDR therapy from a trained professional. They should also make you feel safe. This can make it easier to manage any distressing feelings. It’s okay to ask for a break during an EMDR session if you need it.

Although it can be intense at times, EMDR therapy is one of the best things I’ve done in my life. It has given me total clarity about what was at the root of my anxiety and why I’ve had struggles for years

How can I get EMDR therapy?

You might be able to get EMDR therapy from the NHS.  But it might not be widely available in all areas of the country.

You might be able to self-refer for EMDR therapy. In other areas a GP might need to refer you. What kind of referral you need might also depend on how severe your symptoms are. And if you need any other support.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that the NHS offers between 8 and 12 sessions of EMDR therapy. But you should be offered more if you need it. Not all NHS services will be able to do this.

Waiting lists for EMDR therapy can be long.

You can speak to your GP about what’s available. If EMDR isn't available for you then talk to your GP about other treatment options. For more information see our page on treatment for PTSD.

The NHS has information on how to find local mental health services.

You can also get EMDR therapy privately. This can be expensive. You can search for EMDR therapists using the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy search tool.

EMDR UK also has a list of accredited EMDR therapists.