Does EMDR Therapy Really Work? A Trauma Therapist Explains
You might have heard of EMDR therapy and thought: ‘Is that the one with the eye movements?’. Maybe a friend recommended it, or maybe you're just trying to make sense of anxiety, low self-esteem, or overwhelm that doesn’t seem to budge.
EMDR can seem a bit strange at first glance. So, if you’re considering it and aren’t sure, here are the fundamentals of what you should know.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR can seem a bit weird, but it’s based on pretty solid theory of what we already know about traumatic memory.
At the heart of EMDR therapy is the idea that present issues (e.g. anxiety or intrusive thoughts) are rooted in unprocessed experiences. And once processed – using EMDR – present issues are resolved.
It’s based on the theory of Adaptive Information Processing (AIP), which harnesses our innate capacity to process what happens to us.
Many things happen during our lives that cause us to be upset or disturbed in some way. We can often process these experiences naturally, learn from them, and move on.
But not always, and this is where EMDR comes in.
I illustrate how AIP within EMDR works, using the story of Liam (a fictional client) below.
EMDR in action: Liam and the school bullies
Liam, now 28, came to therapy struggling with low self-esteem, social anxiety, and a deep fear of rejection. He often felt that he didn’t belong and avoided conflict at all costs. While he couldn’t pinpoint a single cause, he described a constant inner voice saying, "I’m not good enough."
In EMDR therapy, Liam discovered memories of being bullied in primary school. One stood out: he was about 8 or 9 walking down the corridor while a group of boys shoved him and called him names. He remembered the sting of the insults, the humiliating laughter of other kids, and worst of all – the silence of the teachers who saw it and did nothing. When he got home crying, his mum told him to ‘toughen up’ and ‘not let it get to him’.
According to the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model because it wasn’t processed with support, safety, or resolution, the memory got stuck in its raw, emotional form. Social situations, criticism, or group settings would trigger it, leaving Liam feeling like that helpless boy again. But he wasn’t consciously aware of this at the time.
In EMDR therapy, Liam accessed the memory with his therapist's guidance. Through bilateral stimulation (eye movements), Liam’s brain began to reprocess the experience. He started to see the memory not from the eyes of the powerless child that he was, but from his adult self – realising that those kids were just acting out their own pain, and that the adults should have protected him.
EMDR enabled him to view the memory in a more adaptive way – one that’s more balanced and objective.
After several sessions, the memory lost its emotional sting. Liam felt more grounded in social situations and could speak up for himself without the same fear of being attacked or dismissed. The inner voice saying "I’m not good enough" disappeared. And the experience became distant, just a small part of his life story.
“Evidence-based’ means that it’s supported by a body of scientific research showing its effectiveness across a general population. ”
Why we need therapies like EMDR
Traditional talking therapy has been around since the time of Freud in the early 20th century, which pe-dates much of what we know about trauma today.
We now know much more about how the brain responds to disturbing, or traumatic experiences. For instance, the pre-frontal cortex (brain’s thinking centre) functions less well and the amygdala (brain’s fear centre) is more active.
But while this understanding has been integrated into what we know about trauma, therapy training is stuck using the early models. It’s not uncommon for UK therapists/counsellors to be given limited training on what causes trauma, how it presents, and how best to help clients.
“Because EMDR therapy is grounded in a biological understanding of trauma, it has a built-in model of healing. ”
How EMDR is different
As somebody who trained as a traditional psychotherapist, I’ve since become qualified trauma therapist. And I’ve worked with trauma since I began practising years ago.
But though I witnessed some amazing shifts in the lives of my clients over time, it wasn’t consistent. Progress could be slow, and often clients might be coming to therapy for a year or more.
We’d get stuck a lot because the path to processing the issues that clients struggled with in the present, wasn’t always clear.
Because EMDR therapy is grounded in a biological understanding of trauma, it has a model of healing built into it.
Ability to change: Brain plasticity
Our brains are not fixed. They’re constantly changing, adapting, and forming new connections – even in adulthood. This ability, known as neuroplasticity, is one of the key things that EMDR does.
So, even if an experience ‘wired’ a certain belief or emotional response into us years ago (like “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not safe”), those beliefs aren’t set in stone.
When we engage in bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements), we can unlock the brain’s natural AIP system, telling it to update old memories with present-day understanding and insight.
This creates healing not just through insight, but actual changes in the brain’s wiring.
How does EMDR work?
Like any psychotherapy it’s not clear how exactly EMDR works. There are several theories. Let’s look at two below.
Taxing working memory
EMDR is based on a clever use of working memory – the part of your brain which is holding and processing short-term information.
During EMDR you’re asked to hold a distressing memory in mind while doing something else, like eye movements, tapping, or listening to alternating sounds.
When you recall a memory and hold it in your mind, it uses up space in your working memory. It’s a bit like watching a horror movie while doing arithmetic – what you’re seeing feels less intense because you’re doing something else that’s taxing your memory. Doing two things at once helps your brain process distressing memories in a way that makes them feel less intense and easier to move past.
REM sleep
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is a unique stage of sleep where your brain becomes highly active, almost like it's awake. This is when most dreaming occurs, which plays a role in processing memories and emotions.
During REM, your brain reactivates and replays recent experiences in a way that separates the emotional intensity from the experience itself. Your brain files things away, keeping what’s useful and binning what isn’t.
EMDR therapy mimics REM sleep, especially the eye movements. Just as your brain processes emotions and memories during sleep, you do this while awake using EMDR.
Who can benefit from EMDR?
Many people think EMDR is only useful for PTSD e.g. those who’ve been in combat. That was true when EMDR was invented in the 1980s. But it’s developed loads since then.
There are many experiences – not thought of as ‘traumatic’ – that still shape our lives, providing a blueprint for how we think and behave and cope with stressors like work and relationships, without us even realising it (remember Liam above).
Common issues like anxiety could be rooted in a past event or experience. EMDR therapy helps to discover the experience that’s feeding the anxiety, which can then be processed.
Is EMDR safe?
While EMDR is a safe therapy, it does involve getting in touch with emotions and physical sensations associated with difficult experiences so that you can process them.
But EMDR doesn’t cause the symptoms of trauma because these are caused by the unprocessed experiences that continue to be triggered, causing issues like flashbacks, nightmares and dissociation.
But proper preparation is crucial for client safety. I work to help my clients tolerate emotions enough to make processing safe. I also help them to develop dual awareness: one foot in the past and one in the present.
Final thoughts
I hope you found this blog informative and helpful in shedding some light on what EMDR is (and isn’t), how it works and how, as well as who, it can help.
EMDR therapy does seem a bit strange at first. But as a trauma therapist I’ve found it to be the missing jigsaw piece for my practice, as I’ve seen how helpful it’s been for my own clients.
By tapping into the brain’s natural capacity to process and adapt, EMDR therapy helps you to move past the impacts of old experiences and shift unhelpful beliefs.
If you’re curious about how EMDR might help you, feel free to get in touch or book a consultation – I’m happy to answer questions and explore whether it’s the right fit for you.