How Does EMDR Actually Work? (And No, It's Not Hypnosis)

So your therapist tells you about EMDR.

They explain that you'll think about something difficult while moving your eyes back and forth or doing some form of alternating tapping.

And perhaps your first thought is:

I'm sorry...I'm going to do what?

Fair.

EMDR can sound a little unusual if you've never experienced it before.

Maybe you've seen videos of therapists moving their fingers back and forth. Maybe someone told you EMDR "rewires your brain." Maybe you've heard that it works incredibly fast.

Or maybe you're wondering whether someone is about to hypnotize you and make you reveal your deepest secrets.

Let's clear some things up.

First: What Does EMDR Stand For?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

It's a structured form of psychotherapy that was originally developed to treat distress associated with traumatic memories.

Today, EMDR is commonly associated with the treatment of PTSD and trauma, and therapists may also incorporate it when working with other concerns depending on the individual and their treatment needs.

And despite the name, EMDR isn't simply:

Bad memory + move eyes = fixed.

There's an actual therapeutic process around it.

So...What Are the Eye Movements Doing?

During parts of EMDR, you'll briefly focus on aspects of a distressing experience while engaging in what's called bilateral stimulation.

That simply means stimulation that alternates from one side to the other.

It might involve following something with your eyes from left to right.

It might involve alternating taps.

There are other methods as well.

Researchers have proposed different explanations for exactly why EMDR works, and the precise mechanisms are still being studied. One theory involves the way working memory is taxed when you hold a distressing memory in mind while simultaneously doing another task, such as following eye movements.

But you don't need to understand the neuroscience before you can participate in EMDR.

In the same way that you don't need to understand your car's transmission before you're allowed to drive to Target.

What Are We Actually Trying to Change?

Let's say something frightening happened to you years ago.

You know it's over.

But when something reminds you of it, your body reacts.

Your heart races.

Your chest tightens.

Maybe you freeze.

Maybe an image pops into your head.

Maybe a belief comes with it:

I'm not safe.

It was my fault.

I can't trust anyone.

I'm powerless.

The memory isn't necessarily sitting quietly in your mental filing cabinet labeled:

UNPLEASANT THING THAT HAPPENED IN 2014.

It may still carry a lot of the emotion, physical sensations, or beliefs that were present when the experience occurred.

EMDR is designed to help the brain process that experience so the memory can become less distressing and those old reactions or beliefs may begin to shift.

The goal isn't to erase what happened.

It's to help the memory feel more like something that happened rather than something you're still experiencing.

Am I Going to Be Hypnotized?

No.

You remain awake and aware during EMDR.

You know where you are.

You can speak.

You can ask questions.

You can pause.

You can stop.

You aren't giving up control of your mind, and your therapist isn't putting thoughts into your head.

Also, unfortunately, I cannot snap my fingers and make you suddenly enjoy folding laundry.

If only.

Do I Have to Tell You Every Detail?

Not necessarily.

This is one aspect of EMDR that can be appealing to people who don't want to repeatedly describe a painful experience in great detail.

Your therapist needs enough information to understand what you're working on and to guide the process appropriately, but you don't necessarily have to provide a detailed play-by-play of everything that happened.

There may be parts of the experience you choose to keep private.

EMDR can still involve difficult emotions, memories, or sensations, but it doesn't depend entirely on your ability - or willingness - to narrate every detail aloud.

Do We Just Jump Straight Into the Worst Memory?

No.

EMDR is not:

"Hi, nice to meet you. What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you? Great, let's start there."

Please no.

EMDR has multiple phases, and preparation is part of the process.

Before reprocessing traumatic memories, your therapist will spend time getting to know you, understanding your history and current concerns, identifying what you want to work on, and assessing whether EMDR is appropriate for you.

You'll also discuss what to expect and develop ways to manage distress that may arise during or between sessions.

Sometimes preparation takes a relatively short amount of time.

Sometimes it takes longer.

There's no prize for getting to the trauma processing fastest.

What Happens While We're Processing a Memory?

When you're ready to work with a particular memory, your therapist will help you identify different parts of the experience - such as an image, belief about yourself, emotion, and physical sensation associated with it.

You'll then briefly focus on aspects of that experience while engaging in bilateral stimulation.

After a set, your therapist may ask something simple like:

"What do you notice?"

And then you report whatever is there.

Maybe another memory comes up.

Maybe an emotion changes.

Maybe you notice something in your body.

Maybe your perspective shifts.

Maybe you think:

I have absolutely no idea what I'm supposed to be noticing.

That's okay too.

You don't have to manufacture the "right" response.

The therapist helps guide the process rather than telling you what you're supposed to think or feel.

Will One EMDR Session Fix Everything?

Probably not.

There are stories online about people experiencing significant changes in a small number of EMDR sessions, and some people do notice meaningful shifts relatively quickly.

But there is no universal timeline.

A single, clearly defined traumatic event may be very different from years of repeated experiences, childhood trauma, complicated relationships, or multiple traumatic events.

Treatment depends on the person - not a predetermined number of sessions.

EMDR is a therapy, not an emotional pressure washer.

What Does Successful EMDR Feel Like?

It's not necessarily that you suddenly feel wonderful about something terrible that happened.

You aren't trying to turn:

That was terrifying.

into:

Actually, what a delightful experience.

The facts don't change.

What can change is how much distress the memory carries and how your brain and body respond when you remember it.

You may still think:

I wish that never happened.

But perhaps you can think about it without your heart pounding.

Maybe the belief "It was my fault" begins to feel less true.

Maybe a reminder doesn't hijack the rest of your day.

Maybe you can remember what happened while also feeling firmly aware:

I'm here now.

EMDR Isn't Magic - And It Doesn't Need to Be

EMDR can sometimes get talked about as though it's either a miracle cure or something vaguely mystical involving eye movements.

It isn't either of those things.

It's a structured psychotherapy approach with an established evidence base for PTSD, and research continues into how and why its different components contribute to treatment.

It also isn't right for every person or every situation.

A good EMDR therapist isn't trying to convince you that EMDR is the answer to absolutely everything.

The question is whether it's an appropriate approach for you and what you're hoping to work through.

And if you've heard about EMDR but thought:

That sounds kind of weird.

You're allowed to think that.

You can be skeptical.

You can ask questions.

You can understand what you're agreeing to before you do it.

And no -

Nobody is hypnotizing you.