Although EMDR therapy uses concepts from other therapeutic models, it is different from traditional talk therapy in some notable ways. EMDR is a transformational and metabolic process designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain.

It uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements) that reduce the vividness and emotion associated with traumatic memories and creates new neural pathways in the brain.

EMDR is based on the adaptive information processing (AIP) model, which assumes that trauma is stored and stuck in the neural network of the brain. AIP theory assumes that trauma symptoms are manifestations of stuck or un-integrated memories. Reprocessing of these traumatic memories reduces the associated anxiety and promotes development of new associations with the memories and increases adaptive behaviour.

Because EMDR doesn’t focus on narrative recall like so many traditional talk therapies, people don’t have to talk in great detail about their past traumatic experiences.
They work with their therapist to develop a treatment plan that targets the experiences or events that have contributed to the problem that has brought them to therapy.

There is no requirement to complete homework assignments in between sessions as with some other therapeutic approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and exposure therapies. This is because the work of trauma resolution happens in a supportive environment with the therapist present.

For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.

Sources:

• EMDRIA
• EMDR Europe

“EMDR therapy is extensively researched and widely recognized as effective trauma therapy. EMDR therapy is recognized as evidenced-based treatment for PTSD and other trauma and stressor disorders in treatment guidelines published by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the World Health Organization, and a growing number of national and international organizations. Treatment guidelines are based on reviews that evaluate the research of established evidence-based mental health treatments.”

Source:

• EMDRIA

Therapy is an intensely personal process and because every person has their own unique set of experiences and circumstances the length of time it takes to complete therapy varies from person to person. Typically, EMDR therapy sessions last from 60-90 minutes.

It could take one or several sessions to process one traumatic experience. You and your therapist will develop a unique treatment plan just for you. It’s not uncommon for people to have several memories that require reprocessing.

The EMDR International Association explains it this way:

“The goal of EMDR therapy is to process completely the traumatic experiences that are causing problems and to include new ones that are needed for full health. The amount of time it will take to complete EMDR treatment for traumatic experiences will depend upon the history of the client. Complete treatment of a single EMDR trauma target involves a three-pronged protocol to alleviate the symptoms and address the complete clinical picture. The three prongs include:

• past memories
• present disturbance
• future actions

Although EMDR therapy may produce results more rapidly than other forms of therapy, speed is not the goal of therapy and it is important to remember that every client has different needs.”

Research conducted on the effectiveness of delivering EMDR virtually suggests that good clinical outcomes are being achieved. Much of this research evolved from the switch to online therapy that was necessitated during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The literature conveys that EMDR delivered in an online format can be an effective treatment for children, youth and adults experiencing mental health issues. Check out this 2-Minute Medicine article ‘Online Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy may improve mental health’

Additional research about the delivery of virtual EMDR:

Bates, A., Rushbrook, S., Shapiro, E., Grocott, M., & Cusack, R. (2020). CovEMERALD: Assessing the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of remotely delivered eye movement desensitization and reprocessing following Covid-19 related critical illness: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BioMedCentral, 21: 929. Open Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04805-1

Bongaerts, H. Voorendonk, E. M., van Minnen, A., & de Jongh, A. (2021). Safety and effectiveness of intensive treatment for complex PTSD delivered via home-based telehealth. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1860346. Open access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1860346

Fisher, N. (2021). Using EMDR therapy to treat clients remotely. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 15(1), 73-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1891EMDR-D-20-00041

Lenferink, L. I. M., Meyerbroker, K., & Boelen, P. A. (2020). PTSD treatment in times of COVID-19: A systematic review of the effects of online EMDR. Psychiatry Research, 293:113438. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113438

McGowan, I. W., Fisher, N., Havens, J., & Proudlock, S. (2021). An evaluation of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy delivered remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. BMC Psychiatry, 21, 560. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03571-x

Spence, J., Titov, N., Johnson, L., Dear, B. F., Wootton, B., Terides, M., & Zou, J. (2013). Internet-delivered eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (iEMDR): An open trial [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]. F1000 Research, 2:79. Open access: https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.2-79.v2

Tarquinio, C., Brennstuhl, M., Rydberg, J. A., Bassan, F., Peter, L., Tarquinio, C. L., Auxemery, Y., Rotonda, C., & Tarquinio, P. (2020). EMDR in telemental health counseling for healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients: A pilot study. Issues in Mental Health Nursing published online. Open access: https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2020.1818014

Winkler, O., Dhaliwal, R., Greenwhaw, A., O’Shea, K., Abba-Aji, A., Chima, C., Purdon, S. E., & Burback, L. (2021). Web-based eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for adults with suicidal ideation: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 10(11): e30711. Open access: https://doi.org/10.2196/30711