If you've been to a therapist's office in the past few years, there's a good chance you've heard of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, therapy. Most commonly used for treating long-standing and acute traumas, EMDR is also being shown to of . A growing body of studies shows that EMDR can be used to , such as , specific phobias and anxiety that occur alongside symptoms stemming from a trauma.
More studies are needed, but results so far are encouraging. who was trained in EMDR in 2018. Since then, I have consistently used this approach with dozens of clients to work through trauma and deeply held negative core beliefs.
EMDR versus traditional therapy Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing was after she discovered that moving her eyes from her left foot to her right as she walked—in other words, tracking her feet with each step—resulted in lower levels of negative emotions connected with difficult memories, both from the more recent frustrations of the day and deeper events from her past. Conventional treatments, such as or dialectical behavioral therapy, rely on extensive verbal processing to address a client's symptoms and struggles. Such therapy may take months or even years.
Depending on the trauma, EMDR can take months or years too—but generally, much . It is effective for both adults and children, and can be done remotely. EMDR has the capacity to work faster by targeting and emotions in combination with what is called —that is, the use o.