What is EMDR? Trauma therapy explained simply
Eye movements that defuse distressing memories? What sounds unusual at first is now one of the most extensively researched treatments for the effects of trauma.
An accident, an assault, a sudden loss: some experiences stay with people long afterwards. Images intrude, the body reacts with a racing heart, situations are avoided. EMDR was developed for exactly these consequences – a psychotherapy that is now used worldwide and recommended by the World Health Organization.
What does EMDR stand for?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It was developed in the late 1980s by the American psychologist Francine Shapiro. Its hallmark is bilateral stimulation: while thinking of a distressing memory, the client follows the therapist's hand moving rhythmically back and forth.
How does EMDR work?
The basic assumption is that very distressing experiences are sometimes not processed like ordinary memories. EMDR aims to restart natural processing so that the memory can be stored as something that is over. Why eye movements help is not fully understood; the working memory hypothesis is one well-studied explanation.
Who is EMDR suitable for?
The evidence is strongest for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults, children and adolescents. Whether EMDR is right in an individual case is decided together with a qualified psychotherapist.
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