The Science Behind EMDR: How does it work?

May 3

History of EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a groundbreaking psychological treatment that was developed in the late 1980s by Francine Shapiro. Francine Shapiro was on a walk while thinking of distressing memories. During this walk through a park, she noticed that there was a relationship with the bilateral movement with her eyes while thinking of those distressing memories and started her research! Crazy story? Right?

EMDR was originally designed to help individuals cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), EMDR has since evolved into a widely used and evidence-based method for processing trauma and emotional distress. But how does it work? Let’s dive into the nueroscience and how it helps rewire the brain. Brain work out anyone?

How does EMDR work?

EMDR is based on a 8 phase treatment approach that includes:

1.) History taking

2.) Preparation

3.) Assessment

4.) Desensitization

5.) Installation

6.) Body Scan

7.) Closure

8.) Reevaluation

This process allows the brain to reprocess memories and/or negative cognitions to decrease an emotional “charge”—for example: being able to get into a car after a car accident without feeling anxious.

The Nueroscience of EMDR Explained

1. Memory Storage and Trauma

Trauma or adverse life events affect how memories are stored in the brain. When someone experiences a traumatic or adverse event, the memory may get "stuck" in the amygdala (the brain’s fear center), rather than being properly processed and integrated into long-term memory via the hippocampus.

2. Bilateral Stimulation and Brain Activity

Research using fMRI scans shows that EMDR’s bilateral stimulation activates both hemispheres of the brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational thinking and emotional regulation (thinking brain!). This process appears to:

Reduce activity in the amygdala (decreasing fear response)
Enhance communication between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex- WOO! Brain team work!
Promote adaptive memory reconsolidation (altering a previously stored memory; more specifically- opening a past memory and changing its emotional state, then saving it again)