About EMDR Therapy

This page is written for clinicians evaluating EMDR as a treatment approach, not for clients researching therapy for themselves. If you’re a client, your therapist is the right person to explain how EMDR might apply to your care.

What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured psychotherapy approach developed by Francine Shapiro. Rather than requiring extensive verbal description of a disturbing event, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, typically guided eye movements, alternating taps, or audio tones, while a client briefly focuses on a targeted memory. The aim is to help the brain complete the processing of memories that have become “stuck” in a way that keeps producing present-day symptoms.