EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a structured psychotherapy that diminishes emotional distress by helping the brain reprocess traumatic memories. The process involves using bilateral stimulation, typically guided eye movements, while a client briefly focuses on a disturbing memory. While EMDR was originally created to help with PTSD, it is now used to treat many different symptoms.
What EMDR Therapy Is and Why It Was Developed?
EMDR was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, after she noticed that bilateral eye movements seemed to reduce the emotional charge of a distressing memory. That observation grew into a full eight-phase protocol based on the adaptive information processing (AIP) model. The AIP model is based on the idea that the brain has a natural system for processing experiences into memory, and that trauma disrupts this system such that a memory gets stored with the intensity of its original distress and does not diminish over time.
Something that makes EMDR unique is that it can be effective without describing the event in detail again and again. It works well for clients who find that their memories are too painful to describe and narrate. Bilateral stimulation, whether through eye movements or tapping, appears to support the brain’s natural processing system, without needing to talk through the memory.
EMDR is one of the most researched trauma treatments we have. It often works well with talk therapy, and many therapists who practice EMDR are also trained in psychodynamic or relationally focused approaches. At our office in Washington DC, we combine talk therapy and EMDR.
Often people looking for EMDR therapy in Washington, DC want to understand how EMDR works before booking a first session. You can expect this type of trauma therapy to follow eight phases:
The Eight EMDR Phases
The EMDR phases follow a consistent, clinically supervised structure:
- History-taking. The therapist and client discuss client’s background and together identify goals for EMDR.
- Stabilization. The client builds internal resources and coping tools before any traumatic material is addressed directly.
- Assessment. A specific target memory and its attached negative belief are identified.
- Desensitization. Sets of bilateral stimulation are used while the client notices whatever thoughts, images, or body sensations arise when recalling the memory.
- Installation. A more adaptive belief is strengthened in place of the prior negative belief.
- Body scan. The client checks for any remaining physical tension connected to the memory.
- Closure. Every session ends with a deliberate check that the client is regulated before leaving the room, even if the memory has not been fully reprocessed yet.
- Reevaluation. The next session opens by revisiting what settled and what did not, which is how a therapist tracks whether the process is working for that memory network.
This structure matters because the process is not simply “watching a light and feeling better.” It is paced, and stabilization always comes before reprocessing, particularly for clients working through relationship trauma or childhood wounds that involve more than one memory network.
What EMDR Can Help With and What a Session Feels Like
This treatment is best documented for PTSD, but it is also used for anxiety, panic, complex trauma from childhood, and relationship trauma where a client’s reactions in the present are heightened. A client with complex trauma, for instance, might not have one clear traumatic event to target. Instead, this work often addresses a cluster of related memories, moving from smaller or more recent incidents toward larger or earlier ones once stabilization is solid. For many clients in Washington, DC who manage demanding careers alongside unresolved trauma, the structure of EMDR helps to decrease emotional charge associated with trauma directly, efficiently, and safely.
In a reprocessing session, a client briefly holds a target memory in mind alongside the negative belief connected to it, and follows a set of eye movements or taps for a short interval before pausing to report what came up.
It is also common for a session to surface something unexpected. A client targeting one specific memory may find that an earlier, related memory comes up unprompted during reprocessing. Since the brain tends to link memories that share emotional themes. A trained clinician follows that thread rather than forcing the session back to the original target, which is one reason this kind of trauma work benefits from a therapist who also understands the client’s broader relational history, not just the isolated symptom.
Clients sometimes ask whether this work can be done entirely by telehealth. For many, yes: eye movements can be guided visually on screen, and tapping or tactile alternatives work well when a client is at home rather than in an office. What matters more than the delivery method is a stable, quiet, private setting, without interruptions.
Common Misconceptions and What to Expect Going In
A common misconception is that EMDR is only for people who survived a single catastrophic event. Many clients have success in EMDR therapy for longer-term complex or relational trauma.
A second misconception is that EMDR works instantly. While EMDR is highly effective and works quickly as compared to other trauma treatment methods. The reality is that the setup for EMDR can take several sessions. Part of EMDR preparation is building strong rapport and feeling safe with your clinician, which may take a few sessions to establish. The most significant predictor of success in any therapy modality is the strength and quality of the therapist-patient relationship, which is especially important while working through difficult material in EMDR.
A third misconception is that EMDR looks the same for everyone. While EMDR is a highly structured type of therapy, the treatment is personalized to fit each patient. Some people assume that if a memory or symptom does not quickly resolve in a few sessions, treatment has failed. This is completely normal, and is usually a sign that there are earlier memories or beliefs that need to be addressed first. Something we say often in EMDR treatment is that there are no “supposed to”s in EMDR.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does EMDR work?
The bilateral stimulation engages the brain’s natural information-processing system, which decreases distress associated with a traumatic memory.
Does EMDR work well with talk therapy?
Yes! Talk therapy and EMDR work well together, and often talk therapy is a part of EMDR setup.
How many sessions does EMDR take to work?
There is no set number. This depends on a number of factors including the type of trauma, intensity of traumatic memories, and other individual differences.
Where can I find an EMDR therapist in Washington, DC?
EMDR therapy in Washington, DC is available with Emma Weissfeld, LICSW, in person or by telehealth.