What is EMDR Therapy – and Why Are So Many People Talking About It?

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) might sound like a mouthful, but it's

EMDR is an effective treatment for a range of mental health concerns.

quickly becoming one of the most talked-about and effective therapies for healing from trauma — and a whole lot more.

Originally developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), EMDR is now being recognised as a powerful treatment for depression, anxiety, phobias, addiction, and even obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In fact, the Australian Psychological Society’s 2024 guide to evidence-based therapies gave EMDR a “Level 1” rating — the highest possible — for its effectiveness in treating PTSD, complex PTSD, phobias, and depression.

But what actually is EMDR — and how does it work?

At the heart of EMDR is something called bilateral stimulation. This usually involves guiding your eyes to move back and forth — left to right — while you focus on a painful memory or emotion. Sometimes, instead of eye movements, it might be tapping or gentle buzzers in your hands that alternate left and right. It sounds a bit unusual at first, but the results can be surprisingly powerful.

This discovery was actually made by accident in the late 1980s by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro. She noticed that certain types of eye movements seemed to lessen the emotional charge of upsetting memories. Since then, decades of research have helped explain why EMDR works — though there are still some mysteries.

The science behind the healing

One theory that helps explain EMDR is called the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. In simple terms, our brains usually do a pretty good job of working through difficult experiences — we think about them, dream about them, talk them over, and eventually come to some kind of understanding or peace. But when something traumatic happens, that natural processing system can get disrupted — like a computer program that crashes before saving your progress. The memory gets stuck, unprocessed and raw, locked in the brain with all the original fear, pain, or shame attached.

Memories from childhood may come up during an EMDR session.

EMDR appears to "unlock" those stuck memories and help the brain process them properly. One way it does this is by occupying the brain’s working memory (the part we use to juggle thoughts and focus). When that system is “busy” with eye movements or tapping, the brain can’t recall the memory in full force — which helps to take the emotional edge off it. Over time, the memory becomes less vivid and less painful.

So what does that mean for you?

The good news is: you don’t have to fully understand the neuroscience for EMDR to work. That’s your therapist’s job! What you need to know is that EMDR has helped countless people find relief from distressing symptoms — sometimes more quickly than they ever expected.

Clients often say the process feels surprisingly different from other therapies. Some feel lighter, calmer, or more in control even after just a few sessions. For many, it’s a turning point.

If you’re struggling with painful memories, overwhelming anxiety, or emotional patterns that just won’t shift, EMDR might be worth exploring. Reach out to a qualified EMDR therapist to see if it’s the right fit for you.