What Is EMDR Therapy? Plain-English Guide

What EMDR is

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy developed in the late 1980s by Francine Shapiro for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It uses bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements, but sometimes alternating sounds or taps — while you briefly recall a distressing memory. The mechanism is debated, but the outcome is consistent: many patients report that the memory loses its emotional charge after several sessions.

What EMDR looks like in practice

A typical EMDR course is 8–12 sessions of 60–90 minutes each. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to verbally recount the trauma in detail. Instead, you identify a target memory, hold it briefly in mind while following the clinician's guided bilateral stimulation, and observe what comes up. The clinician helps you process whatever surfaces — thoughts, sensations, emotions, new perspectives.

The early sessions focus on history-taking, building coping skills, and identifying targets. The active processing phase begins once you have safety strategies in place.

What EMDR treats well

EMDR has the strongest evidence base of any therapy for PTSD specifically. It's also used for complex trauma, performance anxiety, postpartum birth trauma, and other anxiety-spectrum conditions where memory reprocessing is helpful.

The American Psychological Association includes EMDR in its first-line evidence-based treatments for PTSD. The World Health Organization endorses it for trauma. The Department of Veterans Affairs uses it as a primary treatment for combat-related PTSD.

Finding an EMDR-certified therapist in NJ

Look for "EMDRIA-certified" — that's the credential awarded by the EMDR International Association after additional training and supervised practice beyond the basic EMDR coursework. Not every therapist who says they "do EMDR" has gone through certification; the certification is meaningful.

At Positive Reset Eatontown, Lisa Patel, LCSW is EMDRIA-certified and treats trauma, PTSD, and postpartum birth trauma using EMDR. We accept NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid) and most major commercial insurance for therapy. To verify your coverage and book a first visit, call (732) 724-1234 or use the lookup form on our insurance page.