EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured trauma therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds) while the person processes traumatic material. It is not about talking about the trauma: it is about processing it in the nervous system until it loses its disturbing emotional charge.
Concept origin
Francine Shapiro accidentally discovered the effect in 1987 and developed the 8-phase protocol. WHO and major international clinical guidelines recognize it as a first-line treatment for PTSD. The exact mechanisms are still debated: the most accepted hypothesis is that bilateral stimulation facilitates adaptive information processing similar to REM sleep.
Therapeutic approach
The standard 8-phase protocol includes: history taking, preparation, assessment (identifying image, negative cognition, emotion, and body sensation of the trauma), desensitization with sets of bilateral stimulation, installation of positive cognition, body scan, closure, and re-evaluation in the next session.
Related concepts
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