About EMDR therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a method of psychotherapy that has gained the greatest popularity due to its effectiveness in reducing the intensity of traumatic memories and emotional reactions. Although there is mixed information about the source of this approach, Francine Shapiro (late 1980s) is usually considered to be the originator of EMDR therapy.
The working principle of EMDR therapy is based on bilateral stimulation - although EMDR therapy is best known for directing eye movements, stimulation can also be performed using tapping or sounds. The goal of this stimulation is to make it easier for the brain to process emotionally intense experiences (such as traumatic memories). Although there is agreement among scientists about whether EMDR therapy works, exactly how EMDR works is still debated. Some researchers in this field believe that bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements) is tiring for the human mind at the time of recalling intense memories, which reduces their intensity and allows the brain to process and integrate them more adequately. In other words, they believe that EMDR therapy "disrupts" the normal processes of traumatic memories, causing them to lose their significance. Another explanation for the effectiveness of EMDR therapy is based on the idea that we can arouse certain emotions with body movements. That is, another part of researchers believes that paying attention to bilateral stimulation arouses the organism and puts it in a state of alertness (which also means that part of the resources are spent on monitoring the current situation that it assesses as dangerous). In addition to the fact that the recall of the traumatic memory is weakened again under such conditions, the orientation reflex (arousal due to stimulation by new stimuli) weakens over time and relaxation occurs, which our mind then associates with the traumatic memory. Since trauma and relaxation are contradictory, the traumatic memory loses its significance.
EMDR therapy has been shown through previous research to be particularly effective in alleviating the negative consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, phobias and other conditions related to trauma. You can find more about the effectiveness of EMDR at: