What Is EMDR Therapy and How Does It Actually Work? A Plain-Language Guide for Long Beach Clients

EMDR is one of those therapy terms that people encounter increasingly often in conversations about trauma treatment, in recommendations from doctors or therapists, and in articles about mental health. But most people cannot explain in plain terms when asked. 

What does it actually stand for? What happens in an EMDR session? Is it effective, or is it one of those approaches that sounds more scientific than it is? And most practically: is it something that might help you, or someone you care about, with whatever you are carrying right now?

At Sano Counseling, we offer EMDR therapy to clients in the Long Beach area as part of a trauma-informed approach to counseling. This is a plain-language guide to what EMDR is, what the research says about it, and what to expect if you decide to pursue it.

What EMDR Stands For and Where It Came From

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, initially as an approach to treating post-traumatic stress.

The foundational observation behind its development was that certain types of bilateral stimulation, most commonly back-and-forth eye movements, but also alternating taps or sounds, appeared to help people process distressing memories in a way that reduced their emotional intensity without requiring the person to talk through the experience in exhaustive detail. 

Over the subsequent decades, EMDR has been extensively studied, refined, and validated across a wide range of trauma presentations and, more recently, other clinical conditions.

What the Research Actually Shows

EMDR’s evidence base is now substantial and consistent. The American Psychological Association recognizes EMDR as a conditionally recommended treatment for PTSD, placing it alongside cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure as the primary evidence-based approaches for trauma. 

The World Health Organization includes EMDR in its clinical guidelines for treating PTSD in adults and children. Multiple meta-analyses (studies that aggregate the results of many individual clinical trials) have found EMDR to be effective at reducing PTSD symptoms, often achieving results comparable to other evidence-based trauma treatments and frequently doing so in fewer sessions.

Beyond PTSD, research has examined EMDR’s application to depression, anxiety disorders, grief, phobias, chronic pain, and other conditions where distressing memories or experiences play a contributing role. 

The evidence base for these applications is less established than for PTSD, but clinical experience and emerging research suggest meaningful potential.

What Actually Happens in an EMDR Session

An EMDR treatment course begins with preparation. The therapist spends time building a working relationship with the client, gathering history, explaining the process, and developing coping resources that the client can use to manage distress both during and between sessions. This preparation phase is particularly important and should not be rushed.

The processing phase of EMDR involves the client focusing on a specific distressing memory or experience while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation. The focus includes holding the memory in mind, including the images, thoughts, bodily sensations, and emotions associated with it. 

In most clinical settings, this means following the therapist’s moving fingers with their eyes while remaining focused on the memory. The client is then asked to notice what comes up in terms of thoughts, feelings, images, sensations, and the process continues in short sets of bilateral stimulation alternating with brief pauses for the client to report what they are noticing. The therapist guides the process but does not direct what the client processes or experiences.

What clients consistently report is that with repeated sets of bilateral stimulation, the emotional intensity associated with the memory begins to reduce. Memories that felt overwhelming and present-tense begin to feel more like memories of something that happened rather than experiences that are still happening. 

Associated beliefs about oneself that may look like I am in danger, I am powerless, I am at fault, begin to shift toward more adaptive perspectives. The goal is not to forget the experience but to change the way it is stored and accessed in the nervous system, so that it no longer produces the same level of involuntary distress.

Is EMDR Right for You?

EMDR is not the right approach for every client or every presenting concern. It requires a sufficient degree of stabilization before trauma processing work can begin, and it is not appropriate for clients who are in acute crisis or who lack the window of tolerance to engage with distressing material in a contained way. 

A qualified therapist will assess whether EMDR is appropriate for your specific situation and goals. 

Our counseling services at Sano Counseling include EMDR and other evidence-based approaches to trauma, anxiety, and related concerns for Long Beach-area clients. 

Contact Sano Counseling today to schedule a consultation and learn whether EMDR might be part of your path forward.