What Is EMDR? A Guide to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

If you've been researching ways to heal from a difficult or traumatic experience, you may have come across EMDR therapy. It's become one of the more widely recognized trauma treatments in recent years, but what actually happens in a session, and how does it work?

Here's a breakdown of what EMDR is, how bilateral stimulation works, what a virtual session looks like, and what the research says about its effectiveness.

What Is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a specific type of therapy designed to help people heal from traumatic experiences.

Rather than relying primarily on talking through an experience in detail, EMDR uses bilateral (side-to-side) stimulation to help someone safely process traumatic memories. This approach has been recognized by major global health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

How Bilateral Stimulation Works

Bilateral stimulation is at the core of EMDR. It involves creating alternating stimulation on each side of the body, and there are a few different ways therapists deliver it:

• Light bar or video: During in-person sessions, you might follow a light as it moves left to right across a screen or bar.

• Handheld devices: Some therapists use handheld devices that vibrate on each side in sync with the light, sometimes paired with earbuds that produce alternating sound.

• Tapping: Others use tapping instead of handheld devices, guiding your eyes from side to side with their fingers, or having you cross your arms over your chest and tap each shoulder alternately.

Fun fact: walking is technically a form of bilateral stimulation too, since it naturally engages alternating sides of the body.

How Virtual EMDR Works

EMDR isn't limited to in-person sessions. It can also be done virtually, following the same core process just adapted for a remote setting. Instead of a light bar, a therapist may use specialized software to guide bilateral stimulation. Instead of alternating taps from a therapist, you might wear headphones for alternating audio tones or be walked through a self-tapping technique.

Before diving into EMDR itself, you and your therapist will discuss your treatment plan and goals together. They'll also walk you through how they conduct sessions and help you decide what to work through first.

What Can EMDR Help With?

EMDR is used to support people working through a wide range of challenges, including:

• Anxiety

• Chronic illness

• Depression

• Grief and loss

• Pain

• Performance anxiety

• PTSD

• Addiction

What does the research say? A 2025 study of 279 veterans with PTSD compared the effectiveness of in-person versus virtual EMDR. Both groups experienced significant improvements in PTSD and depression symptoms, suggesting virtual EMDR can be just as effective as sitting across from a therapist in person.

Fairbanks CLD, Penix-Smith EA, Glitsos SC, Keener KD, Giorgio JM, Poulos KH, Albinson LF, Baker CE, McGuirl CA, Wisniewski SP. A multisite retrospective review exploring the delivery of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to veterans via telehealth (TH) versus in person (IP). Psychol Trauma. 2026 Mar;18(3):659-670. doi: 10.1037/tra0001917. Epub 2025 May 26. PMID: 40424141.

Ready to Try EMDR?

Virtual EMDR offers the same effective, evidence-based approach as in-person sessions, from the comfort of your own space. With virtual therapy at Serenity Place, support comes to you.

We currently have availability for virtual EMDR in Maryland and Texas. Contact us today to get started!