When the Past Feels Present: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related problems. It helps people work with distressing memories and the thoughts, feelings and body reactions linked to them.

After a frightening experience, knowing it's over doesn't always stop reminders from feeling real. A sound, place or sensation can bring back fear before you've had time to make sense of it. EMDR aims to reduce the distress attached to those memories, so they have less hold on daily life and feel more like the past.

Where did EMDR come from?

EMDR was developed in the late 1980s by American psychologist Francine Shapiro. She noticed that upsetting thoughts seemed to lose their intensity when her eyes moved quickly from side to side. She built this into a structured, eight-phase therapy. EMDR has since been tested in many trials and is included in international guidelines for PTSD.

What happens in EMDR?

EMDR follows clear steps. It is much more than an eye-movement exercise:

• History and planning: understanding your history, current problems and goals, and choosing memories to work on.
• Preparation: explaining how therapy works and practising ways to settle yourself, such as grounding or imagining a calm place.
• Assessment: identifying an image, a negative belief (such as "I'm not safe"), the belief you'd prefer, and the emotions and body sensations linked to the memory.
• Processing: briefly bringing the memory to mind while following side-to-side movements, sounds or tapping, then noticing what comes up.
• Strengthening: building up the preferred belief and checking for any remaining tension in your body.
• Closing and review: ending each session feeling settled, and checking progress next time.

Your psychologist checks in with you between short sets and adjusts the work. You usually don't need to describe every detail of what happened, which many people find helpful. But processing can still bring up strong feelings, so you can pause at any time and work at a pace that feels manageable.

How does EMDR work?

This is still debated. One idea is that traumatic memories are stored in a raw, unprocessed way. EMDR may help the brain link them with other information so they become less vivid. Another idea is that holding a memory in mind while following eye movements overloads your "working memory". This makes the memory less vivid and intense. Some researchers argue the key ingredient is simply facing the memory, as in other trauma therapies.

The US National Center for PTSD notes that research hasn't settled whether the eye movements themselves are essential. A treatment can work even when we don't fully know why.

What does the research show?

A 2025 review found that EMDR reduced PTSD symptoms in adults compared with waiting lists or usual care. Most of the trials were small and had some risk of bias, so the exact size of the benefit is uncertain. A 2020 review of 114 trials found strong support for both trauma-focused CBT and EMDR for adults with PTSD.

Guidelines from NICE in the UK and Phoenix Australia recommend EMDR for PTSD, alongside trauma-focused CBT. Research hasn't shown that EMDR is clearly better than these other approaches. The right choice depends on your history, symptoms and preferences.

The evidence is strongest for PTSD. EMDR is also used for anxiety, depression, phobias and other problems linked to distressing memories. However, the evidence for these uses is weaker.

Who might EMDR suit?

EMDR may suit people with PTSD or distressing memories of specific events, especially those who would rather not describe what happened in detail. Some people, including those with complex trauma, dissociation or a current crisis, may need a longer preparation phase or a different approach first. A careful assessment helps decide whether, and when, EMDR is a good fit.

Common questions

Is EMDR hypnosis?

No. You stay awake, aware and in control the whole time. You can stop whenever you want, and you'll remember what happens in the session.

Will I have to relive the trauma?

EMDR does involve briefly bringing a memory to mind, which can be uncomfortable. But you focus on it for short periods, with regular check-ins. You aren't usually asked to describe it in detail. The preparation phase makes sure you have ways to settle yourself first.

Can EMDR help me remember things I've forgotten?

No. EMDR works with what you do remember, including images, feelings, beliefs and body sensations. It is not a way to recover lost memories. A good therapist will never suggest events you don't recall.

How will you know it's helping?

Helpful changes might include memories feeling less overwhelming, fewer nightmares or flashbacks, less avoidance and more freedom to do things that matter. The aim is not to erase your history, or to make a harmful experience seem acceptable.

Your psychologist should talk with you about what progress would look like, and check it over time. Treatment for a single event may take relatively few sessions. Several difficult experiences, or other needs, usually mean a longer course. Memories, dreams or feelings may keep shifting between sessions. Your psychologist can help you plan for this.

Finding a starting point

You don't have to choose a treatment before asking for help. A first appointment can focus on what's happening now, how it affects your life and what would help you feel ready. It's fine to ask a psychologist about their EMDR training and experience. You can also read about understanding trauma.

Getting support at Invision Psychology

Our psychologists offer EMDR at our clinics in Rockhampton (2/72 Bolsover Street) and Yeppoon (3/26 James Street), and by telehealth for people across Central Queensland and beyond.

• You don't need to know which therapy you want. Your first appointment is a chance to talk about what's happening and what you'd like to change.
• Medicare: with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, you may be able to claim a Medicare rebate for up to 10 sessions each calendar year. See our fees.
• NDIS: we work with self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants.

Make an enquiry or call 07 5641 4888.

If you need help now

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000. For 24/7 support:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
• 13YARN (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people): 13 92 76
• Kids Helpline (ages 5–25): 1800 55 1800

An appointment enquiry is not an emergency service.

About the author

Alex Parkes BPsychSci, GradDipPsych, MPsych, MAAPi
Founder and Principal Psychologist, Invision Psychology. Level 1 trained Internal Family Systems practitioner.

Published September 2026 · Last reviewed September 2026 · Next review due September 2027

This article gives general information based on published research. It is not a substitute for personalised advice from a qualified health professional.

References and further reading

• Simpson et al. (2025). Clinical and cost-effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for treatment and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychology.
• Lewis, C., et al. (2020). Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology.
• National Center for PTSD. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD.
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Post-traumatic stress disorder (NG116).
• Phoenix Australia. Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
• Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
• van den Hout, M. A., & Engelhard, I. M. (2012). How does EMDR work? Journal of Experimental Psychopathology.