Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy designed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was devised by Francine Shapiro in 1987.

EMDR involves talking about traumatic memories while engaging in side-to-side eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation. It is also used for some other psychological conditions.

EMDR is recommended for the treatment of PTSD by various government and medical bodies citing varying levels of evidence, including the World Health Organization, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, and the US Departments of Veteran Affairs and Defense. The American Psychological Association does not endorse EMDR as a first-line treatment, but indicates that it is probably effective for treating adult PTSD.

Systematic analyses published since 2013 generally indicate that EMDR treatment efficacy for adults with PTSD is equivalent to trauma-focused cognitive and behavioral therapies (TF-CBT), such as Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). However, bilateral stimulation does not contribute substantially, if at all, to treatment effectiveness. The predominant therapeutic factors in EMDR and TF-CBT are exposure and various components of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Because eye movements and other bilateral stimulation techniques do not uniquely contribute to EMDR treatment efficacy, EMDR has been characterized as a purple hat therapy, i.e., its effectiveness is due to the same therapeutic methods found in other evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD, namely exposure therapy and CBT techniques, without any contribution from its distinctive add-ons.