What is EMDR Therapy?

A comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapy for healing trauma and restoring the capacity for change.
Write your awesome label here.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It is now one of the most extensively researched approaches to trauma treatment in the field, recognized by the World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, and the Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective treatment for PTSD and trauma-related conditions.

But EMDR therapy is more than a trauma protocol.

At its core, EMDR therapy is a comprehensive psychotherapy grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, a framework for understanding how the mind stores experience and why some memories continue to generate distress long after the events themselves have passed.

When a traumatic or highly distressing experience is not fully processed, it remains stored in a way that keeps its original emotions, sensations, and beliefs active in the present.

EMDR therapy works directly with that unprocessed material, helping clients reprocess disturbing memories so they can be integrated as part of the past rather than experienced as ongoing threats.

The result is not simply symptom relief. It is genuine, lasting change in how a person relates to themselves, to others, and to the experiences that shaped them.

How EMDR Therapy Works

EMDR therapy is structured around eight phases, from history-taking and treatment planning through active reprocessing and the installation of adaptive beliefs. What distinguishes it from other trauma approaches is its use of bilateral stimulation, most commonly eye movements, though tapping and auditory tones are also used, to facilitate the reprocessing of disturbing memories while the client maintains dual awareness of both the past experience and their present safety.
This dual attention is what makes EMDR therapy effective without requiring clients to remain in prolonged exposure to traumatic material. The processing happens naturally, guided by the therapist and supported by the bilateral stimulation, allowing the memory network to reorganize in a way that no longer generates the same level of distress.

EMDR therapy addresses a wide range of presentations:
  • Complex developmental and attachment trauma PTSD and acute trauma
  • Anxiety, panic, and phobias
  • Grief and loss
  • Depression
  • Addictions
  • Relationship difficulties rooted in early experience
  • Recent traumatic events (via specialized protocols such as R-TEP and G-TEP)

EMDR Therapy as Psychotherapy, Not Protocol

A common misconception is that EMDR therapy is a technique to be added to an existing practice. At The Center, we teach it as what it actually is: a comprehensive psychotherapy that requires clinical judgment, relational attunement, and a deep understanding of how human beings heal.

The AIP model does not just guide what happens during reprocessing. It informs how a clinician conceptualizes a case from the beginning, how they understand the connection between a client's presenting symptoms and the formative experiences driving them, and how they track the evolution of treatment over time. EMDR therapy, taught well, changes how a clinician thinks, not just what they do.

This is why The Center's training goes far beyond the procedural. From Basic Training through the Master Certificate in Relational EMDR Therapy®, we teach clinicians how to bring the full weight of the therapeutic relationship to bear in EMDR work, because the self of the therapist is not incidental to this model. It is central to it.

Watch: The Evolution of EMDR Therapy

In this video, Deany Laliotis traces the development of EMDR therapy from its origins with Dr. Francine Shapiro through its emergence as a comprehensive approach to treating trauma and restoring the capacity for change.
Write your awesome label here.

Curious About EMDR Therapy?

If you are considering EMDR training but not quite ready to dive into the deep end, we have just the thing for you.
Start with our Explorer Course: EMDR as a Therapy of Change.
No prior EMDR experience required, and it is available on-demand. Learn more about what EMDR is, how it works, and what it looks like in practice before committing to a full training program.

Ready to train with us?

Explore the full continuum:  from Basic Training through the Master Certificate in Relational EMDR Therapy®.
Write your awesome label here.

The Center Informational Brochure

One Place for Everything — Training, Certification and Community

Please download The Center's general brochure for more information on courses, consultation, and certification.

Frequently asked questions

What does EMDR stand for?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. The name reflects the bilateral stimulation component of the therapy, most commonly guided eye movements, and the process of desensitizing and reprocessing disturbing memories that have not been fully integrated.

Is EMDR therapy evidence-based?

Yes. EMDR therapy is one of the most extensively researched psychotherapy approaches for trauma. It is recognized as an effective treatment for PTSD by the World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense, among others. Research supports its effectiveness across a broad range of presentations beyond PTSD as well.

How is EMDR therapy different from other trauma treatments?

EMDR therapy differs from approaches like Cognitive Processing Therapy or Prolonged Exposure in that it does not require detailed verbal narration of the traumatic event, homework assignments, or extended in-session exposure to traumatic material. Processing happens through a structured protocol using bilateral stimulation while the client maintains dual awareness of both the past memory and their present safety. It is also distinctive in its use of the AIP model as a comprehensive case conceptualization framework rather than a symptom-focused intervention.

What is the Adaptive Information Processing model?

The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model is the theoretical foundation of EMDR therapy, developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro. It proposes that the mind has an inherent drive toward adaptive resolution of experience, and that psychological difficulties arise when that processing is blocked, typically by traumatic or highly distressing experiences that become stored in a way that keeps their original emotional charge active. EMDR therapy works by facilitating the completion of that stalled processing, allowing the memory to integrate adaptively.

Is EMDR therapy only for PTSD?

No. While EMDR therapy was originally developed and researched as a treatment for PTSD, its application has expanded significantly. It is now used effectively with complex developmental and attachment trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, phobias, somatic presentations, and relationship difficulties rooted in early experience. Specialized protocols such as R-TEP and G-TEP extend its application to recent traumatic events and group settings.

How long does EMDR therapy take?

The duration of EMDR therapy varies depending on the nature and complexity of what is being addressed. Single-incident trauma may resolve in fewer sessions than complex developmental trauma, which typically requires longer-term treatment. EMDR therapy is not a brief intervention in the sense of being universally short, it is appropriate in both shorter and longer courses of treatment depending on the clinical picture.

Who can train in EMDR therapy?

EMDR Basic Training is designed for licensed mental health clinicians, including LPCs, LCSWs, LICSWs, LMHCs, psychologists, and other independently licensed practitioners. Graduate students who have completed core coursework and are currently practicing under supervision are also eligible. The Center's Basic Training eligibility requirements are detailed on the Basic Training page.

What is Relational EMDR Therapy®?

Relational EMDR Therapy® is a clinical framework developed by Deany Laliotis, LICSW that positions the therapeutic relationship as a central, strategic component of EMDR treatment. Rather than treating the therapeutic alliance as background rapport, Relational EMDR Therapy® uses the relationship between therapist and client as both a source of clinical information and a vehicle for healing, particularly with clients who have experienced complex developmental trauma and attachment injuries. It is the foundation of The Center's Master-level training and Master Certificate program.

Ready to Train in EMDR Therapy?

The Center offers EMDRIA-Approved training at every level, from Basic Training through the Master Certificate in Relational EMDR Therapy®.

Stay connected with The Center 
Subscribe to our Newsletter

Thank you!