Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a therapy for people who continue to suffer from the effects of a traumatic experience, such as an accident, sexual violence, or an act of violence.
The mechanism of action of EMDR can be explained by the Working Memory Theory, which suggests that simultaneously holding an emotional memory representation online and performing dual tasks puts a strain on the (limited) working memory capacity. By overloading the working memory with dual attention tasks, the quality of the emotional memory is changed and its emotional intensity is weakened, leading to fewer symptoms.
The therapist will ask the client to think back to the event, including the associated images, thoughts, and feelings. First, this is done to gather more information about the traumatic experience. Then, the processing process is started. The therapist will ask the client to recall the event again. But now this is done in combination with a distracting stimulus. In many cases, this is the therapist's hand or sounds that are alternately presented left and right through headphones. Sets of stimuli are used.
After each set, a break is taken. The therapist will ask the client what comes to mind. The EMDR procedure generally triggers a stream of thoughts and images, but sometimes also feelings and physical sensations. Often, something changes. After each set, the client is asked to focus on the most noticeable change, after which a new set follows.