Therapy approaches · The Holistic Counselor Podcast learning guide
From the Mic to the Community
What is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)?
Learn what eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy involves and what to ask a clinician.
Diana S. Rice · Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional (CIMHP), Qualified Supervisor (QS)
4 pages · No email required · Education, not individual care
You may have heard that eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is about moving your eyes. That is one possible part of a larger treatment. Let’s give the whole process some room.
The name and the process
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a structured therapy that works with distressing memories. It may use guided eye movements or other forms of left-right stimulation as part of a larger treatment process. This is not simply a technique for moving your eyes.
Preparation and choice matter
The therapist should discuss whether the approach fits, how sessions work, and what to do if distress increases. You can ask to pause. Listening to bilateral audio or watching a moving dot is not the same as receiving the full therapy.
Get help with the difficult work
This guide does not teach memory reprocessing. Ask about trauma training, experience with your concerns, and how the clinician supports people who become overwhelmed or disconnected.
Research & perspective
What to keep in mind
Research supports this therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. It is among the recommended treatments for that condition. This does not mean it has the same benefit for every concern. The sources below explain the approach and its evidence.
Explore the sources ↓A moment for you
Let’s pause and reflect.
Choose one question, or take your time with all three. Your answers can stay private. Skip anything that feels like too much; you do not need to revisit painful details to use this guide.
- What interests me about this approach?
- What worries me about trauma-focused treatment?
- What would help me feel able to ask for a pause?
Use your own notebook or the writing space in the PDF. This page does not ask you to submit reflections.
Continue the conversation
Listen with curiosity.
Selected conversations to begin with. Guests share their own perspectives; a linked episode is not a treatment recommendation or a complete review of the evidence.
- Episode 60
- Episode 6
- Episode 53
Make room for support
Questions to bring to a professional
- What training and consultation have you completed in this approach?
- How will you decide whether I am ready for memory work?
- What is the plan if I feel worse between sessions?
One next step
Ask a licensed clinician trained in this approach about whether it may fit your needs. A therapy training certificate is separate from a professional license. Check both.
Keep learning
Sources & useful resources
These links support the teaching and help you explore further. Professional organizations describe their own approaches; faith organizations describe their perspectives. Directories are starting points, not endorsements.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing ↗
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association: About the therapy ↗
Services, fees, rules, and links may change. Confirm current details directly.
When a guide is not enough
Need support right now?
In the U.S. and its territories, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers support for emotional distress or a suicidal crisis.
If there is immediate danger or a medical emergency in the U.S., call 911. Outside the U.S., use your local emergency or crisis service.
This website and its contact form do not provide crisis care.