04/29/2026
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) works by using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones) to reprocess traumatic memories, reducing their emotional intensity. It simulates REM sleep to help the brain move stuck, fight-or-flight memories from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex, allowing them to be properly filed and stored.
My Sydney Psychologist
How EMDR Changes the Brain:
Reduces Amygdala Overactivity: Trauma keeps the brain in a "frozen in time" fight-or-flight mode. EMDR lowers this emotional reactivity.
Boosts Prefrontal Cortex Activation: It strengthens the brain's ability to think clearly and regulate emotions, allowing for rational processing of the trauma.
Integrates Memories: The memory is transferred from a visceral, present-day experience to a stored "past" event, removing its ability to trigger acute distress.
Neurobiological Changes: Studies have shown increased grey matter volume in specific brain areas (e.g., left parahippocampal gyrus) and improved connectivity between the temporal pole and frontal cortex after treatment.
My Sydney Psychologist
Key Mechanisms:
Bilateral Stimulation (BLS): Side-to-side eye movements or physical sensations, often in 30-second sets, appear to help the brain integrate traumatic material.
Working Memory Taxation: Because the brain is forced to focus on the BLS while simultaneously recalling a bad memory, the memory becomes less vivid and emotional, say 5 studies.
Adaptive Information Processing (AIP): A theory developed by Francine Shapiro that suggests the brain can heal itself when these stuck, dysfunctional memories are processed correctly.
EMDR does not erase memories but rather removes their charge, allowing the client to recall the event without the intense fight-or-flight reaction, which is useful when dealing with PTSD.
