10 Common Myths About EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy has gained a lot of attention for its effectiveness in healing trauma, anxiety, and other challenges. But, there’s still a lot of confusion and misinformation floating around about what EMDR actually is and how it works.
If you’re new to EMDR and want a better understanding of what it is, you can check out my introductory blog post on EMDR. For now, let’s dive into some of the most common misconceptions I hear.
“EMDR is just eye movements.”
This is probably the most common myth about EMDR that I hear. EMDR is much more than eye movements. While the eye movements (or other forms of bilateral stimulation like tapping or tones) are often the most well-known part, they’re just one component of EMDR. EMDR actually has eight phases that include history-taking, preparation, desensitization, and more, and the eye movements are just one phase of those eight phases. The eye movements help your brain process and integrate information differently, but EMDR is far more than simply moving your eyes back and forth.
“EMDR is hypnosis.”
Nope. EMDR is not hypnosis. You stay fully awake, alert, and in control the entire time. There are no suggestions, trance states, or anything else like that. Instead, EMDR works by gently guiding your brain’s natural healing processes to help it reorganize and make sense of painful memories in a new way. You're simply asked to briefly focus on the distressing memory for a few moments at a time. It’s about helping your brain process information more adaptively, not putting you into a trance.
“I’ll have to relive my trauma.”
This fear is completely understandable. One of EMDR’s greatest strengths is that it’s designed to prevent overwhelm—without requiring you to talk through every detail of your trauma. Instead of talking about your trauma, we take a step back and let your brain process in its own natural way. While you will briefly focus on distressing memories or feelings, this is done carefully, in manageable doses, and with plenty of support. Your therapist will help you stay grounded and use coping tools to keep you feeling safe throughout the process. A skilled EMDR therapist carefully monitors your experience to avoid retraumatization. The goal is to process memories safely without causing unnecessary distress. You don’t need to relive every painful detail, and you remain in control of the pace at all times.
“EMDR only works for big, traumatic events.”
While EMDR is well-known for helping with major traumatic events (like accidents, abuse, or life-threatening situations), it’s also incredibly effective for what we call “small t” traumas. This includes things like chronic stress, emotional neglect, bullying, difficult breakups, shame, and any other experiences that have impacted you. If something still affects you today, EMDR can likely help, no matter how big or small the original experience may seem. We’re all shaped by our experiences, and EMDR helps us better process and make sense of those experiences.
“EMDR is only for PTSD.”
While EMDR was originally developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it’s now used effectively to treat a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, phobias, chronic pain, addictions, and more. EMDR isn’t just for past events.
“EMDR works right away.”
EMDR can be powerful, but it’s not magic. Believe me, I wish I could wave a magic wand to instantly help my clients, but I’m a therapist, not a magician! Many people do feel relief quickly, but it still takes time to build safety, target memories or emotions, and integrate healing over time. Remember, EMDR is an eight-phased therapy approach. The number of sessions you’ll need depends on you, your unique history, and what you’re working through.
“I have to remember everything that happened.”
Not true. EMDR doesn’t rely on you recalling every detail of an experience. Your brain holds many kinds of information beyond words, like body sensations, emotions, images, and more. EMDR helps you access and process whatever comes up in the moment, even if it’s fuzzy, fragmented, or nonverbal. You don’t need perfectly clear memories to heal.
“EMDR is too intense for me.”
It’s actually developed to prevent emotional flooding or overwhelm. A well-trained EMDR therapist will never throw you into the deep end. You should not jump straight into memory processing. We spend time preparing and building internal resources before beginning trauma processing, and we always go at your pace.
“You need to be good at talking about your feelings for EMDR to work.”
EMDR doesn’t rely heavily on verbalizing your experience. In fact, it often helps people who struggle to put their feelings or memories into words by working directly with body sensations, images, and emotions.
“EMDR is not supported by science.”
On the contrary, EMDR is a well-researched, evidence-based therapy recognized by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and many other professional organizations worldwide. It’s a legitimate, structured therapy approach that clinicians undergo extensive training to use effectively. The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) oversees the standards and guidelines for EMDR training and practice, so when looking for a therapist, find one who has completed EMDRIA-approved training to ensure you’re working with a skilled and qualified EMDR practitioner.
Final Thoughts
EMDR can be a truly transformative approach for many people struggling with trauma, anxiety, or stuck emotional patterns. But like any therapy, it’s important to have accurate information so you know what to expect and feel comfortable taking the first step.
If you have questions about EMDR or want to explore whether it might be a good fit for you, I’m here to help. Reach out for a free consultation today.
Michaela Zoppa is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Colorado. She supports women and teen girls navigating anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, and burnout.
Learn More/Sources:
EMDR Institute. (n.d.). What is EMDR? Retrieved from https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) for PTSD. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/eye-movement-reprocessing
EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). (n.d.). Home. Retrieved from https://www.emdria.org
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