Form of therapy · Trauma-focused
EMDR therapy
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing — is one of the best-documented treatments for trauma and PTSD. A structured method that helps the brain finish processing overwhelming experiences, so the memories lose their emotional grip.
Recommended by WHO and NICE · Typically 6–12 sessions · In English and Spanish
What is it?
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a structured, evidence-based form of psychotherapy developed by the American psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s to treat the after-effects of overwhelming experiences. Today EMDR is one of the most thoroughly researched trauma treatments in the world, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the British NICE guideline for PTSD in both adults and children.
The method builds on a simple observation: when something overwhelms us, the brain does not always manage to file the experience away as an ordinary memory. It is stored “unprocessed” — with the original images, sounds, bodily sensations and beliefs still attached. Long after the event, small reminders can therefore set off the same alarm as the event itself: flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety or a constant feeling of being on guard.
In an EMDR session you briefly hold a distressing memory in mind while following the therapist’s hand with your eyes — or receiving other left–right stimulation, such as taps or sounds. This bilateral stimulation taxes the working memory and appears to restart the brain’s natural processing, so the memory can finally be filed away. You still remember what happened, but the memory loses its emotional charge: it becomes something that happened to you — not something that keeps happening now.
The method
How EMDR works
A structured protocol
EMDR follows a fixed eight-phase protocol: history-taking and treatment planning, preparation and stabilisation, processing of the selected memories, and evaluation. You always know where you are in the process.
Bilateral stimulation
Short sets of eye movements, taps or tones — about 30 seconds at a time — while the memory is briefly active. Between sets you simply notice what comes up; the therapist guides the pace throughout.
The memory loses its charge
The goal is not to forget. The facts remain, but the panic, shame and bodily alarm attached to the memory fade — checked session by session, until the memory no longer disturbs you.
Less talking required
Unlike traditional talking therapy, you do not need to describe the trauma in detail for EMDR to work. For many, this makes it easier to seek help for experiences that are hard to put into words.
Who is it for?
What is EMDR used for?
EMDR was developed for — and has its strongest evidence in — post-traumatic stress (PTSD): after accidents, assault, violence, abuse, war, a traumatic birth or a sudden loss. It is used for single overwhelming events as well as for prolonged strain in childhood or adult life.
Because unprocessed memories feed many other difficulties, EMDR is also used for anxiety and panic, phobias, complicated grief, low self-worth and recurring intrusive memories — whenever what troubles you today is rooted in something you have experienced. The research support is strongest for PTSD; for other difficulties, EMDR is typically combined with other evidence-based methods.
Both the WHO (2013) and the British NICE guideline for PTSD (2018) recommend EMDR as a first-line treatment alongside trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, and controlled trials consistently show large reductions in PTSD symptoms — for single-event trauma often within a comparatively small number of sessions.
How many sessions?
A session lasts 60–90 minutes. After one or two preparatory sessions, a single traumatic event can often be treated in a total of 6–12 sessions; complex or childhood trauma takes longer. We evaluate the effect continuously — and if another method suits you better, we say so. See all forms of therapy at EGOLAB.
The science
Do the eye movements themselves matter?
The overall effect of EMDR for PTSD is well documented. How it works is a livelier question — and one researchers debate openly. An early meta-analysis (Davidson & Parker, 2001) found no added benefit of the eye movements themselves, while a later and more rigorous meta-analysis (Lee & Cuijpers, 2013) did find a moderate additional effect. The honest summary: the treatment works — the precise role of the eye movements is still being researched.
The leading explanation today is working-memory taxation: recalling a memory while performing any attention-demanding task — eye movements, counting, tones or complex tapping — competes for the brain’s limited working memory, and the memory is re-stored in a paler, less charged form. In that account, eye movements are one effective way of loading working memory — not something uniquely healing in themselves.
That insight has produced newer variants. EMDR 2.0 deliberately maximises the working-memory load with faster, multi-modal tasks; research by Matthijssen and colleagues finds it as effective as standard EMDR while needing fewer repetitions per memory. The Flash technique goes the other way and minimises exposure — you barely hold the memory in mind at all — which early studies find both gentle and promising. At EGOLAB, Max B. Pedersen works with EMDR 2.0 and Flash — useful when a memory feels too overwhelming to approach head-on.
What this means for you
You do not need to take sides in a research debate. Whichever variant is used, the ingredients are the same: a safe setting, a carefully chosen memory, and a task that keeps the brain occupied while the memory loses its charge. Your psychologist chooses the variant that fits you — and measures whether it works.
Your psychologist
EMDR at EGOLAB — meet Pilar
EMDR at EGOLAB is provided by Pilar Lozada, psychologist at our clinic in central Copenhagen — 50 metres from Nørreport Station. Pilar works in English and Spanish and combines EMDR with a warm, structured therapeutic approach: careful preparation first, processing at your pace, and continuous evaluation along the way.
You do not need a referral from your doctor, and you are welcome to start with a preliminary conversation to find out whether EMDR is the right fit for you.
Pilar Lozada
Psychologist
Good to know
Evidence — and calm, controlled sessions
EMDR is not a leap of faith. The method has been researched for more than 35 years, its effect is confirmed in numerous randomised controlled trials, and it is recommended in the international guidelines for PTSD. At EGOLAB we use it because it works — and we measure progress along the way.
See also the other forms of therapy at EGOLAB — and meet our team.
EMDR is not hypnosis
You are fully awake and present the whole time — and you stay in control: you can pause or stop at any moment. Sets last about half a minute, and between them you and your psychologist check in on what is happening. Most people find the sessions surprisingly undramatic.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about EMDR
What does EMDR stand for?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing — a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge.
What is EMDR used for?
EMDR is used first and foremost for PTSD and other after-effects of trauma. It is also used for anxiety, panic, phobias, complicated grief and recurring intrusive memories — difficulties rooted in past experiences.
How many EMDR sessions will I need?
A session lasts 60–90 minutes. A single traumatic event can often be treated in 6–12 sessions including preparation, while complex or repeated trauma takes longer. Your psychologist evaluates progress with you throughout the course.
Does EMDR really work?
For PTSD, EMDR is one of the best-documented treatments available. It is recommended by the World Health Organization and the British NICE guideline, on a par with trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy. Researchers still debate how much the eye movements themselves contribute; the overall treatment package is what the evidence firmly supports.
Do I have to talk about the trauma in detail?
No. You hold the memory briefly in mind during processing, but you do not have to recount it in detail. Many people choose EMDR precisely because it requires less verbal disclosure than traditional talking therapy.
Is EMDR available in English in Copenhagen?
Yes. At EGOLAB, psychologist Pilar Lozada offers EMDR in English and Spanish at our clinic in central Copenhagen, 50 metres from Nørreport Station. No GP referral is needed.
Contact
Book an EMDR session
Write to us here — mention EMDR and whether you prefer English or Spanish, and we will match you with Pilar. You will receive a reply within 24 hours. You are also welcome to call +45 4245-4600.