Form of therapy · Trauma-focused
EMDR therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is one of the best-documented treatments for trauma and PTSD. The method helps the brain finish processing overwhelming experiences, so the memories loosen their 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 idea behind it is simple. 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. That is why a small reminder, years later, can set off the same alarm as the event itself: flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, or the feeling of always 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 while 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 panic attached to the memory fades, and the event starts to feel like something in the past rather than 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 sets the pace.
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. We check this from session to session, until the memory no longer disturbs you.
Less talking required
You do not need to describe the trauma in detail for EMDR to work. For many people, that makes it easier to seek help with experiences that are hard to put into words.
Who is it for?
What is EMDR used for?
EMDR was developed to treat post-traumatic stress (PTSD), and that is where the evidence is strongest: after accidents, assault, violence, abuse, war, a traumatic birth or a sudden loss. It is used both for single overwhelming events and for prolonged strain in childhood or adult life.
Unprocessed memories also feed many other difficulties, so EMDR is used for anxiety and panic, phobias, complicated grief, low self-worth and recurring intrusive memories as well, when what troubles you today is rooted in something you have experienced. Here we typically combine EMDR 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. In controlled trials, PTSD symptoms typically drop substantially, and with single-event trauma it often happens within a fairly 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 as we go. If another method suits you better, we say so. See all forms of therapy at EGOLAB.
The science
Do the eye movements themselves matter?
That EMDR works for PTSD is well documented. How it works is still debated among researchers, quite openly. An early meta-analysis (Davidson & Parker, 2001) found no added benefit of the eye movements themselves, while a later and more thorough meta-analysis (Lee & Cuijpers, 2013) did find a moderate additional effect. The honest answer is that the treatment works, and that the precise role of the eye movements is still being researched.
The leading explanation today is working-memory taxation. When you recall a memory while doing something that demands attention (eye movements, counting, tones, complex tapping), the two tasks compete for the brain’s limited working memory, and the memory is re-stored in a paler, less charged form. Seen that way, eye movements are one good way of loading working memory rather than a healing ingredient in themselves.
That insight has also given us two newer variants, EMDR 2.0 and the Flash technique. You can read more about both below.
What this means for you
You do not need to take sides in a research debate. Whichever variant we use, 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 picks what fits you and checks that it works.
Other variants
EMDR 2.0 and the Flash technique
Both grew out of the working-memory research described above. In practice they give us more ways to fit the treatment to you.
EMDR 2.0
EMDR 2.0 is an intensified version of the standard protocol, developed by the Dutch research group around Suzy Matthijssen. The working-memory load is turned up: faster eye movements combined with extra tasks such as counting, spelling or movement, and an element of surprise.
In studies it works as well as standard EMDR and often needs fewer repetitions per memory, so more can happen in a single session.
The Flash technique
The Flash technique, developed by the American psychologist Philip Manfield, goes the opposite way and keeps exposure to a minimum. You focus on something positive and engaging while the disturbing memory is only touched in brief flashes. You do not need to describe it or hold it in mind.
Early studies find the method gentle and well tolerated, with promising results. It is often a good starting point when a memory feels too overwhelming to approach directly, for example before a course of standard EMDR.
At EGOLAB, Max B. Pedersen works with both EMDR 2.0 and the Flash technique, and Pilar Lozada provides standard EMDR. A large trial comparing all three head to head (the ENHANCE study) is under way. We follow the research and use what 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. Her approach is warm and structured: careful preparation first, then processing at your pace, with ongoing evaluation.
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 has been researched for more than 35 years. Its effect is confirmed in a long row of randomised controlled trials, and the method is recommended in the international guidelines for PTSD. 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. A set lasts about half a minute, and between sets you and your psychologist take stock. 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, when the difficulty is 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. You and your psychologist follow progress together along the way.
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, but the overall treatment is well supported by the evidence.
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 choose EMDR for exactly that reason: it takes fewer words 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.