Why Does EMDR Work?
Many people are curious about why EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works. You may have heard that EMDR involves eye movements, bilateral sounds, or tapping—but what do these things have to do with healing trauma?
Let’s explore the science and theories behind EMDR and how these techniques may help the brain process and release distressing memories. Below are four leading ideas about why EMDR is effective.
1. The Orienting Response
When you move your eyes back and forth, something interesting happens in your body. Scientists have found that these eye movements can actually help your body calm down. Your heart rate may slow, your breathing becomes more relaxed, and your skin shows signs of soothing (MacCulloch & Feldman, 1996; Wilson et al., 1996).
Why? Because your brain treats the eye movement as something novel. Just like when you hear an unexpected sound and instinctively turn your head to look, your brain gets curious—this is called the orienting response (Jeffries & Davis, 2012). Once your brain sees there's no threat, it signals your body to relax.
In EMDR, this natural calming process is paired with distressing memories, helping your nervous system move from a state of fear or alarm into safety and ease.
2. Taxation of Working Memory
Think of your brain like a small whiteboard. You can only write a few things on it at once—that’s your working memory. When you think about a really painful memory while also doing something like tapping or moving your eyes back and forth, your brain gets a little “overloaded.”
This dual task—remembering something upsetting while also doing a movement—taxes your working memory, which makes the memory feel less intense and less vivid. It’s like turning down the volume on a memory that used to be overwhelming.
This helps explain why EMDR can make traumatic memories feel more distant and manageable over time (van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012; Baddeley, 2000).
3. Memory Reconsolidation
Imagine a memory is like a LEGO creation you built and stored away. Most of the time, it just sits there untouched. But when you remember that memory, it gets taken off the shelf—and now it’s soft and changeable, like Play-Doh.
Scientists call this a labile state—meaning the memory is temporarily flexible. During this window, if new learning or insight is added (like realizing, “It wasn’t my fault,” or “I’m safe now”), the memory gets reshaped. Then, your brain puts it back on the shelf—but now it’s a changed version. This is called reconsolidation.
Thanks to this process, old painful memories can lose their emotional intensity and become easier to talk about or make sense of (Elsey & Kindt, 2017).
4. REM Sleep and Eye Movements
Every night when you sleep, your eyes naturally move back and forth during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. This is when your brain processes emotions, organizes memories, and makes sense of your day. It’s like a mental clean-up.
EMDR eye movements mimic this same kind of brain activity while you’re awake. Stickgold (2002, 2008) proposed that these eye movements help activate similar neural pathways to those used during REM sleep, giving your brain access to more ideas, insights, and associations—even ones that are hidden or hard to reach.
That’s one reason EMDR can help transform stuck, painful memories into something you can understand, release, or even grow from.
Final Thoughts: How EMDR Supports Deep Healing
EMDR might appear simple at first glance, but it's grounded in decades of research and clinical experience. This approach doesn’t just manage symptoms—it helps your brain and body fully process and integrate what you've been through. Whether it’s calming an overactive nervous system, easing emotional overwhelm, or transforming painful memories, EMDR taps into your brain’s natural healing abilities to support meaningful, lasting change.
In my own practice, after more than a decade of providing EMDR, I’ve seen this transformation again and again. Many of my clients learn to honor their past without being trapped in it—it’s the first time they’ve felt a true sense of peace in their own bodies. They can revisit traumatic memories with distance and clarity, rather than distress. They no longer feel stuck in old emotional patterns or overwhelmed by the past. Most importantly, they begin to feel more grounded, more emotionally regulated, and more connected to the lives they are building now. You can, too, move forward with more confidence and self-trust in your life!
Ready to Explore EMDR?
If you're curious about how EMDR might support your healing journey, I invite you to schedule a free consultation. Together, we can talk about your needs, answer your questions, and see if EMDR is the right fit for you.
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