EMDR: Miracle Cure for Trauma?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the best evidence-based treatments for trauma, but should we go so far as to call it a “miracle cure”?  Technically, EMDR is not a miracle because it is of the natural order of things as opposed to the supernatural order.  However, as a therapist who relied heavily on other top therapies to treat trauma before EMDR arrived on the scene, I can tell you that EMDR seems miraculous in comparison.  I have observed that EMDR can often resolve single incidents of trauma quickly and permanently.

Evidence Supporting the Superiority of EMDR

EMDR has been around since 1987 and has been widely researched.  The most credible type of study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study.  While designing a psychotherapy study to be blind is impossible, it is possible to design placebo controlled studies.  The placebo group in such studies often consists of a group of individuals who receive treatment using a type of therapy other than the one being studied.  At least 39 randomized, controlled clinical trials of EMDR have been published in peer-reviewed, scholarly journals.  Collectively, these studies suggest that EMDR is superior to most, if not all, other treatments for trauma and that the positive effects of EMDR treatment are likely to continue over time.

A Couple of Particularly Impressive Studies

One study by Capezzani, et al (2013) compared EMDR to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for cancer patients.  One potential criteria for being diagnosed with a disorder called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is to have received a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, such as cancer.  Participants were picked for the study who met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD before the start of treatment.  The study found that EMDR was not only significantly superior to CBT after eight sessions of treatment, but that 95.2% of the patients no longer qualified for a diagnosis of PTSD by the end of the study.  95.2%!  Do you see why EMDR seems miraculous to me?

Another study (Jaberghaderi, et al, 2004) compared EMDR to CBT in the treatment of sexually abused girls.  The study showed that while both treatment types produced significant positive results, EMDR was able to produce its results more quickly than CBT.  This study gives credence to what I noticed when I first started using EMDR, that it facilitated healing much more quickly than the other methods that I had been using.

What Should Be Considered a Trauma?

You may be wondering if a particular painful memory that you would like treated is worthy of being considered a trauma.  In the EMDR training that I received from the EMDR Insitute (EMDRI), the educator spoke of traumas with a capital “T” versus ones with a lower case “t”.  Capital “T” Traumas are what we normally think of when we speak of traumas, like being in a nearly lethal car accident, whereas lower case “t” traumas include incidents like being harshly scolded by one’s mother for spilling milk.  Lower case “t” traumas can be especially damaging when they are a frequent occurrence.  The good news is that evidence suggests that EMDR can resolve these traumas, often permanently.  Now that we have EMDR, you don’t have to be a slave to the aftereffects of a critical parent, a mean sibling, or a bully from your school years anymore!

Who Is Qualified to Treat with EMDR?

Although a therapist could educate himself in the methods of EMDR and treat traumas fairly well, one way that you can know that a therapist is adequately trained is to ask if he or she has successfully completed a course in EMDR from a reputable training provider.  All EMDR courses and educators are not created equal.  Two organizations that are respected educators of EMDR are EMDRI and EMDRIA.

The EMDRI training course that I went through involved two separate intensive training weekends each followed by a practicum experience guided by a certified EMDR educator.  Such a course of training provides a standard classroom education for those who successfully complete it, along with plenty of guided live experience.

Although it is impossible to know with certainty if an unknown therapist is highly competent at EMDR treatment until after you have gone to a number of sessions with him or her, you can weed out a lot of the less competent EMDR therapists by asking before starting therapy if the therapist has successfully completed a course of training through EMDRI or EMDRIA.

Conclusion

EMDR seems miraculous in how quickly it can treat single incidents of trauma and how lasting the positive treatment effects are.  It has been widely researched and evidence suggests that it is one of the best, if not the best, psychotherapy treatment available for treating trauma.

Please let me know your thoughts about this article in the comments below.  How have the lasting effects of trauma impacted your life?  Have you received EMDR treatment in the past and, if so, how did it work for you?  If this is the first time that you have heard of EMDR, what is your reaction to hearing about its effectiveness?

Citations

Capezzani et al. (2013). EMDR and CBT for cancer patients: Comparative study of effects on PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 5, 2-13.

Jaberghaderi, N., Greenwald, R., Rubin, A., Dolatabadim S., & Zand, S.O. (2004). A comparison of CBT and EMDR for sexually abused Iranian girls. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.