Can EMDR Therapy Work Online?

Absolutely!  and Here’s Why

 

Insights from Jeanne S. Lankin, LCSW

 

If you’ve heard about EMDR therapy and are curious whether it can be done online, you are not alone. Many people wonder if a therapy that has its main component the use of eye movements and tapping can really work over zoom or another video platform.

 

The answer is yes!  EMDR works and the research since the pandemic in 2020 shows that virtual EMDR is just as effective as in- person sessions.

 

How EMDR works online

 

In a virtual session, you and your therapist meet over a secure telehealth-approved platform. You will still follow the same steps, that are preparing, processing and then integration of the content that comes up with your therapist,  guiding you every step of the way.

 

For the bilateral stimulation process that is the activity that helps our brain reprocess traumatic material, there are a number of ways to do it virtually;

• following a shape which is customized for you, across your screen

• attaching headphones and listening to alternating tones

• butterfly tapping,  as instructed by your therapist

 

Any of the above examples of bilateral stimulation will feel surprisingly natural online.

 

Virtual EMDR may even have some advantages over in-person sessions:

 

• some clients feel more comfortable working from home in a safe and familiar place;

• you can access therapy from anywhere with no commute needed;

• you can maintain consistency even if you move, travel or have medical issues which prevent you from leaving your home;

• It provides greater flexibility for people to access EMDR experts when they are not in their area.

 

Virtual EMDR is a modern, flexible and proven way to heal from trauma.  Similar to in-person therapy, the important elements continue to be the relationship with your therapist and your willingness and readiness to heal.

 

For an example of the efficacy of virtual EMDR, watch the video below: