Discover EMDR
Overcoming the effects of trauma
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a unique, powerful therapy that helps people recover from problems triggered by traumatic events in their lives. It stops difficult memories causing so much distress by helping the brain to reprocess them properly, working with memory to heal the legacy of past pain.
EMDR therapy is best known for treating PTSD but can help with a range of mental health conditions in people of all ages including depression and anxiety.
Internationally recognised, EMDR therapy is endorsed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; the World Health Organisation; The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies; the NHS (in the UK); and many other bodies. There are more than 10,000 trained EMDR therapists in the UK alone, and it has helped millions of people worldwide.
It is very important to see a properly qualified therapist. For information see Find a therapist.
EMDR in the media
Please note, various media coverage is shown here in order to share with you many different people’s experiences of EMDR treatment. For authoritative descriptions and definitions of the therapy please return to this site as the EMDR Association is not responsible for third party content.
15 November 2025
EMDR therapy helped Miley Cyrus and Prince Harry: how does it work?
Journalist Anthea Rowan became interested in EMDR after it was recommended that her daughter have the therapy to cope with the intrusive thoughts that often accompany her OCD. This article references celebrities who had EMDR, gives a brief history of the therapy, and an in-depth explanation informed by Dr Mikayla Matthews. Rowan shares how the treatment helped her daughter, and includes a link to EMDR UK’s animation video about EMDR.
24 October 2025
Celebrity Chef Valerie Bertinelli had EMDR for Childhood Trauma
People magazine reports on how the celebrity chef and cookbook author Valerie Bertinelli spoke on the Drew Barrymore Show about her memoir, and how “EMDR therapy has been ‘life saving’ for coping with childhood trauma. Her story is also covered in the New York Post.
25 September 2025
“I attended a protest against violence – then I was stabbed”
Bahaar Joya was living – and working as a BBC journalist – in Kabul in 2015 when she witnessed the brutal killing of Farkhunda who was stoned and burned to death by a mob after she was falsely accused of burning the Quran. Malikzada was just 27.
Bahaar Joya went onto suffer from PTSD something that, as a result, led her to EMDR therapy.
2 September 2025
Deep dive into EMDR therapy with EMDR therapist and trainer Lizy Wiggins
Psychology Today has interviewed EMDR therapist and trainer Lizy Wiggins. In a wide-ranging piece, Lizy says that – like many other therapists who have seen the limitations of purely cognitive work when it comes to trauma – she craved new tools: ”It just felt like we weren’t getting to the core of things. We were reframing thoughts, reinforcing good decisions and healthy behaviours, and teaching coping skills, but it felt like the trauma was still there” You can read Lizy’s full interview with psychotherapist Jennifer Gerlach here:
8 August 2025
EMDR UK Patron Darren McGarvey on Radio 4 ‘Book of the Week’
EMDR UK Patron Darren McGarvey’s narrates his new book ‘Trauma Industrial Complex’ for BBC Radio 4’s ‘Book of The Week’.
Speaking on the book’s theme, Darren said: “Today, trauma permeates media, from music and television to films and books – my own included. While the increasing openness is welcome, I’ve observed that this rise has been accompanied by a parallel explosion of disinformation and sometimes harmful guidance about how to deal with personal trauma.”
5 August 2025
Life Saving Support for Veteran
“I had sleepless nights and would wake up screaming with flashbacks of gunshots and explosions…I became a shell of who I once was.” Army veteran Kris describing the impact on his mental health of nine years of operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This article in ‘About Manchester’ describes how therapy, including EMDR, from a Military Veteran’s Service, turned his life around.
29 July 2025
Treating Complex trauma in the LGBTQIA community
Complex trauma is one of the LGBTQIA+ community’s biggest challenges – it affects them at a higher rate than the population as a whole, for reasons including discrimination, bullying, abuse, and isolation.
This article looks at the treatments available, including EMDR.
29 July 2025
EMDR features in BBC Drama ‘Unforgiveable’
EMDR therapy is featured in a new BBC drama described by The Guardian in its five-star review as “mesmeric…and even better than ‘Adolescence’”.
‘Unforgiveable’ is dubbed as a “rich, subtle look at child sexual abuse featuring a stellar cast putting in faultless performances”, adding “it’s lack of easy answers feels exactly right”.
Written by the BAFTA, Emmy and Royal Television Society award-winning Jimmy McGovern, ‘Unforgiveable’ is available to watch on BBC iPlayer:
24 June 2025
EMDR is being heralded as ‘life-changing’ for mental health treatment. But what is it?
ABC News in Australia spoke to Samuel Paske who turned to EMDR following the death of his mother from an aggressive and rare form of blood cancer. It also discussed the therapy with Melbourne-based model and influencer Olivia Molly Rogers who, says of her experience: “From the first session I felt different. After three sessions I noticed a reduction in my general anxiety but, in particular, when I think about specific memories. It’s made a huge difference for me.”
23 June 2025
Miley Cyrus speaks about having EMDR
Miley Cyrus has spoken candidly to both the New York Times and [American] Vogue about how EMDR transformed her life and brought her crippling stage anxiety to an end. Across the interviews, the three-time Grammy award-winning artist said: “Love it. Saved my life,” adding her stage fright had gone. In Vogue, she said EMDR felt like watching a movie in her mind, calling it vivid and emotional, but grounding.