ESSENTIAL GUIDE
What is EMDR therapy? Meaning, phases and evidence
What EMDR stands for, how therapy is structured, where evidence is strongest and what to check before starting.
Read the guide →Understand EMDR. Make a better-informed choice.
Clear, bilingual, source-based guides to the process, evidence, safety and finding a professional.
170 of 170 guides
Compact index of all 170 guides ↓
Start here
What EMDR is, how it works and how the protocol is structured.
Open the pillar page →THE EMDR PROCESS
How does EMDR work and what happens in a session?
A clear guide to the EMDR protocol, bilateral stimulation and what may happen before, during and after a session.
Read the guide →HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
History of EMDR: Francine Shapiro, origins and evolution
How EMDR began with Francine Shapiro, what was published in 1989 and how EMD developed into a structured eight-phase psychotherapy.
Read the guide →BOOKS, GUIDES AND SELF-HELP
EMDR books: how to choose a guide or workbook
How to choose EMDR books for clients or professionals, distinguish education from clinical manuals and avoid treating a workbook as self-guided therapy.
Read the guide →STEP-BY-STEP PROTOCOL
The 8 phases of EMDR: what happens at each stage
A step-by-step guide to the eight EMDR phases, from history and preparation through closure and reevaluation.
Read the guide →PROTOCOL AND PLANNING
EMDR protocol: phases, treatment plans and scripts
What the standard EMDR protocol includes, how it becomes an individual plan and why a script or PDF cannot replace clinical training.
Read the guide →Choose and verify a practitioner
What training, accreditation, professional status and supervision mean before booking.
Open the pillar page →CHOOSING AND VERIFYING
EMDR therapist training and credentials in Spain
How to check healthcare eligibility, registration, EMDR training, accreditation and experience before choosing a therapist in Spain.
Read the guide →PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND TRAINING
How to become an EMDR therapist: training and accreditation
The route to becoming an EMDR therapist: eligible profession, recognised training, supervised practice, accreditation and country differences.
Read the guide →Preparation, safety and delivery
Make informed decisions before, during and after a session.
Open the pillar page →BEFORE YOU START
How to prepare for your first EMDR session
What to expect from the first appointment, questions to bring, and how to prepare privacy, safety and realistic expectations.
Read the guide →PREPARATION AND REGULATION
EMDR resourcing: preparation, calm place and regulation
What resourcing before EMDR means, how calm-place, container and grounding strategies may help, and why one exercise cannot prove readiness.
Read the guide →SAFETY
EMDR side effects, risks and contraindications
What distress may occur with EMDR, when extra caution is needed and which signs to discuss with your therapist.
Read the guide →BETWEEN SESSIONS
EMDR hangover: what can happen after a session?
What an “EMDR hangover” means: tiredness, dreams, anxiety or emotions after a session, how long they may last and when to seek help.
Read the guide →BETWEEN SESSIONS
EMDR and journaling: a safer between-session record
What to record between EMDR sessions, why writing is not a substitute for treatment and when journaling may increase rumination or activation.
Read the guide →COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES
EMDR and mindfulness: differences, evidence and safety
How EMDR differs from mindfulness and meditation, when a practice may complement therapy and why the approaches are not interchangeable.
Read the guide →Evidence by concern
Separating PTSD guideline support from uses with more limited evidence.
Open the pillar page →EFFECTIVENESS AND OUTCOMES
Does EMDR really work? Evidence, outcomes and limits
What research establishes about EMDR, why there is no universal success rate and how to interpret reviews, outcomes and promises.
Read the guide →CLINICAL EVIDENCE
EMDR for PTSD and trauma: evidence, process and limits
What clinical guidelines say about EMDR for PTSD and how planning differs for single-event and complex trauma.
Read the guide →COMPLEX TRAUMA
EMDR for complex trauma: preparation, pacing and safety
What changes with repeated experiences, dissociation or relationship difficulties and why there is no universal rapid protocol.
Read the guide →USES AND EVIDENCE
EMDR for anxiety: when it may be considered and what to ask
How EMDR may be considered for anxiety, which evidence distinctions matter and how to assess whether it fits.
Read the guide →GENERALISED ANXIETY
EMDR for generalized anxiety disorder: evidence and first line
What evidence exists for EMDR in generalized anxiety disorder, which treatments NICE recommends and when trauma, worry and alternatives need assessment.
Read the guide →PANIC AND AGORAPHOBIA
EMDR for panic attacks: evidence and first-line care
What evidence exists for EMDR and panic, what NICE recommends and when a trauma-linked target may alter the plan.
Read the guide →Relationships, health and other contexts
Contexts requiring coordination, adaptation and particular care with evidence limits.
Open the pillar page →GRIEF AND LOSS
EMDR for grief: loss, trauma and prolonged grief
When loss includes traumatic memories, what is known about EMDR and why ordinary grief should not be pathologized.
Read the guide →IADC, EMDR AND GRIEF
IADC and EMDR for grief: evidence and limits
What induced after-death communication (IADC) is, how it derives from EMDR, what the 2026 study found and what it cannot demonstrate.
Read the guide →PAIN AND HEALTH
EMDR for chronic pain: evidence, limits and integrated care
What reviews report about EMDR and chronic pain, what NICE recommends and why medical assessment still matters.
Read the guide →ADDICTION AND TRAUMA
EMDR for addiction and craving: what the evidence shows
Recent findings on EMDR, craving and substance use, their limits and why specialist integrated care remains essential.
Read the guide →PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH
EMDR for birth trauma and perinatal PTSD
What guidelines recommend after traumatic birth or loss, what evidence exists and which perinatal safeguards matter.
Read the guide →NEURODIVERSITY AND TRAUMA
EMDR for autism and ADHD: adaptations and limits
How EMDR may be adapted for autistic people or people with ADHD, what evidence exists and why it does not treat neurodivergence itself.
Read the guide →Compare treatments
Similarities, differences and useful questions without declaring a universal winner.
Open the pillar page →COMPARISON
EMDR vs CBT: differences, evidence and how to choose
How EMDR and trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy differ and overlap, and how to make an informed choice.
Read the guide →TREATMENT COMPARISON
EMDR vs exposure therapy for trauma and PTSD
How EMDR and exposure therapies for PTSD overlap and differ, what guidelines say and what to ask when choosing.
Read the guide →OCD AND TREATMENT CHOICE
EMDR vs ERP for OCD: evidence and differences
How EMDR differs from exposure and response prevention for OCD, what guidelines recommend and when associated trauma may also be assessed.
Read the guide →THERAPY COMPARISON
EMDR vs ACT for trauma and PTSD
How EMDR differs from acceptance and commitment therapy, what evidence exists for trauma and how diagnosis and goals inform a choice.
Read the guide →CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND PTSD
EMDR vs trauma-focused CBT for children
How EMDR and TF-CBT differ for children and young people with PTSD, what NICE recommends and what direct comparison trials found.
Read the guide →THERAPY COMPARISON
EMDR vs Brainspotting: differences, evidence and choice
Compare the structure, use of gaze and scientific support for EMDR and Brainspotting without assuming one is best for everyone.
Read the guide →EDITORIAL STANDARD
Useful information without clinical promises
- We separate evidence, theory and clinical experience.
- We link sources and state limitations.
- We never diagnose from a search query.
- Profile promotion is always disclosed.