EMDR Myths Debunked: What You Probably Got Wrong About EMDR
If you’ve never experienced EMDR, it can sound a little strange.
You sit with a therapist.
You think about something difficult.
And then you follow their fingers with your eyes, or use another form of bilateral stimulation.
So naturally, people have questions.
Is this hypnosis?
Will I lose control?
Could it make me forget what happened?
Do I have to relive my trauma?
And does EMDR actually work, or is it just moving your eyes while someone tells you to think about something upsetting?
These are reasonable questions.
EMDR is a well-established trauma treatment, particularly for PTSD, but there are plenty of misconceptions about what actually happens in an EMDR session. Research supports EMDR as an effective treatment for PTSD, while researchers continue to study exactly why the different components of the therapy work. EMDR International Association
So let’s clear up some of the confusion.
Myth #1: EMDR is hypnosis
No. EMDR is not hypnosis.
You remain awake and aware during EMDR.
You’re not being put into a trance. You’re not handing control over to your therapist. And your therapist isn’t telling you what to think or what to remember.
In EMDR, you’re an active participant in the process.
Your therapist guides you through a structured treatment, but you’re still able to communicate, pause, stop, or tell your therapist what’s happening.
That’s actually one of the things many people find reassuring once they understand what EMDR involves.
You don’t have to surrender control in order to receive trauma treatment.
Myth #2: EMDR will make you forget your trauma
That’s not what EMDR is designed to do.
The goal isn’t to erase a memory.
It’s to help reduce the distress connected to the memory so that you can remember what happened without feeling as though you’re back in the middle of it.
There’s an important difference.
You may still know what happened.
You may still remember the facts.
But the memory may become less vivid, less emotionally charged, or less likely to trigger the same intense response.
Research on eye movements during memory recall has found reductions in the vividness and emotional intensity of distressing memories, although researchers continue to study exactly how these effects relate to the full EMDR treatment process. EMDR International Association
Think of it less like deleting a file and more like changing how much power that file has over you.
Myth #3: EMDR is used to uncover repressed memories
This one needs some extra care.
EMDR should not be treated as a memory-recovery technique.
If you don’t remember something, that doesn’t mean EMDR should be used to try to make you remember it.
Memory is complicated. Memories aren’t perfect recordings of events, and therapy should not involve a therapist suggesting that something must have happened simply because a particular image, sensation, thought, or feeling appears during treatment.
In fact, research has raised concerns about approaches that encourage people to expect unusually vivid or photographic recall during EMDR. EMDR International Association
If memories arise naturally during therapy, you can talk about them.
But “let’s find out what happened to you” isn’t the purpose of EMDR.
The focus is on helping you work with the distress you’re experiencing now.
Myth #4: You have to tell your therapist every detail of what happened
No.
You don’t have to give your therapist a graphic play-by-play of your trauma for EMDR to work.
That doesn’t mean your therapist won’t ask questions about your history. A proper EMDR treatment includes assessment, treatment planning, preparation, and other phases before trauma processing begins. EMDR International Association
But EMDR isn’t simply:
“Tell me exactly what happened from beginning to end.”
You may work with a particular image, thought, emotion, body sensation, or aspect of a memory.
And your therapist should be paying attention to how you’re responding throughout the process.
That’s very different from being asked to repeatedly tell the entire story.
Myth #5: EMDR means you’ll have to relive your trauma
This is one of the biggest fears people have before starting.
EMDR involves remembering, but remembering isn’t the same as reliving.
The goal isn’t to make you feel as though you’re physically back in the traumatic situation.
Some emotional activation can happen during processing. You might cry. You might feel angry, sad, scared, numb, or surprised by something that comes up.
That doesn’t automatically mean something has gone wrong.
It means you’re having a response to difficult material.
A properly trained EMDR therapist should also be paying attention to whether you’re becoming overwhelmed and should adjust the pace and approach when needed.
You don’t get extra credit for suffering through a session.
Myth #6: You have to be able to visualize things for EMDR to work
Not necessarily.
Some people have very vivid mental images.
Some don’t.
Some people think mostly in words. Others notice sensations, emotions, sounds, or fragments of memories.
EMDR isn’t dependent on everyone having a perfect mental picture.
And if you’re someone who thinks, “I can’t visualize anything. Does that mean EMDR won’t work for me?”, that’s worth talking about with your therapist rather than assuming you’re not a candidate.
There isn’t one correct way for your internal experience to look.
Myth #7: The eye movements are some kind of brainwashing trick
It’s understandable that the eye movements can look strange if you’ve never seen EMDR before.
But the idea isn’t that your therapist is somehow controlling your brain by moving their fingers back and forth.
Research has specifically investigated the role of eye movements and other dual-attention tasks in EMDR. Studies suggest that eye movements can affect aspects of distressing memories, including their vividness and emotionality, and working-memory explanations have received significant research attention. EMDR International Association
At the same time, scientists are still studying exactly how the different components of EMDR produce therapeutic change.
So if someone tells you, “We know exactly what your brain is doing during EMDR,” be skeptical.
The honest answer is more complicated.
We have good evidence that EMDR can help with PTSD.
We have research exploring how it works.
We don’t need to pretend every part of the mechanism is completely settled.
Myth #8: EMDR is just following someone’s fingers
There’s a lot more to EMDR than the eye movements.
This is probably one of the most common misconceptions.
The name Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing makes it easy to assume the entire treatment is about moving your eyes.
It isn’t.
EMDR is a structured, eight-phase psychotherapy. Treatment includes history taking, preparation, assessment, processing, installation of more adaptive beliefs, body checking, closure, and reevaluation. EMDR International Association
The bilateral stimulation is one part of the treatment.
The relationship with your therapist matters.
Assessment matters.
Preparation matters.
Knowing what you’re working on matters.
And knowing how to help you stay within a manageable level of distress matters.
That’s why doing random eye movements at home while thinking about something traumatic isn’t the same thing as receiving EMDR therapy from a trained clinician.
Myth #9: If you cry during EMDR, something has gone wrong
It’s okay to feel emotional during therapy.
You might cry.
You might feel angry.
You might feel sad.
You might laugh unexpectedly.
You might notice a physical sensation you’ve never paid attention to before.
Or you might feel almost nothing during one session.
There isn’t a required emotional reaction that proves EMDR is working.
And crying doesn’t mean you’re being retraumatized.
Your therapist should be paying attention to your experience and helping you stay oriented to the present while you work with difficult material.
You also don’t have to force an emotional response.
If nothing comes up, nothing comes up.
Therapy isn’t a performance.
So, does EMDR really work?
This is probably the question underneath all the other questions.
Yes, EMDR has a substantial research base supporting its use for PTSD.
The U.S. National Center for PTSD includes EMDR among the trauma-focused psychotherapies with strong evidence for treating PTSD, alongside approaches such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure. EMDR International Association
That doesn’t mean EMDR works for every person, every problem, or every situation.
It also doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily have a dramatic breakthrough in your first session.
Therapy isn’t a magic trick.
Your therapist needs to assess whether EMDR is appropriate for you, what you’re hoping to change, and what preparation or other support may be needed before processing trauma memories.
And sometimes another treatment approach may be a better fit.
That’s okay.
What should EMDR actually feel like?
This is where social media can create some unrealistic expectations.
You may see videos of people describing huge breakthroughs or intense emotional releases.
Your experience might be much quieter.
You might notice that a memory feels different.
You might realize you can think about something without your stomach dropping.
You might remember an event but feel less pulled into it.
You might notice that a belief you’ve carried for years doesn’t feel quite as convincing.
Or you might simply think:
“Huh. That’s not bothering me in the same way anymore.”
There’s no single EMDR experience that you’re supposed to have.
And you don’t need to compare your therapy session to someone else’s.
What if you’re still skeptical?
That’s okay, too.
You don’t have to believe that EMDR is going to work before you start.
In fact, skepticism is a reasonable response when someone tells you that moving your eyes while thinking about something difficult can help.
You can ask your therapist questions.
How does EMDR work?
Why are you recommending it for me?
What happens if I become overwhelmed?
What if I can’t remember the event clearly?
What if I don’t like the eye movements?
How will we know whether it’s helping?
A good therapist should be able to talk through those questions with you without making you feel silly for asking.
EMDR doesn’t have to feel mysterious
There’s no magic trick involved.
And you don’t have to believe every claim you see online about EMDR.
What you need is a properly trained therapist who can explain the treatment, assess whether it’s appropriate for you, prepare you for the process, and adjust the work based on what you’re experiencing.
At The Integrative Trauma & PTSD Recovery Centre, EMDR is part of a trauma-focused approach to care. Dr. Candace Hamilton is a Registered Psychologist and EMDR Consultant, and the practice works with adults, couples, families, and children dealing with trauma and PTSD.
The goal isn’t to convince you that EMDR is the answer before we know anything about you.
It’s to help you understand your options and figure out whether this approach makes sense for what you’re experiencing.
Still wondering if EMDR is right for you?
Book a free 15-minute consultation.
About Dr. Candace Hamilton
Dr. Candace Hamilton is a Psy.D., Registered Psychologist, and EMDR Consultant who works with trauma, PTSD, and complex trauma.
Her approach is grounded in trauma-focused care that recognizes that what you’re experiencing didn’t happen in a vacuum. The goal isn’t simply to teach you how to push difficult feelings away. Therapy can help you understand the experiences and beliefs underneath those feelings and work toward a greater sense of safety and choice.
Learn More About EMDR with Candace
The Integrative Trauma & PTSD Recovery Centre
The Integrative Trauma & PTSD Recovery Centre
Unit 202A, 9129 35 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T6E 5Y1
Phone: (587) 415-8385
Email: info@abptsdrecovery.com
Website: abptsdrecovery.com
In-person therapy: Edmonton
Virtual therapy: Available across Alberta
Services include individual therapy, couples therapy, children and family therapy, group therapy, intensive trauma therapy, and EMDR training and consultation for therapists.
The practice’s client-facing brand is intentionally warm, accessible, and conversational rather than heavily clinical, which I’ve reflected throughout this draft.