<commit_before>---
layout: howto
title: Use EMDR
feedback: https://www.7cups.com/@RarelyCharlie
---
EMDR is a technique that therapists use in the treatment of various mental health conditions. It was originally developed to help treat the effects of traumatic events (PTSD) but it has since been used for other conditions such as anxiety. It is not intended to be a complete treatment by itself—it is one of the techniques that can be included in a comprehensive treatment plan.

This guide describes a free online EMDR tool on this site that anyone can use.  It is mainly intended for therapists to use with their clients, but it is also possible to use the tool on your own without a therapist.

A therapist can use this EMDR tool with a client either in a face-to-face session, or remotely in online or telephone sessions.

### How EMDR works

EMDR is not completely understood. When it was first developed, it used side-to-side eye movements to make it easier for PTSD sufferers to reprocess remembered traumatic events from their past with less sensitivity to emotion. This is the reason for the name EMDR—Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing. Since then, some researchers have found that side-to-side sounds or side-to-side touch work equally well.

The EMDR tool described here provides both side-to-side eye movements and side-to-side sounds, but not touch. The eye-movements and sounds can be used together or separately.

In an EMDR session, the client remembers a significant past event in as much detail as possible. The therapist uses the side-to-side stimulus to dampen down strong emotions that would otherwise block the client's remembering. When a lot of emotional blocking is needed, the therapist speeds up the side-to-side stimulus. When not much emotional blocking is needed, the therapist slows down the side-to-side stimulus.

Typically, clients discover that strong emotions have prevented them from remembering past events in complete detail. When strong emotion is blocked using EMDR, they are able to remember more detail, enough detail to make sense of the events in a more helpful way. As a result, the events no longer trigger such strong emotion.

Reprocessing remembered events with the help of EMDR is probably most effective when guided by an appropriately trained and experienced therapist. However, some experts say that a therapist is not always needed. There are books and videos available that describe in more detail how to use EMDR for yourself without a therapist.

### Requirements

This EMDR tool has different requirements depending on how you use it.

If you plan to use eye movements and sounds together, the eye movements and the sounds must be on the same computer so that they synchronize exactly.

#### Eye movements

To use the eye movements part of the tool, you need a computer with a fairly large screen that you can sit close to with the middle of the screen at eye level.

Your distance from the screen should be a little less than the width of the screen, so that when your eyes move from one side of the screen to the other, without moving your head, they move through an angle of about 90°. You cannot use a small laptop, a tablet, or any other mobile device unless you can connect it to a large screen and use the whole screen.

If you are working live with a therapist in the room, then either the computer must have a separate keyboard, or the therapist must use a separate device (which could be a mobile device).

On a device that does not support full screen eye movement, the eye movement settings are not available.
<commit_msg>add brief version<commit_after>---
layout: howto
title: Use EMDR
feedback: https://www.7cups.com/@RarelyCharlie
---
EMDR is a technique that therapists use in the treatment of various mental health conditions. It was originally developed to help treat the effects of traumatic events (PTSD) but it has since been used for other conditions such as anxiety. It is not intended to be a complete treatment by itself—it is one of the techniques that can be included in a comprehensive treatment plan.

This guide describes a free online EMDR tool on this site that anyone can use.  It is mainly intended for therapists to use with their clients, but it is also possible to use the tool on your own without a therapist.

A therapist can use this EMDR tool with a client either in a face-to-face session, or remotely in online or telephone sessions.

### Brief guide

In brief, for anyone familiar with EMDR who doesn't want to read all the details...

This tool can be used by one person or by two (therapist and client). If therapist and client are using it, they can use one computer or two (therapist and client). A therapist can use the tool in face-to-face, online (voice) and telephone sessions.

When using one computer leave the pairing set to None.

When using two computers, set the pairing. The therapist gets a PIN for the session (like `1234`). The client types the PIN to connect to the same session. Then the therapist controls the EMDR tool on the client's computer.

Space bar and arrow keys control the tool while it's running.

### How EMDR works

EMDR is not completely understood. When it was first developed, it used side-to-side eye movements to make it easier for PTSD sufferers to reprocess remembered traumatic events from their past with less sensitivity to emotion. This is the reason for the name EMDR—Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing. Since then, some researchers have found that side-to-side sounds or side-to-side touch work equally well.

The EMDR tool described here provides both side-to-side eye movements and side-to-side sounds, but not touch. The eye-movements and sounds can be used together or separately.

In an EMDR session, the client remembers a significant past event in as much detail as possible. The therapist uses the side-to-side stimulus to dampen down strong emotions that would otherwise block the client's remembering. When a lot of emotional blocking is needed, the therapist speeds up the side-to-side stimulus. When not much emotional blocking is needed, the therapist slows down the side-to-side stimulus.

Typically, clients discover that strong emotions have prevented them from remembering past events in complete detail. When strong emotion is blocked using EMDR, they are able to remember more detail, enough detail to make sense of the events in a more helpful way. As a result, the events no longer trigger such strong emotion.

Reprocessing remembered events with the help of EMDR is probably most effective when guided by an appropriately trained and experienced therapist. However, some experts say that a therapist is not always needed. There are books and videos available that describe in more detail how to use EMDR for yourself without a therapist.

### Requirements

This EMDR tool has different requirements depending on how you use it.

If you plan to use eye movements and sounds together, the eye movements and the sounds must be on the same computer so that they synchronize exactly.

#### Eye movements

To use the eye movements part of the tool, you need a computer with a fairly large screen that you can sit close to with the middle of the screen at eye level.

Your distance from the screen should be a little less than the width of the screen, so that when your eyes move from one side of the screen to the other, without moving your head, they move through an angle of about 90°. You cannot use a small laptop, a tablet, or any other mobile device unless you can connect it to a large screen and use the whole screen.

If you are working live with a therapist in the room, then either the computer must have a separate keyboard, or the therapist must use a separate device (which could be a mobile device).

On a device that does not support full screen eye movement, the eye movement settings are not available.

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