What is EMDR Therapy – For Professionals

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy approach developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro to help people heal from trauma or adversities such as issues of abuse, bullying, domestic violence, grief/loss, attachment wounds, abandonment, PTSD, and many other complicated life issues. EMDR therapy is now validated as an evidence-based approach and included in SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. In addition, EMDR therapy has been validated by over 20 randomized controlled clinical trials (see www.emdrhap.org/emdr_info/researchandresources.php).

EMDR therapy integrates elements of many traditional psychological orientations and is based on the adaptive information processing model (AIP). The AIP model hypothesizes that there is an inherent information processing system in the brain that gets blocked when traumatic or adverse events occur, causing these events to get locked in the brain with the original picture, sounds, thoughts, feelings and body sensations. Whenever a reminder of the traumatic or adverse event comes up, those pictures, thoughts, feelings, and sensations can continue to be triggered. According to Dr. Shapiro, many emotional problems and disorders are manifestations of these unprocessed trauma memories that are stored in the brain. EMDR therapy works on helping the brain reprocess these traumatic memories, and as a result alleviating the emotional and psychological disorders.

EMDR therapy has been used with children and adolescents with a wide variety of emotional and psychological problems including PTSD, anxiety, phobias, depression, attachment disorders etc. The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare has now accepted EMDR therapy as an evidence-based approach for children.

For more information on receiving the basic training in EMDR therapy, visit:

If you would like to schedule and appointment with Ana Gomez to receive EMDR therapy please contact Ana Gomez directly at anag@anagomez.org or Jim Mason at 602-803-1797.

If you are interested in attending advanced workshops in EMDR therapy with children and adolescents, click here

If you live in a different area and are interested in receiving EMDR therapy, below are some sites where you can find EMDR therapists:

  • If you live in the US or anywhere in the world go to www.EMDR.com
  • If you want a therapist that is certified and is a consultant go to www.EMDR.com
    Clinicians that are certified have received 20 more hours of consultation with an approved consultant after completing their EMDR basic training and have been certified by the EMDR International Association. EMDR consultants have even more experience and have received more hours of consultation. They also provide consultation to other EMDR therapists. Please remember that the effectiveness of EMDR treatment also depends on how well the therapist knows how to use EMDR therapy.
  • If you live in Latin America or Central America go to www.EMDRiberoamerica.org
  • If you live in Europe go to www.emdr-europe.org
  • If you live in Asia go to https://emdr-asia.org
  • If you live in Australia go to https://emdraa.org

Make sure the therapist providing EMDR therapy has attended a training approved by the EMDR International association in the US or if you are going outside the US, that it is approved by the country’s main EMDR association.

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