EMDR is the acronym for “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing” which means: Desensitization and Re-processing through eye movements.
This is a therapeutic technique developed from the intuition of the researcher Francine Shapiro (1987).
The American Psychologist noticed that – when very negative thoughts crossed her mind – her eyes started to move faster in a rhythmic way and in a diagonal direction.
She then assumed that there was a link between thought and eye movement.
She then began to observe how the thoughts that disturbed her appeared and under what conditions they lost their negative charge.
As she studied the use of eye movements, she realized that – thanks to particular movements – it was possible to reduce the negative emotions associated with a thought or a memory.
He later began to experiment with victims of severe traumatic experiences, such as survivors of fatal accidents or natural disasters.

Prerequisites.
Before we go into the technology, it is important to consider two important prerequisites for EMDR: Each person is naturally able to process traumatic experiences.
Just as the digestive system helps to dispose of substances that are unnecessary or harmful to the body, in order to retain only the fuel needed to live, so our brain – which like the stomach and intestines is an organ – should retain only useful information and free itself from painful or frightening contents.
However, it is not always easy to do so without help.
When a painful and traumatic experience is not processed and “metabolized”, it remains as “frozen” in the brain and continues to activate the same sensations that a person has experienced at the time of “trauma“, such as fear, but also physical symptoms (nausea, stomach pain, tachycardia).
Sensations, thoughts and images therefore return to disturb the serenity of the person through: nightmares, intrusive thoughts or memories, states of agitation, etc..
The EMDR wants to reactivate the natural ability of people to process the trauma, in a kind of path of self-healing, which aims to unlock the contents “frozen” and to rework them in order to neutralize the negative symptoms.
What happens during the session?
During the session the patient is invited to remember the event and recall the feelings experienced.
In the meantime, the therapist will stimulate the patient through rhythmic movements of the eyes, accompanied by the tapping of the fingers, or acoustic stimulation.
By stimulating the patient in this way, communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain is promoted and the excitatory/inhibitory balance used to process information is re-established.
This technique is applied with people who have survived accidents, earthquakes or other tragedies (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), or who have suffered violence or bereavement, but also in cases of psychological suffering and stressful events, such as a disappointment of love or loss of work.