EMDR for Children and Adults with PTSD
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (also known as EMDR) is used in therapeutic approaches to help people face their trauma by using an 8-step treatment plan. During an EMDR session, participants are instructed to complete bilateral stimulation, which is usually saccadic eye movements, which desensitizes the participant and relieves discomfort (Valiente-Gómez et al., 2017). By using EMDR techniques, the participant is able to reprocess their traumatic experiences and work through them. EMDR is beneficial for PTSD in adults, children, and teens due to the ability to work through their trauma in a controlled way. Within EMDR, there are 8 phases that are used during treatment. The 8 stages are history taking, preparation, assessment, desensitisation, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation (Rousseau, 2025). These stages are necessary for EMDR therapy because it helps the participant to take back their trauma and work through it.
When discussing the benefits of EMDR across all ages, it is important to understand how it can differ for each age group. Specifically, for children, EMDR can be beneficial because there is no at-home work for them to complete. EMDR is used only in professional sessions and cannot be done at home. This is beneficial for children because they will not feel that they do not want to do it because they have been practising at home, making the effects stronger. Not having the option for homework can influence children to want to do it more in a professional setting because they will not feel pressured to do it at home as well. EMDR is also important for adults because they can work through their past trauma in a new mindset. In one session, a participant noted that they “felt each and every step of it (their traumatic event) now. Now it is like a whole, instead of fragments, so it is more manageable” (van der Kolk, 2014, p.g. 370). By having EMDR, participants are able to relive their trauma in a controlled environment and respond in a different way.
When it comes to EMDR, I find it very compelling because of the ability that it has to help people live through their traumas. EMDR allows people to look at their trauma from a new perspective, allowing them to understand more deeply what happened and hopefully giving them the ability to move forward. Although EMDR has had successful results and has been shown to be effective, it is still debated on if it actually works (Rousseau, 2025). EMDR is a practice that is fairly new in comparison to other forms of treatment options. It has also been found that EMDR has been successful in the treatment of phobias like flight anxiety, but whether or not it’s related to PTSD (Valiente-Gómez et al., 2017). This being said, it can be successful in treating phobias that could have been caused by trauma, like if someone survived a plane crash and they have a fear of flying now. In regards to EMDR specifically for children, it has been found to be effective when treating PTSD symptoms (Rodenburg, 2009). The reason why this could be is because children sometimes do not know how to express their emotions in the same manner as adults.
Overall, when it comes to EMDR practices, the treatment itself is still relatively new. Some claim that there are great successes that come from EMDR. It is hard for researchers to determine if it is a reliable practice because you can not really compare it to another therapeutic approach. EMDR can vary in success depending on the individual who is receiving the treatment. For some, it might not be as successful as other therapeutic approaches, but for others, it can be life-changing. Overall, EMDR is an approach that should be studied more deeply, allowing participants to be able to utilize it in the best way possible.
References
Rodenburg, R., Benjamin, A., de Roos, C., Meijer, A. M., & Jan Stams, G. (2009, January 3). Efficacy of EMDR in children: A meta-analysis – sciencedirect. Clinical Psychology Review. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735809000890
Rousseau, D. (2025). Module 6 Trauma And Criminal Justice System [Lesson 4.3]. Blackboard@BU.
Valiente-Gómez, A., Moreno-Alcázar, A., Treen, D., Cedrón, C., Colom, F., Amann, B. L., & Pérez, V. (2017, September 25). EMDR BEYOND PTSD: A systematic literature review. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01668/full
Van Der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Amazon Kindle.