Read the evidence in context
EMDR Research
EMDR has been studied extensively for post-traumatic stress disorder and continues to be investigated for other clinical applications and mechanisms of action. This library translates relevant research into clear summaries for clinicians and interested clients.
Last reviewed: September 12, 2026 · Selected sources, not an exhaustive literature search
Supported by a substantial body of research and relevant treatment guidelines.
Encouraging findings with important limits in size, certainty, or replication.
Too little reliable evidence for a confident conclusion about an application.
PTSD & trauma
The 2023 VA/DoD guideline recommends EMDR alongside cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure for PTSD. This is evidence for a structured psychotherapy delivered in a clinical context, not for a moving-dot tool used alone.
- National Center for PTSD. Overview of Psychotherapy for PTSD. Summary of the 2023 VA/DoD guideline.Clinical guideline summary
- World Health Organization (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress.Clinical guideline
- Bisson, J. I., Roberts, N. P., Andrew, M., Cooper, R., & Lewis, C. (2013). Psychological therapies for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (12), CD003388. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003388.pub4Systematic review
Eye movements, working memory & bilateral stimulation
Research has examined how eye movements may contribute to changes in emotional memories. Working-memory competition is one proposed explanation. Laboratory findings and clinical outcomes answer different questions, and no simple brain-hemisphere explanation settles the mechanism.
- Lee, C. W., & Cuijpers, P. (2013). A meta-analysis of the contribution of eye movements in processing emotional memories. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 44(2), 231–239. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2012.11.001Meta-analysis
- Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.Treatment manual
Depression
Selected reviews report encouraging findings for depressive symptoms and MDD. The studies are fewer and their certainty is lower than the PTSD evidence base. Evidence specifically addressing Persistent Depressive Disorder remains comparatively limited. These summaries do not establish EMDR as first-line care for depression.
- Carletto, S., et al. (2021). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1894736. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1894736Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Dominguez, S. K., Matthijssen, S. J. M. A., & Lee, C. W. (2021). Trauma-focused treatments for depression. A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 16(7), e0254778. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0254778Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Yan, S., et al. (2021). The Effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Toward Adults With Major Depressive Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 700458. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.700458Meta-analysis of randomized trials
Telehealth EMDR
A systematic review of remote EMDR studies describes a developing literature with varied designs and practical considerations. It does not establish equivalence for every population or setting. Suitability, privacy, connection-loss plans, and clinical support need individual consideration.
Questions about online careEmerging applications
EMDR has been investigated beyond PTSD, but evidence differs markedly by condition and study design. A list of applications should not be read as a list of equally established treatments.
Read beyond PTSDAnxiety & phobias
Dedicated summaries are not yet included in this curated library. We will add them after reviewing sufficient condition-specific evidence.