Maybe you’ve heard EMDR can help with trauma, and something in you thought, that might be what I need. Then the next thought: but I can’t get to an office. Maybe you’re exhausted, or the nearest EMDR therapist is an hour away, or the idea of sitting in a waiting room is its own kind of stress.
A question we hear often is whether EMDR can actually work over video. The short answer is that, for many people, yes, it can. Here’s what online EMDR looks like, what we know about it, and how to tell whether it might be a fit for you.
A quick refresher on EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured therapy that helps your brain reprocess painful memories so they carry less emotional charge. During part of the work, you briefly hold a memory in mind while following bilateral stimulation: eye movements, alternating taps, or sounds that go back and forth from left to right.
EMDR isn’t only for “big” traumas. It can also help with the smaller, repeated hurts that shaped how you see yourself, and with anxiety, grief, and depression that seem rooted in the past. (Natalie wrote more about this in 7 Benefits of EMDR Therapy You Didn’t Know About).
How EMDR works over video
The process is the same as in person. Your therapist still guides you through every phase, from getting to know your story and building coping skills to the reprocessing itself. What changes is how the back-and-forth stimulation happens. Online, that can look like:
• Following a moving dot or object on your screen with your eyes
• Tapping yourself, for example crossing your arms and alternating taps on your shoulders (sometimes called the “butterfly hug”)
• Listening to tones that alternate between your left and right ear through headphones
Your therapist watches, checks in, and paces the work with you in real time. You are never doing EMDR alone. The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), the professional body for EMDR in the U.S., is clear that virtual EMDR should be guided live by an EMDR-trained clinician, not done through self-guided apps or websites. Their guidelines also ask therapists to use secure, private platforms and to make a plan with you ahead of time for what happens if the connection drops or a session gets intense.
What the research says
Research on online EMDR is still growing, so we want to be honest about what’s known. One service evaluation from a traumatic stress service in Wales compared people who received EMDR for PTSD online with people who had received it in person the year before. They found no sign that online EMDR was less safe or less effective, and clients described feeling more in control and appreciated not having to travel. The study wasn’t randomized, so it can’t prove online is “just as good” for everyone. But it adds to what many EMDR therapists have seen in practice: for a lot of people, it works.
What can feel better about online EMDR
For some people, doing this work from home is actually easier. You might:
• Feel safer in your own space, with your blanket, your pet, or a cup of tea nearby
• Skip the drive, which matters a lot if you live with chronic illness, fatigue, or a packed schedule
• Rest right afterward instead of getting back in the car while you’re still processing
• Feel more in charge of the room, the lighting, and the sounds around you, which can help if you’re sensory-sensitive or neurodivergent
What to think about first
Online EMDR also asks a little more of your setup. Before you start, it helps to have:
• A private space where no one will walk in or overhear you
• A steady internet connection and, if possible, a laptop or tablet instead of a phone, so eye movements are easier to follow
• Headphones, especially if you’ll be using audio tones
• A little “landing time” after each session before you jump back into work, parenting, or a busy household
People in that same study mentioned privacy and missing the “in-between” time of a commute as their biggest challenges. Planning for both ahead of time can make a real difference.
Online EMDR may not be the right fit for everyone. If you dissociate often, are in an unsafe living situation, or don’t have a private place to talk, in-person sessions or a slower start might be better. That’s something we’ll talk through together, honestly and without pressure.
EMDR with Taíno Counseling
Both of our therapists, Natalie and Damaris, offer EMDR, including by telehealth. We see clients online across Utah and Florida, and in person at our Salt Lake City office if you’d rather be in the room. We have no waitlist, and ofrecemos terapia en español.
We’ll spend time getting to know you and building your sense of safety before any reprocessing begins. You set the pace. Learn more on our EMDR Therapy and Trauma Therapy pages, read about how we work with anxiety, or meet our therapists. Questions about cost or out-of-network benefits? Our FAQs can help.
If you’ve been carrying something heavy for a long time, reaching out takes courage. You don’t have to do it on your own. We’d be honored to stand alongside you.
This post is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. If you’re in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or chat at 988lifeline.org. In an emergency, call 911.
