EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing — is a therapeutic approach that has been transformative for thousands of people with trauma and, increasingly, addiction. If your loved one has been recommended EMDR as part of their treatment, or if you are considering it for yourself as a family member living through addiction, here is what you need to know.

What Is EMDR?

EMDR is a structured therapy developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It was originally developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — and in that context it is now one of the most evidence-supported treatments available, recommended by NICE, the American Psychological Association, and the World Health Organization.

EMDR works by having the person recall distressing memories or traumatic experiences while simultaneously engaging in bilateral sensory stimulation — most commonly tracking the therapist’s moving finger with their eyes, though tapping or auditory stimulation are also used. This bilateral stimulation appears to help the brain reprocess the memory in a way that reduces its emotional charge and allows it to be integrated more adaptively.

What EMDR Feels Like in Practice

EMDR sessions are structured and guided. The therapist begins with history taking and preparation — building the therapeutic relationship and teaching grounding and stabilisation techniques before any trauma processing begins. Processing sessions involve:

• Identifying a specific memory or distressing belief to work on
• Rating its current emotional intensity
• Engaging in sets of bilateral stimulation — 20–40 seconds of eye movements — while holding the memory in mind
• Noticing what emerges — images, emotions, body sensations, new thoughts
• Repeating until the memory’s emotional charge is significantly reduced

People often describe feeling lighter, less burdened, or as though a memory that previously felt overwhelming has become “just a memory” — still there, but no longer commanding the same emotional intensity.

The Link Between Trauma and Addiction

Research consistently finds that trauma — particularly childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — is one of the strongest predictors of addiction. The relationship is not coincidental:

• Substances provide relief from the hyperarousal, intrusive memories, and emotional numbing of unprocessed trauma
• Many people self-medicate PTSD symptoms with alcohol, opioids, or other substances before ever receiving a trauma diagnosis
• Treating addiction without addressing the underlying trauma frequently results in relapse — the unaddressed trauma continues to drive the urge to use

EMDR addresses the trauma directly — not by requiring extensive verbal processing of traumatic events, but by changing the way those events are held in the nervous system. This makes it particularly valuable for people who struggle with talk therapy or who find direct discussion of trauma overwhelming.

EMDR for Family Members

EMDR is not only available to people with addiction — it is increasingly used with family members who have experienced secondary trauma from witnessing their loved one’s addiction, overdoses, crises, or violence. If you have intrusive memories, hypervigilance, or flashbacks related to experiences you have had as a family member of an addict, EMDR may be worth exploring.

Online-Therapy.com connects you with qualified therapists and can be a starting point for accessing support that addresses both addiction’s impact on your family and any trauma you carry from the experience.

How to Find an EMDR Therapist

EMDR therapists are certified through the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) in the US and similar organisations in the UK and elsewhere. When seeking an EMDR therapist for addiction-related trauma, specifically seek someone with experience in both trauma and substance use — these are related but distinct specialisations.