If you’ve been living with unprocessed trauma, you might not know how to get started healing. After all, there are so many approaches to therapy that it’s hard to know which to choose from. Two of the most popular psychotherapies right now are eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Though both have proven effective in treating various mental health issues, but they differ significantly in their methods and underlying principles.

The hallmark of EMDR is its use of bilateral stimulation. This just means movement of the eyes from one side to another as the client goes through the emotions surrounding their target memory. This can involve the client following their therapist’s fingers back and forth.

What is EMDR?

EMDR is a psychotherapy approach that focuses on processing distressing, traumatic memories to lessen the harm they have in a person’s life. Developed by Francine Shapiro in the late ’80s, it has since gained recognition for its effectiveness, particularly in the treatment of trauma-related disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The hallmark of EMDR is its use of bilateral stimulation. This just means movement of the eyes from one side to another as the client goes through the emotions surrounding their target memory. This can involve the client following their therapist’s fingers back and forth. The therapist may also use other cues, such as tapping or audio, to get the client’s eyes moving side to side. These rhythmic left-right movements are believed to mimic the natural process of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is how the brain processes memories. During trauma, our brains can “improperly” store memories of the event. These unresolved traumatic images, feelings, and thoughts are what negatively affect our mental health.

EMDR therapy involves eight phases through between six and 12 sessions, including:

history-taking
treatment planning
desensitization
installation of positive beliefs
mental body scan

Through these stages, the therapist helps the client reprocess traumatic memories, allowing them to adaptively integrate these experiences into their overall understanding of themselves and the world.

What is CBT?

CBT, on the other hand, is rooted in the concept that our thoughts, feelings, and actions are interconnected. It aims to identify and resolve harmful thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to our psychological distress.

CBT is a structured, goal-oriented therapy that empowers clients to recognize their distorted thinking patterns and replace them with more balanced, realistic thoughts. It focuses on the present moment, helping people develop coping strategies and problem-solving skills. In CBT, the therapist and client work collaboratively to set specific, achievable goals and monitor progress over time. Techniques a CBT therapist might use include:

relaxation techniques
journaling
mental distraction
challenging cognitive distortions
guided discovery

CBT is proven effective for a wide variety of mental health issues, including (but not limited to) anxiety, depression, eating disorders, relationship conflicts, substance abuse, grief, and trauma.

Differences between CBT and EMDR

Approaches to processing memories

EMDR directly targets distressing memories and aims to reprocess them, while CBT focuses on changing the thought patterns and behaviors associated with those memories.

The role of the therapist

In CBT, the therapist acts as a facilitator, helping their client identify and challenge their negative thought patterns and guiding them toward developing coping strategies. They may also assign “homework” to their client and encourage them to work on these strategies on their own. In EMDR, the therapist often takes a more active role in the more structured and goal-oriented sessions by preparing for and providing bilateral stimulation. Also, nearly all work will be done under the supervision of the therapist.

Duration of therapy

EMDR has a set structure and eight goals to work towards. It’s shorter than CBT, with a client finishing their sessions within several weeks. CBT can be either short- or long-term, depending on what the client needs.

Seeking therapy

No one should deal with trauma alone. Talk to a mental health professional to determine whether CBT or EMDR is right for you. Therapy can heal damaging, unprocessed memories and negative thoughts.

To learn more about EMDR and CBT, please reach out to us.

EMDR vs. CBT What Are The Differences?