An Army veteran with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder spent three years trying different treatments offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Medications helped some. Traditional talk therapy felt like digging through the same ground over and over. Then a provider mentioned EMDR. Twelve weeks later, the nightmares stopped. The hypervigilance eased. For the first time since deployment, he could drive without constantly scanning for IEDs.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) sounds complicated, but the treatment itself is straightforward. And for veterans dealing with PTSD, it offers something other therapies don’t: a way to process trauma without having to verbally relive every detail.
The VA endorses EMDR as a first-line treatment for PTSD. It’s available at many VA medical centers. But not enough veterans know to ask for it.
What EMDR Actually Does
EMDR works by helping your brain reprocess traumatic memories. The memories don’t disappear. They just stop triggering the same intense physical and emotional reactions.
The theory behind it is called adaptive information processing. When trauma happens, your brain sometimes stores the memory differently than other experiences. The memory gets stuck, so to speak, and doesn’t integrate with the rest of your life experiences. Then when something triggers that memory, your brain reacts like the trauma is happening right now.
EMDR unsticks those memories. It helps your brain file them away as past events instead of present threats.
The mechanics involve bilateral stimulation. That’s therapist-speak for moving your eyes side to side, listening to alternating tones in each ear, or feeling alternating taps on each hand. You focus on the traumatic memory while the bilateral stimulation happens. The distress drops. New insights come up. The memory loses its grip.
Nobody fully understands why it works. The best explanation is that the bilateral stimulation mimics what happens during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, when your brain naturally processes information and consolidates memories.
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The Research on Veterans
A 1998 study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress treated combat veterans with PTSD using EMDR. After 12 sessions, 78% no longer met the full diagnostic criteria for PTSD. The dropout rate was zero. Compare that to other PTSD treatments from which 30% to 40% of veterans drop out before finishing.
More recent studies back this up. A 2018 study compared intensive daily EMDR treatment (twice a day for 10 days) against weekly EMDR sessions. Both groups showed significant symptom reduction that lasted at least a year. The intensive format worked just as well as weekly sessions, which matters for veterans who want to complete treatment faster.
A 2025 study looked at 279 veterans who received EMDR either in person or via telehealth. Both groups showed large improvements in PTSD and depression symptoms. In-person treatment produced slightly better results, but telehealth still worked well. That’s important for rural veterans who can’t easily get to a VA medical center.
The VA’s clinical practice guidelines give EMDR the highest recommendation for PTSD treatment. So do the World Health Organization, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and most other major medical organizations.
What Makes EMDR Different From Other PTSD Treatments
Prolonged exposure therapy asks you to repeatedly describe your trauma in detail. The theory is that repeated exposure reduces fear. It works for some veterans. Others find it unbearable.
Cognitive processing therapy focuses on changing how you think about the trauma. You write detailed accounts. You complete homework assignments between sessions. Again, effective for some. Not everyone wants to write about their trauma or has time for homework.
EMDR doesn’t require detailed verbal descriptions of what happened. You can keep the specifics to yourself. Some veterans can’t talk about certain events because the information is classified. Others don’t want to burden their therapist with graphic details. EMDR lets you process the memory without speaking it out loud.
There’s no homework. No writing assignments. No practice exposures between sessions. You show up. You do the work in session. You leave.
Treatment typically consists of about three months of weekly 60- to 90-minute sessions. Some veterans see improvement after just a few sessions. Others need longer. The VA tailors treatment length to individual needs.
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How EMDR Sessions Work
The first phase of EMDR involves preparation. Your therapist explains PTSD, describes what’s understood about how EMDR works, and teaches you coping skills for managing distress. You identify the memories you want to target and the negative beliefs attached to them.
Then comes the processing. You focus on a specific traumatic memory, the image that represents it, the negative belief about yourself connected to it, and where you feel it in your body. Your therapist starts the bilateral stimulation. You let whatever comes to mind surface. After 30 seconds or so, the therapist stops and asks what you noticed. You describe any changes. The process repeats until the distress drops significantly.
Eventually, you pair the memory with a positive belief. Instead of, “I’m powerless,” you work toward, “I did what I could” or, “I’m safe now.” The goal isn’t to pretend the trauma didn’t happen. It’s to change how your brain stores and responds to the memory.
The final phases involve checking that the work sticks and preparing you to handle future triggers.
How to Access EMDR Through the VA
EMDR is available at many VA medical centers, particularly those with specialized PTSD programs. Availability varies by location. Some VA facilities have multiple EMDR-trained providers. Others have waiting lists.
Start by talking to your VA primary care provider or mental health provider. Tell them you’re interested in EMDR for PTSD. They can refer you to a provider trained in the technique or help you access it through community care if the VA doesn’t offer it locally.
You can also call your local VA medical center and ask for the mental health clinic. Request an appointment for PTSD assessment and mention your interest in EMDR specifically. Some facilities run specialized PTSD programs that offer EMDR as a treatment option.
Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling, and some offer EMDR. These are separate from VA medical centers and focus specifically on combat veterans and their families. Find your nearest Vet Center at VA.gov.
If your local VA doesn’t offer EMDR or has long wait times, ask about community care. The VA can authorize treatment with civilian providers in some cases. Tricare also covers EMDR with in-network providers.
The EMDR International Association maintains a therapist directory at emdria.org. You can search by location for certified EMDR therapists. Not all accept VA referrals or Tricare, but many do.
What EMDR Doesn’t Do
EMDR won’t erase your memories. Veterans sometimes worry the therapy will make them forget their experiences or dishonor their service. That’s not how it works. The memories remain. They just stop controlling your life.
EMDR doesn’t work for everyone. Some veterans don’t respond to it. Others prefer different treatments. That’s fine. The VA offers multiple evidence-based PTSD treatments. If EMDR doesn’t work for you, cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure are also available.
EMDR also doesn’t replace other parts of PTSD treatment. You might still benefit from medication for sleep or depression. You might need substance use treatment if you’ve been self-medicating. EMDR addresses the traumatic memories specifically.
Why More Veterans Should Know About This
Seventeen veterans die by suicide every day. Many of them have untreated or undertreated PTSD. The treatments exist. They work. But veterans can’t access treatments they don’t know about.
EMDR offers advantages over other PTSD therapies for certain veterans. You don’t have to talk in detail about classified operations. You don’t need to complete homework if your life is chaotic. You don’t have to endure prolonged exposure to painful memories. The treatment respects your privacy and your need for control.
The research shows it works. The VA endorses it. Many VA facilities offer it. The main barrier is awareness.
If you’ve tried other PTSD treatments and they didn’t work, or if you’ve avoided treatment because you don’t want to talk about your trauma, ask your VA provider about EMDR. You can also bring it up during a mental health appointment or call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1 to discuss treatment options.
The VA has a PTSD Treatment Decision Aid online at ptsd.va.gov that explains EMDR and other treatments. You can compare options and print a summary to share with your provider.
PTSD doesn’t have to be permanent. The treatments that work best are trauma-focused therapies such as EMDR. They address the root cause instead of just managing symptoms.
If you haven’t asked about EMDR yet, ask.
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