There are many forms of therapy nowadays. This is because different mental health issues can be tackled differently. Some may be more beneficial for depression, like CBT or a subgenre may be used for something like OCD, with ERP therapy being the gold standard. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, otherwise known more commonly as EMDR trauma therapy, can be used to assess painful experiences. In most cases, traumatic memories, through a unique process, can take away the emotional significance of that memory. It works as the therapist will have the patient recall a memory that they have endured that has brought them pain and trauma. While they focus on that specific memory, the therapist will do an exercise to have the patient follow something moving only their eyes. The idea is that this form of psychotherapy will help the patient resolve trauma from their life. Making the memory of the instant less powerful. This will help the patient overcome this issue using the brain’s natural processing system. This system of processing and storing new information happens during REM sleep. Traumatic events can disrupt this process and become a roadblock. The memory is stored in the limbic system. By using bilateral stimulation, the brain can process this stored memory. Due to the nature of this form of therapy, it is easy to see why combining complex PTSD and EMDR can be greatly beneficial. Given its ability to target deeply rooted traumatic memories, it is clear why EMDR therapy can be highly beneficial, particularly for individuals with complex PTSD.
Is EMDR Appropriate for PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a serious condition that affects 6% of the population. Most people will suffer some sort of trauma in their lifetime, but that does not guarantee them to be afflicted with PTSD. Usually, for PTSD to develop, one needs to be involved in a dangerous and even life-threatening situation. The brain cannot process this event properly, and it becomes stored in your limbic system, disrupting how the mind processes it. This can bring back painful memories and even flashbacks. It can alter one’s emotions and even weigh in on certain decisions or choices that a person makes based on the trauma experienced.
So, how do complex PTSD and EMDR fit into the resolution for someone with this condition? EMDR is suggested for PTSD and has shown great results. In fact, according to the Cleveland Clinic, The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense in the United States place the title of “best practice” on EMDR for veterans whose lives have been impacted by PTSD. This form of therapy uses your brain’s natural process of handling and processing memories during REM sleep using bilateral stimulation. The therapist may use their fingers or a light to ask the patient to follow while focusing on the traumatic memory. They can also use tapping and even special remotes to administer the stimulation.
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Call 949-625-0564Is CBT or EMDR More Effective for PTSD?
CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and then changing negative behavior and thoughts. The main focus here is the idea that our thoughts and the way we feel about ourselves are connected. Behaviors, feelings, and thoughts are all interconnected, and identifying these thought patterns could, in turn, improve how we feel and behave.
Both CBT and EMDR are effective treatments for PTSD; however, according to the National Library of Medicine, a study was done on the effects of both therapies on patients with PTSD. The meta-analysis says a better success rate for reducing PTSD symptoms and anxiety. However, there is not always just one way to go about the treatment of a mental health issue, and the preferred method mainly comes down to the patient’s preference.
When it comes down to it, CBT is more suited for patients who want to explore their thoughts and learn coping methods that can, in turn, help change behaviors and thoughts to a more desired path. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help those who find it difficult to talk about past trauma and the stress it brings. When it comes to complex PTSD treatment using EMDR, this form of therapy can be the more successful path with its unique approach to diving into traumatic subjects and memories.
How Effective Is EMDR in Treating PTSD?
The theory of Adaptive Information Processing states that humans process new situations and experiences by utilizing existing emotions in their memory networks. When something traumatic happens, it interferes with memory processing and storage. This becomes an issue when new emotions and information are experienced, and therefore, PTSD is the result. So then, when using the bilateral stimulation administered through EMDR, the mind can re-stimulate the stored memory and process it within the normal process. So, what is the effectiveness of this form of therapy? EMDR has proven to be more effective in treating PTSD throughout multiple studies. It has been able to be shown to be more effective than CBT as well as medication. It also is highly effective for veterans suffering from PTSD.
How Many Sessions of EMDR Do You Need for PTSD?
EMDR sessions are usually conducted weekly for roughly three months and last about 90 minutes. This is just an approximation; treatment can fluctuate based on the needs of the patient, the extent of the trauma, and the response seen with this form of therapy.
It starts with a thorough dive into the history of the patient and the traumatic events they have undergone. The patient is introduced to bilateral stimulation using tapping, lights, or just finger movement. They are told to focus on an “image” or memory that is traumatic as well as a negative cognition about themselves. They then rate the stress and anxiety levels they feel. Then, the patient is asked to have a positive cognition about themselves that they would like to believe and to give feedback on their feelings.
Now, the patient focuses on that memory, and with bilateral stimulation, the desensitization process begins. Over time, the memory will begin to be processed, and the stress and anxiety associated with it should diminish. This is done until the PTSD associated with the memory has been overcome. The patient will then move on to other PTSD moments if they exist.
Access Treatment for Complex PTSD and EMDR Conditions at Moment of Clarity
PTSD can manifest in many forms. No two individuals experience the same traumatic event in the same way, but what they share is the profound impact of trauma that can create significant roadblocks in their lives. When the brain cannot process a horrific moment, the memory remains stored in the mind, amplifying its effects and eventually influencing future decisions. This unresolved trauma can hold people back, preventing them from moving forward.
EMDR treatment may be the key to unlocking the mind, allowing it to process these events and facilitate healing. Through bilateral stimulation, a therapist can guide the patient in revisiting the traumatic event and working through it in a way that promotes resolution.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a trauma-related disorder, consider exploring whether complex PTSD and EMDR treatment might be a helpful step in the journey toward overcoming the emotional issue. Reach out to Moment of Clarity today at 949-625-0564 to see if this therapy could support your path to healing.
External Sources
- Cleveland Clinic – EMDR Therapy
- National Library of Medicine – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy versus Eye Movement Desensitization
- U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD
Frequently Asked Questions
We have the answers you're looking for
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for complex PTSD is a phased trauma treatment approach that uses bilateral stimulation to facilitate reprocessing of traumatic memories stored in incomplete, highly activated form. For complex PTSD from repeated developmental trauma, EMDR is delivered within a carefully sequenced three-phase model: stabilization using DBT and resource installation to build self-regulation capacity; reprocessing of foundational traumatic memories and the negative beliefs they generated; and integration of reprocessed material into a coherent positive self-narrative. EMDR is endorsed as a first-line PTSD treatment by the American Psychological Association and World Health Organization. Call 949-625-0564.
Complex PTSD develops from repeated exposure to traumatic experiences, particularly beginning in childhood during formative developmental periods, producing broader disturbances in emotional regulation, identity, interpersonal functioning, and self-concept beyond the core PTSD symptom clusters of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Single-incident PTSD from a discrete event has a more circumscribed presentation with identifiable trauma-related triggers and typically responds more quickly to EMDR. Complex PTSD involves pervasive shame, difficulty trusting others, profound disruptions in sense of self, and chronic emotional dysregulation reflecting how repeated trauma during development shapes personality and attachment.
The EMDR eight-phase protocol for complex PTSD includes Phase 1 history taking and treatment planning; Phase 2 preparation including DBT resource installation and explaining the procedure; Phase 3 assessment establishing the target memory, negative cognition, emotions, and body sensation; Phase 4 desensitization using bilateral stimulation while holding memory elements in mind until distress reduces; Phase 5 installation strengthening the positive cognition replacing the negative one; Phase 6 body scan checking for residual somatic tension; Phase 7 closure returning the patient to equilibrium at session end; and Phase 8 reevaluation at the next session assessing consolidation since last session. For complex trauma, the preparation phase is substantially extended before active reprocessing begins.
EMDR treatment for complex PTSD takes significantly longer than for single-incident PTSD, typically spanning months to years of sustained treatment rather than weeks. The stabilization phase alone, building the self-regulation capacity and therapeutic relationship needed for safe trauma processing, may span weeks to months. The reprocessing phase then works through multiple layers of interconnected traumatic memories and the negative core beliefs they generated, which takes considerably longer than processing a single traumatic event. Within IOP and PHP, the higher clinical frequency accelerates progress. The clinical team provides honest individualized timeline expectations based on each patient's history.
Bilateral stimulation in EMDR, which can be delivered through eye movements following the therapist's finger, auditory tones alternating between ears, or tactile taps alternating between hands, is believed to activate a process similar to REM sleep during which memories are integrated and processed. The alternating left-right stimulation is thought to engage both hemispheres simultaneously, facilitating the movement of traumatic memories from isolated, highly activated storage toward more normally integrated autobiographical memory. The exact neurological mechanism remains an area of ongoing research, but the clinical effectiveness of bilateral stimulation is well-established across hundreds of randomized controlled trials.
EMDR for complex PTSD with severe emotional dysregulation is safe when conducted within the carefully sequenced phased model that begins with extended stabilization before any trauma processing begins. Attempting reprocessing before adequate stabilization is established risks overwhelming the patient's capacity, producing re-traumatization. At Moment of Clarity, the stabilization phase uses DBT skills training to build distress tolerance and emotion regulation capacity, creating the self-regulatory foundation needed for safe reprocessing. The Window of Tolerance is assessed and respected throughout every EMDR session, with pacing adjusted to each patient's current capacity.
Yes, combining EMDR with DBT is the evidence-informed approach for complex PTSD at Moment of Clarity. DBT stabilization provides the emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills that create the safe internal foundation for EMDR trauma processing. The skills also enable patients to self-soothe between EMDR sessions when activated material continues to process. EMDR reprocessing reduces the trauma-related emotional triggers that make DBT skills practice so difficult, improving skills application and generalization. Together they address both the neurological storage of traumatic memory and the emotional regulation deficit that complex trauma creates, producing comprehensive treatment that neither approach achieves alone.
Patients undergoing EMDR for complex PTSD can expect a gradual, non-linear recovery trajectory in which traumatic memories progressively lose their overwhelming emotional charge and their ability to hijack daily functioning, core negative beliefs about self and the world gradually update toward more realistic and compassionate perspectives, emotional regulation improves as the overactivated trauma system becomes less easily triggered, and the capacity for genuine connection and presence in relationships returns as numbing and hypervigilance reduce. Recovery from complex PTSD is a sustained process and outcomes vary based on trauma severity, duration, and co-occurring conditions, but the majority of patients who engage consistently with treatment achieve meaningful and lasting improvement.
EMDR-informed trauma therapy at Moment of Clarity is covered by most major PPO plans and Tricare as part of outpatient mental health treatment benefits. Free insurance verification confirms your specific coverage. Call 949-625-0564.
Starting EMDR for complex PTSD begins with a free call to 949-625-0564. Free insurance verification confirms your PPO or Tricare coverage. A trauma-informed clinical assessment determines your trauma history, diagnosis, and treatment plan including EMDR sequencing. In-person at Tustin or Oceanside, and telehealth EMDR, are both available. Same-day consultations are offered.
