You have read that EMDR helps with trauma. Maybe a friend had it, or your GP mentioned it, or you found it while searching at two in the morning for something that might make the memory of that hospital admission loosen its grip. Then you hit the obvious question. EMDR involves someone moving their hand in front of your eyes. How is that supposed to work through a laptop?
It is a fair question, and the short answer is that it works well. This post covers what the evidence says, how the practical side is adapted for video, what you need at home, when online is not the right fit, and how to find someone in the UK who is properly trained.
If you want to know what happens inside a session, I have written about that separately in your first EMDR session: what actually happens. This post is about the online part.
Does EMDR work online?
Yes. Before 2020, most EMDR happened in a room. When that stopped being possible, therapists moved online quickly and researchers followed. Several studies published since then have compared online EMDR with in-person EMDR for PTSD and found similar reductions in symptoms. Dropout rates were also similar, which matters, because trauma therapy only works if people stay in it.
That fits what I see in practice. The thing that makes EMDR work is the structured processing of a memory whilst your attention is split by bilateral stimulation. Where you are sitting when that happens is much less important than whether the therapist is trained, the preparation has been done, and you feel safe enough to start.
EMDR is recommended by NICE for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults. NICE does not restrict that recommendation to in-person delivery.
Quick tip: If a therapist tells you EMDR cannot be done online, that tells you something about their training and setup rather than about EMDR. Plenty of EMDR Association accredited practitioners now work primarily or entirely online.
How the eye movements work on a screen
In the room, a therapist moves their fingers from side to side and you follow with your eyes. Online, there are three common substitutes.
A moving dot on your screen. Purpose-built software puts a dot or light bar on your screen that moves side to side at a speed the therapist controls. You follow it with your eyes. This is the closest match to in-person eye movements and is what I use most often.
Tapping. You tap alternately on your own knees or shoulders, or cross your arms and tap your upper arms in what is sometimes called the butterfly hug. The therapist sets the pace. Some people prefer this to eye movements regardless of whether they are online or not.
Sound. Alternating tones through headphones, left ear then right. This is used less often but suits some people well.
The therapist watches you throughout, checks in between sets, and adjusts. The processing part of EMDR is identical. Only the delivery of the stimulation changes.
What you need at home
Not much, but the few things matter.
A private space. Somewhere you will not be interrupted or overheard for the length of the session. A car parked somewhere quiet works if home does not.
A stable connection and a device with a decent screen. A laptop or tablet is better than a phone, mostly because the eye movement software needs screen width and because your therapist needs to see your face clearly.
Headphones. They keep the session private and make it easier to hear the therapist without distraction.
A plan for after. EMDR sessions can leave you tired or a little raw for an hour or two. In a clinic you would have a walk to the car or the bus home to settle. At home, that buffer does not exist unless you build it. Do not go straight back into work or the school run. Give yourself twenty minutes.
A plan for if the connection drops. Agree this with your therapist before you start processing. Usually it is simple: they will phone you, and you have grounding steps to use in the meantime.
Wondering whether online EMDR could work for what you are carrying? A free consultation is the right place to ask.
When online is not the right fit
Online EMDR is not for everyone, and a good therapist will tell you honestly if it is not right for you now.
It is generally not the first choice if you dissociate heavily, meaning you lose contact with the present in a way that would be hard to manage without someone physically in the room. It is harder if you have nowhere private to do it. It may not be right if you are in the middle of a crisis, are not sleeping at all, or are drinking or using substances to cope. None of those rule EMDR out permanently. They mean the preparation phase needs to be longer, or something else needs to come first.
The assessment at the start is where this gets worked out. If a therapist agrees to start processing in your first session online without knowing anything about your history or your current safety, that is a reason to look elsewhere.
How to find an EMDR therapist in the UK
The word EMDR is not protected. Anyone can put it on a website. Here is how to check.
Look for EMDR Association UK accreditation. The EMDR Association UK keeps a directory. Their levels run from Practitioner, meaning someone who has completed an approved training, through Accredited Practitioner and Consultant, which involve supervised practice and assessment. Accredited Practitioner or above means someone has done a meaningful amount of EMDR under supervision.
Check their core registration. EMDR is a training, not a profession. The person offering it should also be registered somewhere as a therapist: the BABCP, the HCPC, the UKCP, or the BACP. That is the body you would go to if something went wrong.
Ask what they specialise in. EMDR for a single road accident is different work from EMDR for years of frightening medical treatment. If your trauma is medical, ask directly whether they have worked with that. I have written about EMDR for medical trauma and how it differs from trauma-focused CBT if you want more on that.
Ask about the online setup. What software do they use for bilateral stimulation? What is their plan if the connection drops? How do they handle the end of a session? Confident, specific answers are a good sign.
NHS or private?
EMDR is available on the NHS. In England, NHS Talking Therapies services offer it for PTSD, and you can refer yourself without going through your GP. Waiting times vary a great deal, and the number of sessions is usually fixed.
Privately, a session in the UK typically costs somewhere between £80 and £150. Many private health insurers cover EMDR for PTSD, usually with a GP referral and a session limit. If you have cover through work, it is worth a call to find out.
A final note
Nobody arrives at EMDR because things are going well. If you are reading this, something has happened that your mind has not been able to file away, and you are trying to work out whether this particular approach, delivered through a screen, could help. The honest answer is that for most people with most kinds of trauma, it can. The screen is not the barrier. Finding someone properly trained, and being ready to start, matters far more.
Ready to talk it through?
I offer EMDR online across the UK, with a particular focus on medical trauma and the long tail of healthcare experiences that did not go to plan.
Fifteen minutes, no commitment. We will talk about what happened, what you are hoping for, and whether EMDR is the right fit.
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