What EMDR Is
EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. The VA’s National Center for PTSD describes it plainly: you pay attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound while you call to mind the upsetting memory.1 It is a trauma-focused psychotherapy, and it carries the strongest rating in the VA and Department of Defense clinical practice guideline for PTSD.2 It is delivered at Sol as part of treatment across three levels of care.
Many women first ask whether they will need to talk about what happened. The VA states that in most cases you will not be asked to talk about the details of your trauma.1 You still bring the memory to mind, but you are not required to narrate it.
What Actually Happens in a Session
The back-and-forth stimulation runs for about 30 seconds at a time, and sessions are 50 to 90 minutes, usually weekly.1 The VA notes EMDR requires no homework between sessions, which sets it apart from some other trauma therapies.1
The bilateral part is not always eye movements. The VA lists following the therapist’s hand with your eyes, a lightbar, tactile tappers or buzzers, self-tapping, headphones with auditory tones, and apps that guide eye movements.3 If tracking a hand is not workable for you, there are other ways.
On length of treatment, the VA states EMDR is typically administered in weekly sessions of up to 90 minutes over approximately three months.3 Every woman’s pace is different, so we do not promise a set number of sessions.
What the Evidence Actually Says
The VA and Department of Defense 2023 clinical practice guideline for PTSD recommends the individual, manualized trauma-focused psychotherapies: cognitive processing therapy, EMDR, or prolonged exposure. That recommendation carries the guideline’s strongest strength rating, “Strong for.”2
That guideline uses five strength categories: Strong for, Weak for, Neither for nor against, Weak against, Strong against.2 EMDR sits in the top one. It sits there alongside two other therapies rather than above them.
The World Health Organization’s guideline recommends that individual or group trauma-focused CBT, EMDR, or stress management should be considered for adults with PTSD, rating the quality of evidence for EMDR as moderate.4 The VA’s own summary notes EMDR has the highest recommendation across most clinical practice guidelines.3
The VA’s consumer page describes EMDR as one of the most effective types of treatment for PTSD.1
How EMDR Works, and What Is Still Being Studied
The theory is that PTSD symptoms result from trauma memories that were never adequately processed, and that bilateral stimulation restarts the ability to process them. The VA is careful with that framing, saying symptoms “are considered to” result from this and describing the proposed functions as proposed.3
The VA also states that there is controversy about the mechanism of action in EMDR, and about whether bilateral stimulation is needed at all.3
We share this so you have the full picture. EMDR is one of the therapies most strongly recommended for PTSD, and research into exactly how it works is still ongoing.
“Shifting core beliefs like self-blame matters because they take root in how a woman sees herself and her trauma, feeding shame and guilt. Easing symptoms brings real relief in the moment, and gently reshaping those beliefs is what allows for deeper healing, so a woman can hold a kinder, more accurate understanding of what happened and of who she is beyond it.”
Tania Acevedo, MA, LPCC, Founder and Chief Clinical Officer
What EMDR Is Not For
EMDR is sometimes offered for anxiety, depression, addiction, OCD and more, but the strongest guideline support for EMDR is for PTSD. The VA and Department of Defense guideline is a PTSD guideline. The WHO recommendation covers PTSD and acute stress. The Office on Women’s Health names EMDR under PTSD.
There is one adjacent finding worth stating accurately. The VA reports EMDR produces moderate to strong treatment effects for PTSD symptom reduction, depression symptom reduction and loss of PTSD diagnosis.3 That depression finding is about depression symptoms in people being treated for PTSD. It is not evidence that EMDR treats depression on its own.
If trauma is not the main focus of your care, other approaches may be a better fit for you. Read about CBT, DBT or the full set of therapies.
Who Delivers EMDR at Sol
EMDR at Sol is delivered one to one by Fabiola Pacheco, MSW, LCSW, an EMDRIA Certified Therapist. She works with women for whom EMDR is clinically appropriate, including women on our trauma-targeted track.
Training matters here. The World Health Organization’s guideline states that trauma-focused CBT and EMDR should be offered only in contexts where individuals are competent, meaning trained and supervised, to provide the therapies.4
EMDRIA certification requires full licensure for independent practice, completion of an EMDRIA-approved training in its entirety, at least 50 EMDR sessions with at least 25 clients, 20 hours of consultation with an EMDR consultant, and continuing education credits in EMDR.5
“Complex trauma and PTSD are life-altering. They can affect your overall wellbeing, your physical health, and your ability to feel close to others. That is why the early work matters so much: a certified EMDR therapist understands the emotional and physical imprint trauma leaves on the body, and helps you slow down and build the skills to stay steady, so your nervous system is never flooded as you move through your trauma. Complex PTSD and attachment wounds need that extra care and planning, and recognizing them is part of finding the right therapist for you.”
Fabiola Pacheco, MSW, LCSW, EMDR Therapist
Why This Matters for the Women Here
The Office on Women’s Health reports that women are about twice as likely as men to develop PTSD in their lifetimes, that about one woman in ten will develop it at some point, and that women with PTSD are more likely than men with PTSD to have been physically or sexually attacked.6 Among women who are raped, about half develop PTSD.6
The VA’s own prevalence figures put lifetime PTSD at 8.0% for women and 4.1% for men.7
A women-only program with a certified EMDR therapist is designed with these women in mind.
Read about PTSD or childhood trauma.
“A women-only environment can create a deeper sense of safety, comfort, and trust, especially for women whose trauma involved men. When a woman feels less guarded and more understood, she is often more able to be vulnerable, to take part in trauma processing, and to engage fully in her own healing.”
Tania Acevedo, MA, LPCC, Founder and Chief Clinical Officer
Starting Treatment
1
Call or Send Your Insurance Details
Admissions answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
2
Assessment
A clinician works out whether EMDR is appropriate for you and when in your treatment it fits.
3
Verify Your Insurance
We contact your plan and walk you through your benefits.
4
Start Date
Set around what your week can hold.
EMDR is not always started immediately. Where someone is very early in stabilizing, a clinician may build other work first. If that happens it is a clinical judgment about timing, not a refusal.
In crisis right now? Call or text 988.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our admissions line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (951) 972-5085.
Does EMDR Work for PTSD?
EMDR is one of the therapies most strongly recommended for PTSD. The VA and Department of Defense 2023 clinical practice guideline gives its strongest rating, “Strong for,” to the individual manualized trauma-focused psychotherapies, naming cognitive processing therapy, EMDR and prolonged exposure. The World Health Organization also recommends it be considered for adults with PTSD.
Do I Have to Talk About What Happened?
The VA states that in most cases you will not be asked to talk about the details of your trauma. You do bring the memory to mind during the session, but narrating it is not the mechanism the way it is in some other therapies.
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
The VA states EMDR is typically delivered in weekly sessions of up to 90 minutes over approximately three months. There is no fixed session count, and your pace is worked out with you.
Is It Always Eye Movements?
No. The VA lists following the therapist’s hand, a lightbar, tactile tappers or buzzers, self-tapping, auditory tones through headphones, and guided apps. If eye movement does not suit you, other forms of the same stimulation are used.
How Does EMDR Work?
Research into exactly how EMDR works is still ongoing. The theory is that trauma memories were never adequately processed and that bilateral stimulation restarts that processing, and the VA frames that as a model rather than a fact. The VA also states there is controversy about the mechanism and about whether the bilateral stimulation is needed. What is well established is that EMDR is one of the therapies most strongly recommended for PTSD.
Can EMDR Treat My Anxiety or Depression?
The strongest guideline support for EMDR is for PTSD, rather than for anxiety or depression on their own. The VA does report improvement in depression symptoms among people treated with EMDR for PTSD, which is a different question.
Who Delivers EMDR at Sol?
Fabiola Pacheco, MSW, LCSW, an EMDRIA Certified Therapist, delivers EMDR one to one. The World Health Organization’s guideline is explicit that EMDR should only be offered by people trained and supervised to provide it.
Does Insurance Cover EMDR?
It is delivered as part of your program rather than billed separately, so what matters is how your plan covers your level of care. Sol accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, CareFirst, Cigna, UC SHIP and UnitedHealthcare. Sol can often work with HMO policies through a single case agreement. Sol does not accept Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Medicare, Molina, IEHP, Kaiser, TRICARE or TriWest. Every plan is different, so the quickest way to know is to verify your insurance. Our admissions team responds within 24 hours.
Show all 8 questions
Trauma Therapy With Strong Guideline Support, From a Certified EMDR Therapist
Whether EMDR belongs in your plan, and when, is decided at assessment. Asking about it is a reasonable first question.
4175 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501
Confidential, gentle and pressure-free. You never need to promise anything on the phone.
Sources7
- 1.US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/emdr.asp
- 2.US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder, 2023, Recommendation 8. https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/ptsd/
- 3.US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. EMDR for PTSD, provider section. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/emdr_pro.asp
- 4.World Health Organization. Guidelines for the Management of Conditions Specifically Related to Stress, Recommendation 14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK159721/
- 5.EMDR International Association. A Guide to EMDR Certification Requirements. https://www.emdria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/A-Guide-to-EMDR-Certification-Requirements.pdf
- 6.Office on Women’s Health, US Department of Health and Human Services. Post-traumatic stress disorder. https://womenshealth.gov/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder
- 7.US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Research on Women, Trauma, and PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/specific/ptsd_research_women.asp
Medical Disclaimer
This page is educational and is not medical advice. Whether EMDR is appropriate for any individual, and when in treatment it should begin, is a clinical judgment made at assessment. Sol Women’s Treatment is certified by the California Department of Health Care Services for outpatient and intensive outpatient services, certification 330246AP, and licensed by the California Department of Social Services, facility 331881576, and does not provide detox, inpatient or residential care. No two women respond identically and nothing here promises a result. In a medical emergency call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.