Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Therapeutic approach to reframe traumatic memories
Description
Introduction
EMDR is a therapeutic method used to treat traumatic memories and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), based on the idea that eye movements, similar to those observed during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, can help in the processing of traumatic memories. EMDR activates the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which are responsible for reorganizing memory and actively regulating emotions, promoting desensitization to trauma-related stimuli. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the EMDR technique in the treatment of symptoms of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents.
Methodology
This study is a longitudinal, retrospective, and analytical analysis of 45 patients between 12 and 21 years of age diagnosed with OCD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V. Data were obtained between January 2017 and January 2022, in outpatient care at the University Hospital of Brasília and the AME/Mental Assistance clinic. Ten patients resistant to treatments such as pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy were evaluated using the (Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) Y-BOCS technique before and after EMDR.
Results
The sample subjected to the EMDR technique had a prior history of emotional trauma. After 10 sessions, 70% of the participants, according to the Y-BACS scale, showed improvement in time spent, anguish, and resistance to obsessions and compulsions, positively influencing the patients’ daily lives.
Conclusions
EMDR proved to be effective, especially in treating OCD with trauma. The small sample size of this study limited the results.
EMDR is a therapeutic method used to treat traumatic memories and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), based on the idea that eye movements, similar to those observed during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, can help in the processing of traumatic memories. EMDR activates the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which are responsible for reorganizing memory and actively regulating emotions, promoting desensitization to trauma-related stimuli. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the EMDR technique in the treatment of symptoms of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents.
Methodology
This study is a longitudinal, retrospective, and analytical analysis of 45 patients between 12 and 21 years of age diagnosed with OCD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V. Data were obtained between January 2017 and January 2022, in outpatient care at the University Hospital of Brasília and the AME/Mental Assistance clinic. Ten patients resistant to treatments such as pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy were evaluated using the (Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) Y-BOCS technique before and after EMDR.
Results
The sample subjected to the EMDR technique had a prior history of emotional trauma. After 10 sessions, 70% of the participants, according to the Y-BACS scale, showed improvement in time spent, anguish, and resistance to obsessions and compulsions, positively influencing the patients’ daily lives.
Conclusions
EMDR proved to be effective, especially in treating OCD with trauma. The small sample size of this study limited the results.
Format
Conference
Language
English
Original Work Citation
Proceedings, 137(1), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2026137069. Tupina Almeida, J. C. T., Gomes, P. G. R., Ferreira, D. C., Cardoso, D. M., Bellorio, K. P., Santos, C. G., & Aucélio, C. N. (Year). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Therapeutic approach to reframe traumatic memories. Presented at the 6th International Congress on Health Innovation—INOVATEC 2025, Hybrid, 21–23 November 2025.
Collection
Citation
“Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Therapeutic approach to reframe traumatic memories,” Francine Shapiro Legacy Library, accessed May 16, 2026, https://francineshapirolibrary.omeka.net/items/show/30440.