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Does Virtual EMDR therapy Work?

  • April Griffin
  • 8 hours ago
  • 3 min read

Woman smiling while using a laptop at a wooden desk. There's a lamp, books, a plant, and a framed picture in the cozy room. Warm mood.
Virtual EMDR therapy is effective and accessible

Since 2020 and the COVID pandemic, the rate of virtual therapy has skyrocketed. If you are a busy professional or student, chances are you have opted or looked into virtual therapy however you may have hesitated in seeking out EMDR therapy virtually based on the assumption that virtual EMDR may not be as effective or not work as well as EMDR therapy in-person.


Prior to the pandemic Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy was primarily conducted in-person and research into the effectiveness of virtual EMDR was only in the emergent phase.  Given this history it makes sense that many people are wondering whether doing EMDR therapy online will be effective.


Since the pandemic, research has increased to demonstrate the overall efficacy of virtual therapy overall, as well as the safety and efficacy of virtual EMDR therapy. 


 In this article I hope to share some of the research and answer questions you have about why virtual therapy is effective in EMDR therapy.



What is EMDR therapy?


Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps people heal from difficult life experiences including PTSD, Complex Trauma, Anxiety, and Phobias.  


It was developed in 1987 by Francine Shapiro and she and others continued to develop this revolutionary therapy and establish a strong research base with practitioners globally.


EMDR therapy is the process of working therapeutically with a client to heal emotional disturbances and trauma while bringing up emotionally distressing materials (memories and mental representations, as well as emotions and body sensations) while engaging in a dual attention task such as eye movements.  


This processing enables the decrease of distress of the disturbing materials and facilitates the connection to positive beliefs and self-concepts to facilitate emotional healing.



How does virtual EMDR therapy work differently than in-person EMDR therapy?


Virtual EMDR therapy follows the same standard protocol and steps as standard EMDR therapy that is provided in-person with a few adaptations.


When providing EMDR virtually, instead of following the therapist's hand on the screen you may follow a ball on a screen that goes back and forth using a secure virtual program.


Alternatively, or in addition to eye movements- you might do self-tapping such as tapping your shoulders, arms or legs. 



Is there evidence that EMDR therapy works as well online as in-person?


Yes, there are studies that show similar efficacy with online and in-person EMDR therapy.  A meta-analysis of over 16 studies has shown virtual EMDR therapy is both effective and acceptable to clients (Kaptan et al, 2024) though research is emerging and further comparative research is needed.  Some studies were retrospective case studies, while others compared virtual and in-person therapy, though limitations included sample size and lack of control groups.


Virtual EMDR has been widely adopted globally and therapists have utilized virtual EMDR therapy to work with emergency humanitarian needs as well as low-resource communities.



What are the risks or drawbacks of doing EMDR therapy virtually?


There are some risks of doing virtual EMDR therapy:

  • Connectivity issues, including dropped internet connections, poor sound and visual issues are possible

  • Reduced grounding support with the therapist not present in the room to provide in-office tools (ice packs, fidget items) 

  • Privacy issues in the environment, if conducting therapy in a shared space

  • Clients with a complex profile such as those who experience high suicidality may not be as best suited to this therapy due to needing a high degree of grounding and crisis support.


What are the benefits of engaging in EMDR therapy virtually?


The benefits to doing EMDR therapy virtually include 

  • doing therapy from the comfort of your own home

  • Being able to access grounding items such as pets or pillows that are familiar to you

  • Savings on time; less of a commute to and from the therapy office

  • The ability to connect with skillful and experienced EMDR therapists who are not in your city

  • Equitable access for low-resource and rural areas

  • All the healing benefits of doing EMDR therapy in-person


Ultimately it is important for prospective clients to weight the risks and benefits and ultimately personal preference when deciding between virtual and in-person EMDR therapy.


How can I find a virtual EMDR therapist?


We can help you today! 


Our team at Emotion Wise Counselling based out of Vancouver, British Columbia Canada can help you connect today with a skilled and experienced virtual EMDR therapist. 


We see currently clients across Canada in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta.





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