Things to Know about EMDR in 2026
- EMDR therapy was discovered in 1987 by Dr. Francine Shapiro during a walk in a park in California.
- It was originally designed to treat PTSD and trauma and remains one of the most effective tools for that purpose.
- EMDR is now practiced in over 130 countries and used by millions of people worldwide
- Public figures including Sandra Bullock and Miley Cyrus have spoken openly about their EMDR experiences, bringing mainstream attention to the therapy
Read the full guide below to know about who created EMDR and How was EMDR discovered.
Who Created EMDR?
EMDR was created by Dr. Francine Shapiro, an American psychologist who discovered its effects in 1987. What began as a simple observation during a walk in the park grew into a therapy now used around the world to help people heal from trauma.
How Was EMDR Discovered?
EMDR was discovered by accident in 1987, through a personal observation by Dr. Francine Shapiro during a walk in a California park. She noticed that specific eye movements reduced the emotional intensity of her own distressing thoughts; a spontaneous observation that she then systematically tested and developed into a full therapeutic protocol.
The therapy she developed has eight structured phases, designed to ensure that traumatic memories are processed safely and completely; not just desensitized, but reprocessed into something the brain can store without ongoing distress. You can learn how each phase works in our guide to the 8 stages of EMDR therapy.
What Is EMDR Tapping and How Does It Fit Into the History?
EMDR tapping refers to one of the forms of bilateral stimulation used in EMDR therapy as an alternative to eye movements. When Shapiro first developed the therapy, she used guided eye movements: tracking a moving finger or light bar from left to right. But as the therapy expanded globally, clinicians and researchers found that the key mechanism was bilateral stimulation itself, not eye movements specifically.
Bilateral stimulation means activating both sides of the brain in alternating sequence. This can be achieved through:
- Eye movements (left to right, guided by a therapist or device)
- Tapping (alternating taps on the client’s knees or hands)
- Auditory tones (alternating sounds in the left and right ear through headphones)
- Tactile pulsers (handheld devices that vibrate alternately in each hand)
The Growth of EMDR: A Timeline
From a chance observation to global standard of care; here is how the history of EMDR unfolded:
| Year | Milestone |
| 1987 | Dr. Francine Shapiro makes her initial park observation about eye movements and distressing thoughts |
| 1989 | First controlled EMDR study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress |
| 1990 | Shapiro conducts the first EMDR training for clinicians |
| 1991 | EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) founded |
| 1995 | Shapiro publishes the foundational clinical text: EMDR: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures |
| 2004 | American Psychiatric Association (APA) formally recognizes EMDR as an evidence-based PTSD treatment |
| 2010 | Department of Veterans Affairs endorses EMDR for treatment of combat-related PTSD |
| 2013 | World Health Organization (WHO) endorses EMDR as a first-line trauma treatment |
| 2019 | Dr. Francine Shapiro passes away. EMDR is now practiced in over 130 countries |
| 2020s | EMDR expands beyond PTSD into anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, and complex trauma |
While EMDR was originally developed around trauma, its use has expanded considerably over time, including the use of EMDR therapy for anxiety.
Why Did Sandra Bullock Do EMDR? And What Therapy Did Miley Cyrus Have?
Two of the most widely searched names in connection with EMDR are Sandra Bullock and Miley Cyrus.
Sandra Bullock and EMDR
Sandra Bullock has spoken publicly about using EMDR therapy as part of her healing process following significant personal trauma. In interviews, she described EMDR as a crucial part of her recovery; a tool that helped her process painful memories in a way that traditional talk therapy had not fully reached. Her openness about the experience helped bring EMDR into mainstream awareness for many people who had never heard of it.
Miley Cyrus and EMDR
Miley Cyrus has spoken publicly about her use of EMDR therapy in the context of processing grief following personal losses. Cyrus described the therapy as deeply effective, specifically noting how it helped her process traumatic memories that were interfering with her daily life. Her willingness to speak about it on large platforms brought significant new attention to the therapy.
What Is the Controversy With EMDR?
EMDR has faced genuine scientific debate since its earliest days, particularly around how and why the treatment works. We explore these questions in greater depth in our guide to why EMDR is so controversial.
The mechanism controversy
Why EMDR works is still being studied, but Francine Shapiro’s original idea was that eye movements could help reduce the emotional intensity of distressing memories. Today, researchers believe EMDR may work by combining memory recall with bilateral stimulation.
The controversy with the founder of EMDR
Francine Shapiro herself was the subject of professional controversy. Her 1987 discovery story was challenged by a 2023 paper published in the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy which argued that the eye movement connection was not as novel as originally claimed and may have drawn on existing Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) theory without full acknowledgment.
Additionally, Shapiro’s practice of requiring extensive training and certification before clinicians could use EMDR was criticized by some as commercially motivated. She held intellectual property rights over the EMDR name and protocol, which created friction within the field.
These controversies do not diminish the evidence base for EMDR. The therapy works, and that has been demonstrated repeatedly in rigorous trials. But they are part of the full, honest history.
Has EMDR Been Scientifically Proven?
Yes. EMDR has been validated in over 30 randomized controlled trials. It is endorsed by the WHO (2013), the American Psychiatric Association (2004), the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS).
A 2022 meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology covering 26 randomized controlled trials found EMDR produced significant reductions in PTSD symptoms compared to both waitlist controls and active treatment comparisons. Effect sizes were large and improvements were maintained at follow-up.
The debate about mechanism continues. The evidence of effectiveness does not.
Note: EMDR is not experimental. It is a manualized, rigorously tested protocol with nearly four decades of research behind it. If you are considering EMDR for trauma, anxiety, or grief, speaking with a licensed EMDR therapist is the most important first step.
EMDR at Healing Springs Wellness Center
The history of EMDR is a story of genuine curiosity, rigorous science, and expanding possibility. What began as a chance observation on a park path in 1987 has become one of the most effective and widely used trauma therapies in the world.
At Healing Springs Wellness Center, our EMDR-trained therapists bring both clinical expertise and genuine care to every session. Whether you are exploring EMDR for the first time or returning to it after previous work, we meet you exactly where you are , schedule a consultation.
Authoritative Resources
- EMDR International Association (EMDRIA): emdria.org
- World Health Organization: EMDR Guidelines: who.int/publications/i/item/9789241548595
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): nimh.nih.gov
- EMDR Institute (Founded by Francine Shapiro): emdr.com/history-of-emdr
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How was EMDR discovered?
EMDR was discovered in 1987 by Dr. Francine Shapiro during a walk in a California park, when she noticed that distressing thoughts lost their emotional intensity as her eyes moved back and forth. She spent the following years testing and formalizing this observation into a structured therapeutic protocol, publishing her first controlled study in 1989 in the Journal of Traumatic Stress.
Q: What was EMDR originally designed to do?
EMDR was originally designed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related symptoms. Shapiro’s early work focused on Vietnam War veterans and sexual assault survivors. Today, EMDR is used for a much wider range of conditions including anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, and complex trauma; but PTSD remains the condition with the strongest and most established evidence base.
Q: What is the controversy with EMDR?
The main controversies involve the mechanism (why bilateral stimulation helps process trauma is still debated), the origin story (a 2023 paper in the Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy challenged Shapiro’s account of her discovery), and her intellectual property protections over the EMDR protocol. None of these controversies change the evidence that the therapy works. The debate is about the why, not the whether.
Q: What is the controversy with the founder of EMDR?
Francine Shapiro faced criticism for holding intellectual property rights over the EMDR name and requiring proprietary training before clinicians could practice the therapy. A 2023 paper also challenged her origin story, suggesting the eye movement concept may have drawn on existing NLP theory. Shapiro was both a pioneer and a complex figure — both things can be true.
Q: Has EMDR been scientifically proven?
Yes. EMDR is supported by over 30 randomized controlled trials and endorsed by the World Health Organization (2013), the American Psychiatric Association (2004), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense.
Q: Why did Sandra Bullock do EMDR?
Sandra Bullock has spoken publicly about using EMDR as part of healing from significant personal trauma. She described it as reaching something that talk therapy alone had not accessed helping her process painful memories in a way that reduced their ongoing emotional grip. Her public openness about EMDR helped bring the therapy into mainstream awareness for many people who had never encountered it before.
Q: What therapy did Miley Cyrus have?
Miley Cyrus has publicly discussed using EMDR therapy to process grief and trauma, including losses connected to the California wildfires that destroyed her home. She described the experience as genuinely effective, noting that it helped traumatic memories stop interfering with her daily life. Her openness, like Bullock’s, has introduced EMDR to a much wider public audience than clinical channels typically reach.
