Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was initially developed in 1987 as a treatment for PTSD.

EMDR works from the perspective that traumatic memories often continue to cause distress long after the trauma is over, due to not being adequately processed. When these memories are triggered they show up as emotions, thoughts, physical sensations, and beliefs that were experienced at the time of the trauma.

EMDR mental health therapy focuses directly on the traumatic memory and is intended to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing and eliminating the associated PTSD symptoms.