Learn About EMDR According to EMDRIA, the main goal of EMDR treatment is to speed up meaningful effects in the patients. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing which is a treatment developed by a psychologist named Francine Shapiro, Ph.D that included eye movement. This therapy was later modified a little in the sense that other stimuli could also be used instead of the right to left eye movement. The mechanism of action of EMDR is still not fully understood, but results are very encouraging. This treatment is mainly used to treat traumatic experiences and trauma related disorders. Research is ongoing and it has definitively attracted a lot of attention in the international medical community. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are treated very effectively by EMDR, a recent study compared the effects caused in patients by Prozac vs EMDR, and the latter worked better in terms of obtaining sustained reductions in this area. Interestingly enough, while ¾ of the adults treated with EMDR controlled their symptoms, only 1/3 of children responded to treatment did, while Prozac got a 0% effectiveness in terms of asymptomatic patients after six months. EMDR has also been described as being a very eclectic treatment that has taken different elements from different psychotherapy treatments which has also given it a lot of flexibility. As a matter of fact, EMDR utilizes psychodynamic therapy elements (childhood background and dream material), cognitive therapy (cognitive and negative self-attributions), body-oriented focus and here-and-now experiential focus in order to reduce negative thoughts and feelings, and to increase positive thinking. Renown mental health institutions such as the Renfrew Center, the Menninger Clinic and The Meadows are now using EMDR treatments. Theis treatment is also supported and endorsed by the FBI and the American Red Cross. Finally, it must be mentioned that EMDR is not a kind of hypnosis as many people wonder about, the patient will always be aware of what is going on as he will not reach an altered state.