EMDR: A Documentary Film

I had no clue what EMDR was before watching this documentary, and was pretty skeptical when first started watching. One thing led to the next, and I kept watching thinking maybe this could be a real thing?? I still have my skepticism, but after watching this, I could be convinced to seeing how this works first hand, in person. I would especially recommend this to someone suffering from ptsd. Nothing to lose! I recently read an article about the huge numbers of soldiers going abroad to fight for their country, then coming back to nightmares, no friends/family, no money, and depression/ptsd. Seems like this should be considered therapy. Overall, well produced. Good mix of shots, music, animation, and worth a watch.

Have read a great deal about EMDR in books and on the web in the year since my EMDR training in NYC. But this film can potentially take EMDR to the next level of awareness. A movie like this should be broadcasted all around the world (with subtitles) because there are so many people in need.

I think of war-torn parts of the world where trauma therapy is either non-existent (or just becoming available) and it's heartbreaking. I hope this film can help to accelerate a response.

The film uses superb artistry and animation to illustrate how (we think) EMDR works and who it can help. I highly recommend it for every therapist who uses EMDR, therapists who don't yet but are curious, and clients considering trying it.

I truly like the manner within which Michael Burns uses his film's narrative to blend EMDR stories into compelling evidence for the use of this therapy as a powerful method to transform emotional pain. This transformation has the real potential to help prevent unanalyzed hurt from impacting its negative ripple effect throughout the lives of individuals, families, and society as a whole.

As a psychologist, I have been using EMDR since 1995. I wholeheartedly agree that it remains a most remarkable approach for helping people to expedite the resolution of disturbing memories. The 2007 research of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk even demonstrates that EMDR is likely more effective than psychotropic medication for the sustained improvement of symptoms associated with clinical anxiety and depression.

I highly recommend this remarkable documentary for graduate psychology students, health care providers, and anyone else who is interested in EMDR and how the mind works to heal itself.

I had the good fortune to meet Michael Burns in August, and found he is a deeply sincere young man, who experienced EMDR for himself. It seemed so effective, he couldn't really believe it. It took a while to sink in. Once it did, he decided it would be good to let others know. EMDR is a good story worth telling.

Shortly after meeting him, I got to see a shortened preview of his documentary. My full copy is on the way to me in the mail, but I'll give you my take on his wonderful achievement.

Michael has told it with a deep sensitivity to the suffering of others, and intellectual thoroughness in helping the viewer to understand this fascinating treatment that admittedly sounds very weird at first (EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). It's a psychotherapy approach that uses eye movements to help the brain shift into a much healthier way of storing information.

The film, of course, speaks for itself. Michael lets the story unfold through the eyes of professionals, clients, and his favorite professor from college days. The professor said a profound truth: "If you don't transform your pain, you transmit it." This movie has the potential to help many to transform their pain, and thus reduce the amount of pain people inadvertently spread to others. The implications of that? How appealing is it to you to reduce emotional toxicity in the world?

I'll check in again to write another review after I see the entire movie.

I met the director last December abroad and was very skeptical about his description of EMDR. I had heard of it before, but nothing more than a passing mention. But after I saw the movie I did some research and was surprised to see that EMDR stood on a very strong study-base. Serious, controlled studies are hinting at the remarkable things out brains can do when guided toward healing.

Perhaps I was skeptical because I thought that if EMDR was so useful I would have heard of it already, being in the medical field. But then you realize how young EMDR is (just about 25 years old) and how many careers are based on other interventions, and you realize that the mental health care reception for EMDR has likely been cold, regardless of his substantiated success. Francine Shapiro herself said as much in the movie.

It won't be many years, however, before EMDR breaks through these institutional barriers. It appears to work- and work very quickly- for most people. And Lord knows the world needs a therapy that can do that.

I hope more skeptics like me take the time to watch this thought-provoking film with an open mind.