Prince Harry Sparks Interest in EMDR, a Psychotherapeutic Method for Treating Trauma

Following a bombshell interview with the queen of talk shows Oprah Winfrey, the runaway royal son, Prince Harry, has once again managed to capture public attention. In an interview for the Apple TV series ‘The Me You Can’t See,’ which he produced alongside Oprah, he spoke about the loss of his mother, Princess Diana, and the ways in which he has more or less successfully tried to cope with those early traumas. Since Prince Harry has decided to dedicate his professional life to raising awareness about the importance of mental health and destigmatizing mental illnesses, he chose to show the audience what EMDR treatment looks like in that episode, which is claimed to be a fairly effective tool for treating trauma, PTSD, or anxiety disorders. Given that every prince’s appearance attracts public attention, it is no surprise that after the series aired on May 21, interest in this psychotherapeutic treatment has increased. 

Accidental Discovery

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, was accidentally discovered by scientist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. During a walk in the park, she noticed that thoughts about a problem would disappear when she spontaneously moved her eyes left and right. The thoughts would then return, but they seemed different, with reduced emotional intensity. Subsequent research confirmed that the method she discovered is effective in treating PTSD and also lesser traumas, as it allows for the desensitization of traumatic memories and cognitive restructuring that leads to a significant reduction in symptoms (anxiety, emotional stress, nightmares, flashbacks, etc.).

As stated on the website of the Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, before EMDR, the traumatic memory – target manifests with an image, negative beliefs, negative emotions, and physical sensations in the original disturbing form in which it occurred. After EMDR, memories are stored with an image that is less threatening (disturbing) with positive beliefs and with appropriate emotionality without disturbing physical sensations. Psychotherapists still cannot say with complete certainty how EMDR exactly ‘works,’ but there are two theories or two possible explanations.

As explained in its article on EMDR by the Independent magazine, some scientists believe that the memory of trauma changes or disintegrates while the client thinks or talks about it while doing something else (moving their eyes, tapping). The second theory relates to dreaming, specifically the REM phase. During this phase of sleep and rapid eye movement, the brain processes certain information/events. Through conscious movements during waking states, we teach the brain to ‘digest’ the memory of trauma in the same way it does during sleep. Experts, as well as numerous clients, testify to the successful healing of trauma through the EMDR method, so it is commendable that, thanks to Prince Harry, psychotherapeutic methods are gaining space in mainstream media.

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