EMDR for Eating Disorders: How Trauma Therapy Can Support Lasting Change
- Haley Kim
- May 5
- 3 min read
TLDR:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment for trauma and can enhance recovery from eating disorders. EMDR can help those in eating disorder treatment heal past trauma, such as abuse, bullying, neglect, or chronic feelings of being unsafe. The EMDR process is outlined below.
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, and Anorexia Nervosa is the second deadliest mental health disorder after Opioid Use Disorder. Eating disorders are not just about food or weight; they often stem from deeper emotional struggles, control issues, and unresolved past experiences. If you’re dealing with an eating disorder, you may be trying to cope with emotional pain, possibly without even realizing it. One type of therapy that can help is EMDR.
How Trauma Can Play a Role in Eating Disorders
For many people, eating disorders are closely tied to past trauma, such as abuse, bullying, neglect, or chronic feelings of being unsafe. The trauma can range from very serious to less disruptive, however it can still affect your wellbeing in the present. These experiences can leave lasting emotional scars that shape the way you see yourself and your body. Sometimes, food becomes a tool to manage overwhelming feelings like shame, fear, sadness, or the need for control. When that trauma isn’t addressed, it can be incredibly difficult to fully heal from an eating disorder.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and it's a therapy developed to help people recover from trauma. During EMDR, a therapist guides you to focus on distressing memories while you follow a set of side-to-side movements—like tracking their finger with your eyes. This bilateral stimulation helps your brain process painful experiences in a healthier, more adaptive way.
One of the unique things about EMDR is that you don’t need to talk in detail about your trauma for it to work. This can make the process feel safer and more accessible, especially if opening up about your painful past feels overwhelming.
How EMDR Helps with Eating Disorders
EMDR helps target the emotional roots of disordered eating, working through the painful memories and beliefs that may have contributed to your struggles. As those old wounds are processed and begin to heal, the need to use food as a way to cope often starts to lessen.
You may begin to feel more in control of your behaviors, more at ease in your body, and more hopeful about recovery. EMDR isn’t a replacement for all forms of treatment, but it can be a powerful addition to your healing journey. Sometimes client will have an individual therapist to help with eating disorder recovery and see another therapist for a few sessions to complete EMDR.
What the EMDR Process Looks Like
The First Session: Building Safety and Understanding
Your first EMDR session won't jump straight into trauma work. Instead, your therapist will focus on getting to know you—your eating disorder history, medical background, any past trauma, and current stressors. You'll also learn how EMDR works and decide if it feels like a good fit for you.
Preparation Phase (1–3 Sessions)
Before diving into painful memories, you’ll build coping tools to keep yourself grounded during intense emotions. This may include visualization exercises, calming strategies, and mindfulness techniques to make sure you feel safe and supported throughout the process.
Processing Sessions
Once you’re ready, your therapist will guide you through the core EMDR process, which typically involves:
Focusing on a distressing memory or image
Noticing the emotions and physical sensations it brings up
Engaging in sets of eye movements or other bilateral stimulation
Briefly checking in after each set to process what comes up
Sessions usually last 55 minutes, and you may need several (often 6–12 for one specific memory or theme). The number of sessions will depend on the complexity of your experiences and how you're responding.
Reprocessing and Integration
As you reprocess painful memories, they often become less emotionally charged. You may start to think about them in a new way—with more clarity and less distress. And as those emotional triggers fade, your eating disorder behaviors may begin to shift, too.
A Path Toward Lasting Change
Healing from an eating disorder is challenging, but it’s absolutely possible. With the right support, you can move beyond harmful patterns and into a healthier, more peaceful relationship with food, your body, and yourself. EMDR can be a valuable tool in helping you get there, especially when past trauma is holding you back. If you or someone you care about is struggling, know that hope is real, and healing is within reach.
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