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.

This documentary does a good job of explaining what EMDR is all about. EMDR has been viewed with a lot of skepticism over the years. The film doesn't just present information about the therapy along with case examples, it also addresses this skepticism of the critics. The film even offers some explanation about the skepticism and as one clinician in the film points out, there is a lot of really good research that support the effectiveness of this powerful therapy in treating PTSD. The film also calls in to question the lack of support by the Department of Veterans Affairs in using EMDR. It certainly makes me wonder about the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs leadership. The only drawback that I found with the film was that I found the background music became slightly irritating over the course of the film. This was the only reason I did not give the film a rating of ten.

I hope many others will be as inspired by this movie as I was. I had barely heard of EMDR before someone suggested I see this movie, and since then, I, too, have been inspired to try EMDR. EMDR movie helps to unlock the mysteries of this amazingly effective therapy, and provides stories of change in the lives of real people. So much of the suffering in this world is unnecessary. If more people could learn about EMDR through this movie and try it out with a registered therapist, then I'm sure there would be a lot less pain int he lives of everyday people. I am grateful to those who put so much time into bringing this project to life. It seamlessly oscillates between the technical and emotional, all the while providing a captivating story of this intriguing therapy.

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.

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.