Approaches / Compare
EMDR and prolonged exposure
Both EMDR and prolonged exposure are trauma-focused psychological treatments included in UK and US PTSD guidelines. They differ in how the person attends to the memory during sessions and what is asked between sessions.
| Aspect | Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) | Prolonged exposure (PE) |
|---|---|---|
| Developed for | Post-traumatic stress and distressing trauma memories. | Post-traumatic stress. |
| How the memory is revisited | Brief focus on the memory while attending to bilateral stimulation (such as side-to-side eye movements, taps or tones), followed by noticing what comes to mind. | Sustained recounting of the trauma memory aloud in the present tense during the session, followed by processing with the therapist. |
| Detailed verbal recounting | Does not require a prolonged, detailed spoken narrative of the entire event. | Repeatedly recounting the trauma narrative aloud is a core component. |
| Between-session tasks | Does not usually assign structured homework to listen to trauma recordings or carry out graded in-vivo exposure lists. | Typically includes listening to session recordings and approaching safe, avoided situations between sessions. |
| Origins | Introduced by Francine Shapiro in 1989 and framed by the Adaptive Information Processing model. | Developed by Edna Foa from the 1980s, drawing on emotional processing theory. |
| Open questions | Ongoing debate about the specific mechanism and contribution of eye movements beyond exposure Elements. | How best to support people who find sustained recounting or homework recordings too distressing. |
This comparison describes emphasis. It does not say which approach is more effective, and it is not advice on treatment.
Sources are listed on the EMDR and PE entries. Back to all comparisons.
Educational draft · Subject review pending