Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy

Burnout is not always solely the result of current workload; for many individuals it is compounded by the accumulation of stressful or emotionally charged experiences over time. Repeated exposure to pressure, criticism, high-stakes decision-making, or workplace conflict can become “stored” in a way that continues to trigger stress responses long after the events themselves.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is designed to help the brain process and integrate these distressing experiences. By targeting the memories and experiences that underpin ongoing stress responses, EMDR can reduce emotional reactivity, allowing individuals to respond to current demands with greater flexibility and resilience.

While EMDR is most strongly established in the treatment of trauma, an increasing body of research supports its relevance for stress-related conditions and burnout:

EMDR reduces stress and trauma symptoms:
Robust randomised controlled trials show EMDR to be highly effective for post-traumatic stress, with significant reductions in distress, hyperarousal, and intrusive symptoms—processes that often overlap with severe burnout.

Work-related stress can be processed as trauma:
Emerging research suggests that chronic occupational stress and adverse workplace experiences can be encoded similarly to traumatic memories, making them suitable targets for EMDR processing.

Improvements in emotional regulation:
Studies indicate that EMDR can reduce emotional reactivity and improve regulation, which may help individuals recover from persistent stress activation associated with burnout.

Positive effects in occupational settings:
Preliminary and applied studies (e.g., with first responders, healthcare staff, and high-stress professions) show reductions in stress, anxiety, and burnout symptoms following EMDR-informed interventions.

All three approaches—CBT, schema therapy, and EMDR—offer valuable but distinct pathways for addressing burnout:

For acute burnout with clear current stressors, CBT is often the most direct approach, focusing on present-day thinking patterns, behaviours, and coping strategies.

For burnout linked to long-standing patterns such as perfectionism or self-sacrifice, schema therapy provides a deeper framework for understanding and changing these enduring themes.

For burnout with a strong emotional or experiential component—for example, where past stressful events, workplace trauma, or repeated high-pressure experiences continue to trigger distress—EMDR offers a unique advantage by directly processing these underlying memories rather than primarily working through cognition or insight.

In practice, EMDR can be particularly effective when individuals feel “stuck” despite insight, or when stress reactions feel automatic, intense, or disproportionate to current circumstances.

Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Bisson, J. I., Roberts, N. P., Andrew, M., Cooper, R., & Lewis, C. (2013). Psychological therapies for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Chen, Y. R., Hung, K. W., Tsai, J. C., Chu, H., Chung, M. H., Chen, S. R., Liao, Y. M., & Chou, K. R. (2014). Efficacy of eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One, 9(8).

Jarero, I., & Artigas, L. (2014). The EMDR integrative group treatment protocol: Application with adults during ongoing geopolitical crisis. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 8(4), 209–222.

Jeffries, F. W., & Davis, P. (2013). What is the role of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder? A review. The Permanente Journal, 17(4), 73–80.