How does EMDR actually work for social anxiety?

As a therapist, I often have clients ask me, "Will I ever really get better?" The answer is a resounding yes, and it’s why I love what I do, and the research on brain changes during EMDR therapy provides hope. However it can be hard to believe when you’re watching a dot on the screen, so lets explore how it works.

Your Social Anxiety Brain: What's Really Going On

The Alarm System That Won't Turn Off

Think of your brain as having a an alarm system that is hyper sensitive. In social anxiety, brains shows patterns of overactivity in emotion-generating regions and under-activity in the areas that help you stay calm and think clearly (Duval et al., 2015; Tye & Calhoon, 2015). So if you ever find yourself not able to ‘logic your way out’ of feelings, then it’s completely normal.

Your Brain on Social Hyper-vigilance

People with social anxiety show increased activation in brain areas that process faces and visual information, meaning your brain is literally working harder to scan for social threats (Duval et al., 2015; Tye & Calhoon, 2015). It's like having the contrast turned way up on your social radar—you're picking up on every micro-expression, every pause in conversation, every potential sign of judgment.

It’s extremely hard to not FEEL this way, even though you know out of the moment that you want to think differently.

So how does EMDR help?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) doesn't just stir up problems—it actually rewires the circuits that aren't working well.

What Happens During EMDR?

EMDR works by accessing those stuck, overwhelming memories and experiences while using bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements, but sometimes tones or taps). This process leverages your brain's natural ability to heal by forming new neural connections and improving communication between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (Pagani et al., 2012; Santarnecchi et al., 2019).

Think of it like this: your traumatic or distressing social experiences got "stuck" in your brain in a way that keeps triggering your alarm system. EMDR helps unstick them and file them away properly, so they stop setting off false alarms (Shapiro, 2001; van der Kolk et al., 2007).

Many people may not even be sure what the memories are, and that’s ok. With EMDR we can work to uncover them, or work with the ‘felt sense’ without any image at all (Ogden et al., 2006).

Why We Use Bilateral Stimulation

Those eye movements aren't random—they're based on science. The bilateral stimulation in EMDR appears to mimic what happens during REM sleep, when your brain naturally processes and integrates experiences (Pagani et al., 2017). This helps leverage your brains ability to process distressing content.

Your Amygdala Changes

After EMDR treatment, the amygdala shows decreased activation while the prefrontal cortex shows increased activation (Pagani et al., 2012). Essentially, anxiety goes down, and calmness goes up.

Research on EMDR shows significant normalisation of blood flow in the brain areas involved in fear processing, leading to better control over the amygdala (Oh & Choi, 2007). Your brain, and therefore you, are able to regulate yourself better.

Building New Neural Highways

The main outcome is that EMDR helps your brain build new neural pathways by connecting distressing memories with new, more adaptive information (Shapiro, 2001). It's like building new highways in your brain that bypass the old narratives. This leads to healthier responses in the present, more in-line with a healthy and confident self image.

What This Means for Your Therapy

It's Not Just "Getting Over It"

When people say "just get over it" or "think positive," they don't understand that social anxiety involves real, measurable changes in brain function (Duval et al., 2015). The research validates probably what you already know—this isn't something often you can just will away. But the flip side is equally powerful: your brain CAN change, and EMDR provides a roadmap for how.

Healing Happens Faster Than You Might Think

Studies show that people often experience significant relief from anxiety symptoms after just a few EMDR sessions (van der Kolk et al., 2007). Your brain is more plastic and adaptable than you might think, even after a lifetime of feeling a certain way.

You're Not Broken or Different or Weird

One of the most important things I want you to understand is that your brain isn't broken—it's a brain that learned to protect you in a certain way. The hypervigilance, the overthinking, the physical symptoms—they all made sense at some point. EMDR helps your brain learn new, more adaptive ways of responding.

What to Expect in Your Own EMDR Journey

The Process Feels Different

EMDR doesn't require talking in detail about distressing experiences. Instead, it focuses on changing the emotions, thoughts, and behaviours that result from those experiences, allowing your brain to resume its natural healing process (Shapiro, 2001).

For some people this feels like a direct change, and for others it feels more subtle. Either way, we are activating the neural networks that currently maintain social anxiety, and they can be transformed into networks that support confidence, connection, and calm.

Remember, every brain is unique, and healing happens at different paces for different people. Some people may require 3 sessions and others 20 or more. Each journey is unique.

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References

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