The Use of EMDR in Reducing Presentation Anxiety: A Case Study

Abstract

Effective presentation skills are vital for success in most organizations. Preparing students for their careers, college educators often require that students demonstrate effective presentation skills. While traditional approaches to managing presentation anxiety help some students, EMDR may offer an effective intervention for those with serious presentation anxiety. This case study involves a student with presentation anxiety referred for EMDR from an organizational communication class. The subject delivered videotaped presentations and completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) prior to and after completing three EMDR sessions. The subject’s pre–post STAI scores reduced from the 98th to the 55th percentile. Blind expert ratings of the videotaped presentations indicated pronounced performance improvement. At 12-month follow-up, the subject was successfully employed in a management position, making effective presentations without intense anxiety.