Revisiting the Origins of EMDR

Abstract

Francine Shapiro, the founder of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), reported that the therapeutic use of eye movement patterns was discovered by chance while walking in a park. An alternative accounting for the origins of EMDR comes from research that demonstrates individuals are unable to perceive their own eye movements and from historical sources that document Shapiro’s acceptance of Neuro-Linguistic Programming theory on eye movement patterns and super-achievers. The present paper brings together this diverse set of findings to provide a more accurate context within which Shapiro’s purported discoveries and subsequent claims can best be viewed.