Is EMDR Hypnosis? Clear Answers for Trauma Therapy Clients

Is EMDR hypnosis? It's a common question for those exploring trauma therapy. While both EMDR and hypnosis work with memory and the subconscious, they are not the same. As a trauma-informed therapist and writer specializing in anxiety and PTSD care, I often clarify this confusion for clients.

The problem is, many people hesitate to try EMDR because they mistakenly believe it involves trance or suggestion, like hypnosis. This misunderstanding can delay access to a highly effective treatment.

In this post, we’ll break down the differences, dispel the myths, and explain how EMDR truly works, so you can make an informed, confident choice.

What is EMDR? Understanding the Therapy

EMDR therapy is an evidence-based approach created specifically to help individuals safely process and heal from traumatic memories. Originally developed for treating PTSD, EMDR is now widely used for anxiety, trauma, and related disorders. Research indicates that EMDR can be more effective and faster than traditional trauma-focused CBT in treating PTSD

During EMDR sessions, clients focus on distressing memories while simultaneously following bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones. This bilateral stimulation helps activate the brain’s natural ability to reprocess traumatic memories so that they lose their emotional intensity. Importantly, EMDR clients remain fully awake, alert, and in control throughout therapy sessions.

This therapy is rooted in the brain’s capacity to process traumatic memories and allows clients to access buried emotions and thoughts in a safe, structured environment to promote healing.

What is Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy?

Hypnosis, or hypnotherapy when used as treatment, involves guiding a person into a trance-like state in which the subconscious mind becomes more accessible to therapist's suggestions. This trance is characterized by deep relaxation, focused attention, and increased suggestibility. 

Hypnotherapy can be effective for stress reduction, behavioral changes like quitting smoking, and symptom management. Unlike EMDR, hypnosis involves the client often closing their eyes and entering an altered state of consciousness where some level of dissociation or absorption occurs.

According to a study published in NIH, hypnosis can be seen as a waking state of awareness, where a person's attention is detached from their immediate environment, allowing for heightened focus and responsiveness to suggestions

Hypnotherapists utilize guided imagery and verbal suggestion to help clients shift habits, perceptions, or emotional responses, but hypnosis is generally broader in application and less specifically focused on trauma therapy.

Key Differences Between EMDR and Hypnosis

Although EMDR and hypnosis may seem similar because they work with subconscious elements and memories, they have fundamental differences:

Client Awareness and Mental State

EMDR clients remain fully awake and aware during sessions. They actively participate while recalling distressing memories. In contrast, hypnosis induces a trance-like state where clients become deeply relaxed and more open to suggestion, often experiencing reduced awareness of their immediate surroundings.

Eye Position and Physical Engagement

EMDR requires clients to keep their eyes open to follow bilateral stimuli like hand movements. This visual tracking is essential to the process. Hypnosis typically involves closed eyes to promote internal focus, relaxation, and access to subconscious imagery or suggestion.

Purpose and Therapeutic Focus

EMDR specifically targets trauma, PTSD, and anxiety by reprocessing distressing memories. It is trauma-focused and structured. Hypnosis, by contrast, is used for a broader range of issues like stress, habits, and pain but is not as specifically designed for trauma resolution.

Technique and Mechanisms

EMDR uses structured phases and bilateral stimulation to reprocess memories. Its mechanisms involve taxing working memory and activating the brain's adaptive processing. Hypnosis relies on verbal suggestion, guided imagery, and trance induction, without the same neurological reprocessing component seen in EMDR.

Session Recall and Memory

Clients undergoing EMDR generally remember the full session and remain mentally engaged throughout. Hypnosis sessions can result in partial or limited memory of what occurred, depending on the depth of the trance state and the individual’s responsiveness to hypnosis.

Evidence-Based and Scientific Support

EMDR is supported by over two dozen randomized controlled trials and is endorsed by organizations like the WHO and APA for trauma treatment. Hypnosis has shown effectiveness for some conditions, but lacks strong clinical support for PTSD and trauma-specific use.

Training and Certification: Who Can Practice EMDR or Hypnosis?

A major distinction between EMDR and hypnosis lies in the professional qualifications required to practice each. Understanding these differences helps ensure you're working with a properly trained, licensed provider, especially when seeking trauma-informed care.

Why Misunderstanding Happens: Myths Around EMDR and Hypnosis

Confusion between EMDR therapy and hypnosis often arises because both involve working with subconscious processes and memory. The bilateral eye movements in EMDR can resemble the hypnosis stereotype of a hypnotist waving their fingers. Additionally, laypersons unfamiliar with therapy techniques might assume any method that accesses deep memories or emotions is hypnosis.

It’s important to clarify that EMDR does not induce trance or altered consciousness. Clients remain alert and active participants in their therapy. Conversely, hypnosis induces a relaxed or trance state involving partial dissociation.

Dispelling this myth helps clients feel more comfortable and confident choosing EMDR for trauma and anxiety treatment.

Who Can Benefit from EMDR Therapy?

EMDR therapy is particularly beneficial for individuals struggling with:

1. PTSD and Complex Trauma

EMDR is extensively researched and recognized as a first-line treatment for PTSD and complex trauma. It helps reprocess disturbing memories that overwhelm the nervous system, allowing individuals to gain relief without retraumatization. Organizations like WHO and APA endorse EMDR for trauma-based conditions.

2. Anxiety and Panic Disorders

EMDR can reduce anxiety and panic symptoms, especially when they stem from earlier life stressors. It helps individuals break the link between present triggers and past events, reducing fear-based responses and improving emotional regulation without needing in-depth verbal recounting of trauma.

3. Phobias and Distressing Memories

People with phobias, performance anxiety, or strong emotional reactions to past events can benefit from EMDR. By targeting the original memory behind the distress, EMDR reduces the emotional charge, allowing clients to respond more calmly in present-day situations.

4. Clients from All Backgrounds

EMDR is effective across diverse populations, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and high-functioning professionals. Treatment is tailored to cultural and individual needs, with a focus on safety, collaboration, and emotional empowerment through structured memory processing.

5. When to Consider EMDR

Consider EMDR if you're struggling with disturbing life memories, persistent anxiety, emotional reactivity, or trauma symptoms. A licensed EMDR-trained therapist will assess readiness and guide you through a safe and supportive process focused on healing and long-term stability.

What to Expect During EMDR Sessions

EMDR therapy sessions usually last between 60 and 90 minutes. During these sessions:

• Clients are asked to recall specific trauma memories while following the therapist’s finger movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation.

• Clients keep their eyes open.

• They remain conscious, alert, and in control throughout.

• The therapist supports the client in processing memories until they lose their overwhelming emotional charge.

• No hypnosis or trance induction occurs.

This active participation distinguishes EMDR from hypnosis and makes it a structured, transparent process for healing trauma.

Integrating EMDR with Other Therapeutic Techniques

EMDR therapy is often combined with approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for comprehensive mental health care. The distinction remains that EMDR targets trauma memory reprocessing, while other therapies or hypnotherapy may address behavioral or stress-related symptoms.

Therapists select techniques to tailor treatment plans to the client. The goal is always to maximize healing and minimize distress across sessions.

Training and Certification: Who Can Practice EMDR or Hypnosis?

Who Can Practice EMDR Therapy?

EMDR therapy can only be administered by licensed mental health professionals, such as psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and psychiatrists. These clinicians must complete accredited EMDR training programs, most often approved by organizations like EMDRIA (EMDR International Association).

Certification includes didactic training, supervised practice, and continuing education. EMDR therapists follow a structured eight-phase protocol and must demonstrate competency in trauma-informed care, ethical standards, and safety-focused interventions.

Who Can Practice Hypnosis?

Hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, has fewer regulatory and training requirements. While many licensed therapists receive formal training in clinical hypnosis, non-licensed individuals may also offer hypnosis services, especially in regions without strict practice laws. This can make it harder for clients to verify a provider’s credentials or clinical oversight.

EMDR Stands on Its Own

EMDR is often misunderstood, but it is not hypnosis. While both involve memory and the subconscious, EMDR is a structured, active process that keeps clients fully awake, aware, and in control. Backed by decades of clinical research, it is recognized worldwide as one of the most effective treatments for trauma, anxiety, and related conditions.

If you're seeking personalized, trauma-informed support, EMDR can help you move forward with clarity and confidence. Contact us today at CBT / EMDR Associates of New York to begin your healing process with a licensed, experienced therapist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is EMDR the same as hypnosis?

No. EMDR keeps clients fully awake and in control, while hypnosis involves a trance-like state. EMDR reprocesses trauma using bilateral stimulation; hypnosis uses suggestion and deep relaxation, often for broader or behavioral goals.

Can EMDR and hypnosis be used together?

They can be used together cautiously, but they serve different purposes. EMDR focuses on trauma reprocessing; hypnosis aids relaxation or behavioral change. Most therapists use them separately to maintain therapeutic clarity and safety.

Do you have to talk about your trauma in EMDR?

No. EMDR doesn’t require detailed verbal recounting of trauma. Clients focus internally while following bilateral stimulation, allowing memory reprocessing without needing to explain painful events aloud.

Is EMDR more effective than hypnosis for PTSD?

Yes. EMDR is strongly supported by clinical research for PTSD treatment. It’s recommended by the WHO and APA, while hypnosis lacks consistent evidence for trauma recovery.

Will I remember everything after EMDR?

Yes. EMDR clients stay alert and aware throughout the session. Unlike hypnosis, EMDR does not induce altered states, so memory of the session is typically complete.