By Stacy Raymond, Psy.D.
Growing up with a father who was both a U.S. Marine sniper in the Korean War and a police officer, I witnessed firsthand the long-term impact of unaddressed trauma. His struggle with PTSD, emotional isolation and a rigid need for control shaped both his life and mine. As a child, I had no framework to understand his behavior — authoritarian, emotionally distant and often paranoid.
I learned early what it meant to live with someone riding what Dr. Kevin Gilmartin calls the hypervigilant biological rollercoaster. [1] I understood shift work, the toll of the job and the silence that cloaks pain in law enforcement families. One night during my high school years, my father threatened suicide and disappeared. I believe he went to the station and spoke with a fellow officer, who ultimately convinced him to return home. Not a word was spoken about it. Not then. Not ever.
This silence around psychological trauma is endemic in law enforcement culture. Today, in both my private practice and as a clinical supervisor to a local department’s Peer Support Team, I work to change that. My mission is to help officers “dump the bucket” — to offload the cumulative trauma of the job — without having to relive every painful detail. One of the most effective ways I’ve found to do this is EMDR therapy.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy was developed in the 1980s by Dr. Francine Shapiro. While walking in a park, Shapiro noticed her distressing thoughts lost intensity when she moved her eyes side to side. Her doctoral research into this phenomenon led to a structured treatment approach that is now globally recognized and evidence-based. [2]
Traumatic memories often remain “stuck” in the limbic system, the emotional part of the brain, resulting in symptoms such as hypervigilance, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts. These memories are typically stored in fragmented form — a flash of an image, a sound, a smell, or a surge of panic or rage. EMDR helps the brain reprocess and integrate these fragments into a coherent narrative, reducing their emotional charge.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR does not require the client to verbally recount traumatic events in detail. This is a key advantage for law enforcement professionals who may find it difficult — or even impossible — to articulate what they’ve experienced due to the graphic nature of incidents, emotional numbing, or fear of judgment. [3]
Why police officers avoid therapy
Mental health stigma remains deeply entrenched in law enforcement. Officers are trained to maintain control under pressure, to suppress emotion and to push through adversity. These strengths, while essential in the field, can become liabilities when seeking psychological support.
Many officers fear being seen as weak, losing the trust of their peers, or jeopardizing their careers. The result? Untreated trauma, deteriorating mental health and sometimes suicide. Perhaps this is one culprit underlying excessive use of force. Therapy is often viewed as a last resort — if it’s considered at all.
EMDR offers a way around these barriers. It is efficient, non-intrusive and does not require officers to relive their worst experiences aloud. It’s a treatment modality that respects the culture of law enforcement while offering a powerful path to healing.
What to expect during an EMDR therapy session
For many officers, the idea of therapy brings up images of endless talking, probing questions, or being asked to “share your feelings” with someone you just met. EMDR isn’t that. It’s structured, efficient and often surprisingly quiet.
An EMDR session typically begins with a brief discussion of the memory or issue that is being targeted. The therapist then guides the client through a standardized protocol using bilateral stimulation — usually eye movements, taps, or tones alternating left and right. The client focuses on a disturbing memory, body sensation, or emotion, and simply notices what comes up, moment by moment. The brain does the work. The therapist doesn’t interrupt the process unless needed to redirect or ensure the client stays grounded. [2,4]
No verbal recounting of the traumatic event is required beyond identifying it. Many officers appreciate that they don’t have to relive or explain every graphic detail. Instead, they follow the images, thoughts, or feelings that surface internally. It’s more like a mental cleanup crew going to work — quietly removing the emotional charge without having to narrate the wreckage. [5]
Sessions can vary in length, usually lasting 50 to 90 minutes, and most officers report some relief within a few sessions, even with long-standing trauma. EMDR is not hypnosis. You are fully alert and in control the entire time. What often surprises clients is how rapidly the intensity of their reactions decreases. A memory that once triggered rage, panic, or shame often becomes just a memory — stripped of its sting. [6]
After a session, clients may feel tired, lighter, or even stunned by how effective it was. That’s not uncommon. The brain continues to process between sessions, much like how the mind processes information during sleep. [7]
In short: EMDR isn’t talk therapy. It’s trauma resolution therapy. And for officers trained to power through without complaint, it can offer a way to finally offload the weight without needing to explain it all.
The evidence behind EMDR therapy for police
Research supports EMDR as a highly effective treatment for law enforcement trauma. [5] A 2001 study compared EMDR to a standard stress management program (SMP) among 62 police officers. [8] Officers in the EMDR group showed significantly greater reductions in PTSD symptoms, subjective distress, job-related stress and anger — and improved marital satisfaction — compared to those in the SMP group. These improvements held at six-month follow-up.
Retired police captain Dan Willis described EMDR as “one of the most effective treatments,” sharing that a single session resolved distress from a traumatic event he had carried for 25 years. [9] Dr. Stephanie Conn, a police psychologist, notes that while EMDR “won’t make you forget your trauma,” it can provide relief from triggers, emotional dysregulation, and survivor’s guilt. [10]
Beyond its clinical efficacy, EMDR is brief. For time-strapped officers reluctant to commit to months of therapy, this is a critical advantage.
“Dumping the bucket”: One officer’s story
Consider “Jim Burke” (name changed), a patrol officer with years of accumulated work-related trauma: a fatal car accident involving a mother and child, discovering a rape victim behind a dumpster and being first on scene for a high school student’s suicide. By the time Jim sought therapy, he was emotionally numb, angry, isolated from his family and plagued by nightmares. He was also hesitant — concerned that therapy would force him to recount everything.
But with EMDR, Jim didn’t need to. He focused on body sensations and emotional responses connected to specific memories, not on narrating the details. After just a few sessions, the intensity of his reactions decreased. He slept better. His anger subsided. His relationships improved. Jim had finally “dumped the bucket.”
Jim’s story is not unique. It’s one I’ve heard from many police officers. EMDR helps officers offload what they’ve been trained to carry alone.
The future of trauma care in policing
In 2024, for the first time in a decade, line-of-duty deaths outnumbered police suicides in the U.S. [11,12] It’s a start, but not enough. Departments must treat mental wellness with the same urgency as firearms training or tactical preparedness. Peer Support Teams need to be taken seriously and supported by command staff. Officers need access to therapists who understand first responder culture and the nuances of cumulative trauma. Because trauma in law enforcement is not rare — it’s routine. And left untreated, it doesn’t go away. It just festers.
My hope is that, one day, officers won’t wait years — or decades — to pick up the phone and ask for help. That “dumping the bucket” becomes as routine as cleaning a weapon after a shift. Until then, EMDR remains one of the most effective tools we have for helping those who protect and serve.
Learn more about EMDR
How to find an EMDR therapist: Go to www.EMDRIA.org. Search by zip code and “Populations Served.” Be sure to select a therapist who works with first responders. It is very important the EMDR therapist is culturally competent!
How to watch a live EMDR session: See a live session with Dr. Stacy Raymond and a police officer at www.Drstacyraymond.com. Click on the Dump the Bucket page.
How to hear more from first responders about how EMDR changed their lives: Dr. Raymond co-hosts the Responder Resilience podcast. Hear it from first responders themselves how EMDR changed their lives. Check out this episode:
Additional resources on EMDR
- My life-changing experience with EMDR therapy to manage PTSD
- EMDR: ‘I signed up as a skeptic. I left as a convert.’
- How to help officers’ traumatic stress
References
1. Gilmartin KM. Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers and Their Families. Tucson, AZ: E-S Press; 2019.
2. Shapiro F. EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing—Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures. New York, NY: Guilford Press; 2001.
3. Brewin CR, Lanius RA, Novac A, Schnyder U. Psychological treatments for PTSD: A meta-analysis. Lancet. 2010;376(9748):1-18.
4. Luber M, ed. EMDR Therapy with First Responders: Models, Scripted Protocols, and Special Populations. New York, NY: Springer Publishing; 2015.
5. Solomon R. Early mental health EMDR intervention for the police. In: Luber M, ed. EMDR Therapy with First Responders: Models, Scripted Protocols, and Special Populations. New York, NY: Springer Publishing; 2015.
6. Maxfield L, Hyer L. The relationship between efficacy and methodology in studies investigating EMDR treatment of PTSD. J Clin Psychol. 2002;58(1):23-41.
7. Stickgold R. EMDR: A putative neurobiological mechanism of action. J Clin Psychol. 2002;58(1):61-75.
8. Wilson SA, Tinker RH, Becker LA, Logan CR. Stress management with law enforcement personnel: A controlled outcome study of EMDR versus a traditional stress management program. Int J Stress Manag. 2001;8(3):179-200.
9. Willis D. Bulletproof Spirit: The First Responder’s Essential Resource for Protecting and Healing Mind and Heart. Novato, CA: New World Library; 2019.
10. Conn SM. Increasing Resilience in Police and Emergency Personnel. New York, NY: Routledge; 2018.
11. Blue H.E.L.P. Officer suicide statistics. BlueHelp.org. Published 2024. Accessed April 12, 2025. https://www.bluehelp.org
12. Officer Down Memorial Page. Officer statistics. ODMP.org. Published 2024. Accessed April 12, 2025. https://www.odmp.org.
About the author
Dr. Stacy Raymond is a clinical psychologist who has been in private practice in Ridgefield, Connecticut, for 25 years. She is a trauma specialist and an Approved Consultant in EMDR, an approved clinician for both the FOP and IAFF, and a member of the Police Psychological Services Section of IACP. The daughter of a retired police officer and US Marine, Stacy dedicates half her practice hours to working with first responders and military veterans. Stacy is also a member of the Fairfield County Trauma Response Team, a volunteer group of EMDR trained clinicians who offer CISM interventions and education to first responder departments throughout Connecticut. Since 2018 she has been co-leading a free weekly Peer Support Meeting for first responders. Lastly, she is a co-host for the popular weekly podcast, Responder Resilience.
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