Episode 10 - From Hypertension to Domestic Violence: EMDR at the Heart of Trauma Care

EMDR: The Science Behind the Therapy explores the latestclinical research and practical applications of EMDR therapy hosted by Andrew M. Leeds, PhD, Director of Training for Sonoma Psychotherapy Training Institute.

This podcast highlights the latest contributions to EMDR research, practice and training. Each episode breaks down current studies, emerging protocols, and implications for clinical practice. Whether you’re an EMDR-trained therapist, a mental health professional, or simply curious about trauma treatment, this podcast brings you science-based insights you can trust.

In this episode, we explore how EMDR therapy is being tested and refined across a wide range of clinical frontiers. You’ll learn about large-scale meta-analyses on the treatment of depression, anxiety, and childhood trauma, early interventionprotocols for recent critical incidents, and innovative applications for treating hypertension and addictive sexual behavior that link symptom change to shifts in autonomic regulation.

We will consider a psychoanalytic understanding of EMDR therapy that speaks directly to clinicians grounded in Freudian and Kleinian models, and we’ll close with a powerful, integrative EMDR-based approach to treating the enduring impact of domestic violence against women.

Taken together, these reports invite us to think more deeply about how EMDR operates not only on distressing memories, but on developmental trajectories, relational patterns, and the mind–body systems that sustain suffering and resilience. As you listen, I invite you to consider how these findings might inform your own clinical decision making, from case formulation and modality choice to how you talk with your clients about what EMDR therapy can reliably offer and what it cannot yet promise.

References for this episode at: https://www.sonomapti.com/blog/index_files/EMDR_Research_News_May_2026.html

Read the latest EMDR Research blog: ⁠https://www.sonomapti.com/blog/⁠

Find our EMDR therapy training programs: ⁠https://www.sonomapti.com/basic-emdr-training/⁠

Subscribe to my newsletter: ⁠https://www.sonomapti.com/newsletter/⁠

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewleeds/