Online EMDR therapy: where you can get it by video, and how to find a trained clinician
EMDR is a trauma therapy given by a clinician trained in it, and it can be done by video. Online, a few services give EMDR inside a program, some let you search for or be matched with an EMDR clinician, and others only say some of their clinicians offer it. Here is which is which, with prices and insurance, from each service's own pages.
17 services' own pages name EMDR. 1 gives it as part of a program: Nema Health. 8 let you choose a clinician who practices it: Alma, Doctor On Demand, Rula, SonderMind, Spring Health, Thriveworks, Open Path Psychotherapy Collective and Included Health. The other 8 only say their clinicians use it among other approaches.
1 service gives EMDR inside a defined program
EMDR is named as part of a trauma treatment program the service runs.
| Service | What its pages say | Without insurance | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nema HealthVisit site Trauma & PTSD carePart of its programPTSD | $275 (50 min) | In-network, cost varies by plan |
8 services let you search for or be matched with an EMDR clinician
A search filter, a profile tag or matching on request, so you can start with a clinician who lists EMDR.
| Service | What its pages say | Without insurance | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaVisit site Insurance marketplaceSearch filter for EMDRPTSD | Not published | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| Doctor On DemandVisit site Therapy + psychiatryMatched with an EMDR clinicianPTSD | Says therapy sessions, including EMDR, start at $134 self-pay; an EMDR counseling visit costs between $0 and $134 depending on insurance. | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| RulaVisit site Insurance marketplaceSearch filter for EMDRPTSD | Says many insured patients pay between $0 and $25 per session for EMDR; for people without coverage it gives no rate and says its team can walk through self-pay options at sign-up. | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| SonderMindVisit site Insurance marketplaceMatched with an EMDR clinicianPTSD | $100 to $250 per session (SonderMind says its self-pay costs track national averages) | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| Spring HealthVisit site Employer / EAPMatched with an EMDR clinicianAnxietyPTSD | Not published | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| ThriveworksVisit site Insurance marketplaceSearch filter for EMDRPTSD | $200-$240 intake / $160-$195 follow-up | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| Open Path Psychotherapy CollectiveVisit site Therapist directorySearch filter for EMDRAnxietyPTSD | $40 to $70 per individual session | Cash only | |
| Included Health Employer / EAPMatched with an EMDR clinicianPTSD | Through an employer or plan | Employer or plan benefit |
8 more services say some clinicians offer EMDR
Their pages name EMDR among the therapies some clinicians give. Ask before you start whether yours is trained in it.
| Service | What its pages say | Without insurance | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| AmwellVisit site Telehealth platformSome clinicians offer itPTSD | ~$142/session | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| Anywhere ClinicVisit site Therapy + psychiatrySome clinicians offer itPTSD | $150 evaluation | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| CerebralVisit site Therapy + psychiatrySome clinicians offer itPTSD | $150 per session | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| HeadwayVisit site Insurance marketplaceSome clinicians offer itPTSD | Not published | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| LifeStance HealthVisit site Therapy + psychiatrySome clinicians offer itPTSD | $210 to $432 per session (LifeStance's US average self-pay range; varies by state) | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| TalkiatryVisit site PsychiatrySome clinicians offer itPTSD | Not published | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| TalkspaceVisit site Therapy + psychiatrySome clinicians offer itPTSD | $69/wk | In-network, cost varies by plan | |
| Two ChairsVisit site Insurance marketplaceSome clinicians offer itDepressionPTSD | $226/session ($260 first) | In-network, cost varies by plan |
What the research says about EMDR by video
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
A WHO- and APA-recognized trauma treatment, comparable to trauma-focused CBT for PTSD in several head-to-head comparisons. Delivered by video with adapted bilateral stimulation.
PTSD treatment in times of COVID-19: A systematic review of the effects of online EMDR
Psychiatry Research, 2020
Group early intervention eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy as a video-conference psychotherapy with frontline/emergency workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury-An RCT study
Frontiers in Psychology, 2023
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing in a Primary Care Setting: Assessing Utility and Comparing Efficacy of Virtual Versus In-Person Methods
Telemedicine and e-Health, 2022
Free directories and help finding EMDR
Each verified on its own official page.
- Who
- Anyone
- What it gives
- Crisis counseling by call, text or chat (not therapy)
- Cost
- Free
- How to start
- Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org
- Who
- Anyone looking for a PTSD therapist, counselor or prescriber; veterans have extra VA options on the page
- What it gives
- A list of locators for CPT, PE and EMDR therapists and for trauma specialists, plus tips on what to look for and what to ask about insurance and cost
- How to start
- Open the page and use the locator that fits the therapy you want; ask each provider about trauma experience and what insurance they accept
- Who
- Anyone looking for a therapist who provides EMDR
- What it gives
- A searchable directory of EMDR International Association members providing EMDR therapy, with searches by location, name and other criteria
- How to start
- Search the directory by location; for emergencies, call 988
- Who
- People affected by trauma near a local Trauma Recovery Network association
- What it gives
- Pro bono EMDR therapy sessions from volunteer EMDR-trained therapists in local associations
- Cost
- Free (pro bono sessions)
Online EMDR, answered
- Can EMDR be done online?
- Yes. A WHO- and APA-recognized trauma treatment, comparable to trauma-focused CBT for PTSD in several head-to-head comparisons. Delivered by video with adapted bilateral stimulation. A 2020 systematic review found only one trial of online EMDR for PTSD, an uncontrolled open trial with promising results. A randomized trial of group EMDR delivered by video described its treatment results as tentatively promising. In a retrospective chart review at a primary care center, change in depression and anxiety scores did not differ significantly between virtual EMDR and in-person EMDR.
- Which online therapy services offer EMDR?
- 17 services' own pages name EMDR. 1 gives it as part of a program: Nema Health. 8 let you choose a clinician who practices it: Alma, Doctor On Demand, Rula, SonderMind, Spring Health, Thriveworks, Open Path Psychotherapy Collective and Included Health. The other 8 only say their clinicians use it among other approaches.
- Does Talkspace offer EMDR?
- Talkspace says its therapists use approaches like EMDR and CBT in its online PTSD therapy, which runs by video session, live audio chat or text messaging.
- How do I know an online EMDR therapist is trained?
- Ask the clinician where they trained in EMDR before you start; 1 service says something about its clinicians' EMDR training: Rula. The EMDR International Association's directory lists its members who provide EMDR.
- Does insurance cover online EMDR?
- 15 of the 17 services that name EMDR take insurance in network: Nema Health, Alma, Doctor On Demand, Rula, SonderMind, Spring Health, Thriveworks, Amwell, Anywhere Clinic, Cerebral, Headway, LifeStance Health, Talkiatry, Talkspace and Two Chairs. Whether your plan pays depends on the plan and on the clinician.