Dr. Steven Vazquez explains the distinctions between these often-compared but distinct modalities.
How Is ETT® Different Than EMDR?
Emotional Transformation Therapy and EMDR
Emotional Transformation Therapy (ETT®) is frequently compared to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). However, as of this writing no published scientific studies have directly compared these two methods in a controlled setting. The comparisons below reflect the reported experiences of therapists and clients who have used both modalities, they are not findings from controlled clinical research.
Therapists who use ETT® often report having previously trained in EMDR. Many have chosen to make ETT® their primary approach after experiencing its application in practice.
This is also my personal experience. I am trained in EMDR but no longer use it as my primary modality. In my private practice in Austin, Texas, the majority of clients who came to me had already experienced EMDR prior to working with ETT®. Most reported that ETT® was more beneficial to them in several ways. ~ Dr. Steven Vazquez
How Clients and Therapists Describe ETT® Compared with EMDR
The following reflect practitioner and client reports, not findings from controlled comparative research:
- Clients reported that ETT® produced results more rapidly.
- Clients reported that the outcomes of ETT® lasted longer.
- Some clients who had not experienced significant benefit from EMDR reported meaningful improvement with ETT®.
- Many trauma and addiction presentations involve implicit emotional memory that is not readily accessible through conscious verbal expression alone. ETT® is specifically designed to access this material, which practitioners report gives it a broader reach for these presentations than approaches that rely primarily on conscious verbal processing.
Reported Outcomes with ETT®
Practitioners report that clients have described beneficial experiences with ETT® across a range of presentations below: (Note: these are practitioner and client reports, not findings from peer-reviewed comparative outcome studies.)
- Trauma
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Physical pain with emotional components
How ETT® is Technically Different from EMDR
The primary shared feature of both modalities is that the client's visual system is engaged as part of the process. Beyond that, they differ substantially in structure, theory, and application.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation as its core mechanism across its procedures. ETT® employs four distinct modalities, each incorporating multiple procedures, individualized to the client and the specific presentation being addressed.
Looking at eye movement specifically: EMDR uses saccadic eye movement applied bilaterally in a standardized fashion. ETT®'s MDEM procedure uses smooth pursuit eye movement, individualized in terms of direction for each client and each psychological issue. ETT® also uses specific wavelengths of color as visual targets, EMDR does not. ETT® incorporates verbal expression during the eye movement process, EMDR does not.
The other three ETT® modalities -- Spectral Resonance Technique (SRT), Peripheral Eye Stimulation (PES), and the Light Emitting Device -- bear no procedural resemblance to EMDR at all.
ETT® integrates attachment-based interpersonal processes with precise visual brain stimulation during emotional engagement, with the aim of reaching the neural mechanisms underlying psychological and physical symptoms. This integrated structure distinguishes it from EMDR both theoretically and procedurally.
While EMDR has a larger established evidence base and broader institutional recognition, ETT® has a growing body of practitioner experience and clinical case literature, and is practiced by certified clinicians across the United States and internationally.
A Closer Look
When observed side-by-side, EMDR uses the same bilateral process with all clients, whereas ETT® individualizes the direction of eye movement according to each individual and each psychological issue. EMDR uses saccadic eye movement, where ETT® uses smooth pursuit eye movement. ETT® utilizes a variety of very specific colors as visual targets, and EMDR does not. ETT® includes verbal expression during the eye movement process, whereas EMDR does not.
The other three ETT® modalities do not resesmble EMDR at all. ETT® uses attachment-based interpersonal processes wherein outcomes are radically enhanced by precise visual brain stimulation during emotional engagement. Through this means the brain mechanisms responsible for either psychological or physical symptoms can be accessed and changed.
Reports by therapists and their clients consistently suggest that comparative outcomes with ETT® vs. EMDR indicate radically beneficial outcomes with ETT®. While EMDR is far more widespread and recognized, ETT® is growing in reach and application.
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