EMDR Therapy and the Flash Technique

Trauma is a condition that can develop not only as a result of a single event, but sometimes also as a result of long-term and repetitive negative experiences. Experiences such as natural disasters, accidents, war, abuse, or serious losses may exceed an individual’s psychological resilience and leave permanent traces. Trauma disrupts the brain’s normally functional information-processing processes. For this reason, memories are not felt as “events that happened in the past,” but rather as if they are “happening right now,” accompanied by vivid sensory, bodily, and emotional responses. Therefore, when an individual encounters triggering stimuli that remind them of the trauma, they may develop intense anxiety, re-experiencing, nightmares, or avoidance behaviors.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined as the most typical and well-researched outcome of this process. However, trauma does not only lead to PTSD; it may also pave the way for the development of various psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, dissociative symptoms, somatization, and serious difficulties in interpersonal relationships. PTSD and these accompanying problems deeply and negatively affect not only the individual’s mental health, but also their social relationships, functioning, and quality of life.

In this context, in 1987, American psychologist Francine Shapiro, based on her own experiences, noticed that disturbing emotions decreased when eye movements accompanied traumatic memories. By systematizing this observation, she developed a method called “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).” Although this approach was initially met with skepticism in the scientific community, it gradually gained wider acceptance through controlled studies and clinical applications conducted in subsequent years. Today, EMDR has taken its place in international clinical guidelines as an evidence-based therapy method in the treatment of trauma.

New Approaches in EMDR: The Flash Technique

In addition to the classical EMDR protocol, a new application called the “Flash Technique” has been developed in recent years. Flash was developed by Philip Manfield and his colleagues as a variation of EMDR and has appeared in the literature since 2017. Its main aim is to initiate the processing of traumatic memories in a milder way, without directly confronting the individual with intense emotional material. Studies on the Flash technique are steadily increasing.

In this method, the individual is not directly and intensely exposed to the traumatic memory; while the memory is kept in the background, attention is directed toward a positive image. Through short “flash” instructions given by the therapist, the disturbing emotional load of the traumatic memory decreases rapidly.

The Flash technique offers a tolerable option especially for clients who have difficulty directly engaging with traumatic content and who experience intense anxiety.

How Is It Applied?

Instead of directly focusing on the traumatic memory, the client keeps it in mind in the background (background awareness).
At the same time, they direct their attention to a positive/relaxing image, thought, or sensation.
The therapist gives short instructions called “Flash” at certain intervals (for example, blinking, finger snapping, or a rapid attention-shifting cue).
During this process, the emotional load of the traumatic memory gradually decreases.

Differences from Classical EMDR

Includes less confrontation: The client does not describe the traumatic memory in detail nor remain exposed to it for a long time.
Rapid relief: Many case reports indicate a reduction in symptoms within a short time.
Tolerability: It is more usable especially for individuals with intense anxiety, dissociative tendencies, or difficulty directly engaging with trauma material.