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Francine Shapiro
Francine Shapiro (1948–2019) developed EMDR in the late 1980s. A brief profile of her work, publications and contribution to trauma therapy.
BilateralSync · Updated · 4 min read
Overview
Francine Shapiro (1948–2019) was an American psychologist who developed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) after observing in 1987 that spontaneous eye movements appeared to reduce the distress of disturbing thoughts. She formalized the observation into a structured protocol, tested it in her 1989 study, and spent the following decades developing the AIP model and training clinicians worldwide.
What the evidence says
Shapiro published the foundational EMDR text (Guilford Press, first edition 1995; third edition 2018), founded the EMDR Institute and the non-profit EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs, and received awards including the Sigmund Freud Award (2002) for her contribution to psychotherapy.
In practice
Her legacy is a specific, replicable protocol that made trauma-focused work accessible to a generation of clinicians and clients. EMDR is now recommended by the WHO, APA and NICE as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
Frequently asked questions
- When did Francine Shapiro develop EMDR?
- The first observation was in 1987; the first published trial appeared in 1989.
References
- Shapiro, F. (1989). Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure.
- Shapiro, F. (2018). EMDR Therapy, 3rd ed. Guilford Press.
This article is general professional information for clinicians. It is not clinical advice and does not replace EMDR training, consultation or individual clinical judgment. BilateralSync is a tool for delivering bilateral stimulation; it is not a treatment or a medical device.