You know that feeling right before you have to give a presentation at work? Your heart pounds, your palms sweat, your mind races through every possible way you could mess up. For years, that was Miley Cyrus’s reality every time she stepped on stage—until EMDR therapy for anxiety changed everything.

“Love it. Saved my life,” she told The New York Times in May 2025. “I’ve never had stage fright again. Ever.”

When Miley Cyrus credits EMDR therapy for anxiety as life-changing, it’s worth paying attention. And she’s not alone—Prince Harry has also shared how this same therapy technique helped him process trauma from his mother’s death.

Both celebrities are breaking down the stigma around mental health treatment while doing something revolutionary: openly championing EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and giving their stamp of approval to a therapeutic approach that actually works.

The Moment Everything Changed for Miley

You’re sitting in a therapist’s office, guided to visualize yourself on a train. “Just watch your life like a movie,” the therapist says. “Watch it pass you by through the windows.”

That’s exactly how Cyrus described her EMDR breakthrough session.

As she watched these frames of moments flash by like film, her therapist asked what anxiety came up when performing. Without thinking, she said, “I just want them to love me so bad.”

When he asked when she first felt that way, something extraordinary happened—the train started moving backward through time.

In that state, guided by her therapists, Cyrus found herself experiencing her mother’s adoption story, feeling the intergenerational trauma that had been passed down. She realized both she and her mother were handed to the same adoptive grandmother, creating a powerful connection.

The session ended with a healing visualization on a mountaintop where everyone who brought her peace—her deceased dog, her grandmother, her mother, her current boyfriend—joined hands and played Ring Around the Rosie.

But this was just the beginning of her healing journey.

“I came out of it, and I’ve never had stage fright again. Ever!” she said. However, as Cyrus explained, “I did more sessions, because there was so much more under that.”

The stage fright breakthrough happened in that powerful first session, but the deeper work of processing years of carried trauma took time and commitment. The anxiety that had plagued her career wasn’t even hers—it was her mother’s unprocessed pain that she’d been carrying.

EMDR therapy gave her the tools to separate what was hers from what wasn’t.

Prince Harry’s EMDR Therapy Experience

Cyrus isn’t alone in her EMDR therapy advocacy. Prince Harry’s therapy session was filmed for his Apple TV series “The Me You Can’t See,” bringing EMDR into the global spotlight in an unprecedented way.

His approach was different, but equally effective.

During his EMDR session with therapist Sanja Oakley, Harry used what’s called the “butterfly tap”—hands crossed over his chest, providing bilateral stimulation while processing traumatic memories from his childhood.

“One of the biggest lessons that I’ve ever learned in life is you’ve sometimes got to go back and to deal with really uncomfortable situations and be able to process it in order to be able to heal,” he explained.

Like Cyrus, he remained fully conscious throughout the process while his brain learned to process and store these memories in a healthier way. In other words, no drugs, medications, or psychedelics were needed.

This demonstrates why EMDR for trauma has become such a trusted treatment approach.

The Science Behind EMDR Therapy for Anxiety

EMDR therapy isn’t magic—it’s neuroscience in action. Schuyler, our Director, is a certified EMDR Consultant. He’s been using EMDR in therapy for about 15 years and has trained numerous therapists in EMDR.

This type of therapy uses bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements) to help your brain reprocess distressing memories and emotional pain. Mental health experts explain that it helps shift memories from the emotional part of the brain (amygdala) to the more logical part (prefrontal cortex).

Here’s what happens in your brain during EMDR:

Traumatic memories get “unstuck” from the emotional center (often referred to as the “trauma vortex”) where they trigger fight-or-flight responses
Your brain learns to file them properly in long-term memory where they can’t ambush you but are still accessible when really needed to support you without overwhelm
The emotional charge gets neutralized while the factual memory remains intact
The emotional charge gets associated with a positive belief, experience, or in Cyrus’s case, supportive figures and alleys

Think of it as helping your brain file away traumatic memories in a way that doesn’t trigger your fight-or-flight response every time they surface.

For Cyrus, this meant her brain could finally separate “performing on stage” from “desperate need for approval,” allowing her to do what she loves without the overwhelming anxiety. I could use some more of that in my life, especially as a business owner, partner, and parent!

Beyond the Spotlight: A Bigger Mental Health Movement

What makes these celebrity endorsements particularly powerful is that they’re advocating for systemic change, not just sharing success stories.

Cyrus has been pushing for mandatory weekly mental health check-ins for young performers, saying “There should be a weekly check-in. I’ve been doing consistent therapy since I was 17 or 18 years old.”

Her concern extends beyond herself to the next generation.

When she sees young stars like Sabrina Carpenter with grueling tour schedules, she has “the urge to ask her if she’s OK” because “I know what it feels like to fry yourself, and I just don’t want anyone to get fried.”

The message is clear: therapy isn’t just crisis intervention—it’s essential maintenance for mental health.

What This Means for the Rest of Us

When high-profile figures like Cyrus and Prince Harry share their therapy experiences, they’re doing more than just being vulnerable—they’re giving permission.

Permission to seek help

Permission to acknowledge that success doesn’t immunize you from trauma or anxiety

Permission to believe that healing is possible

Their stories matter because they show that EMDR isn’t just for “severe” trauma. Cyrus’s stage fright might seem trivial compared to Prince Harry’s grief, but both found relief through the same therapeutic approach.

This demonstrates that EMDR can be effective for a wide range of emotional challenges—from performance anxiety to grief, from childhood trauma to relationship issues.

Your Own Path to Healing

You don’t need to be performing for millions or living in the public eye to benefit from EMDR therapy. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, trauma, phobias, or emotional blocks that keep you from living fully, EMDR can help your brain process and heal from experiences that are holding you back.

The technique that helped Miley Cyrus overcome stage fright and Prince Harry process grief could be the same approach that helps you move forward from whatever’s been weighing you down.

Ready to explore how EMDR therapy Washington DC specialists might help you? Schedule your consultation today and take the first step toward the kind of healing that celebrities are talking about—because you deserve the same access to effective mental health treatment.

Three Locations to Serve You

If you’re ready to explore EMDR therapy in the DMV area, Schuyler Cunningham and our specialists are available at three convenient locations:

Washington, DC Location:

In-person and online therapy available
Neurofeedback services (in-person only)
Address: 1629 K ST NW, Suite 450 (4th floor) Washington, D.C. 20006
Phone: +1 202-998-ADHD (2343)
Email: [email protected]

Baltimore Location:

Virginia Location:

Additional Services for ADHD Relationships

Understanding how trauma affects your life is just the beginning.

In addition to our EMDR therapy, we offer neurofeedback services that provide a brain-based approach to help regulate emotional responses and improve overall mental wellness.

We also provide comprehensive ADHD assessments for individuals who suspect ADHD may be contributing to their emotional challenges but haven’t received a formal diagnosis.