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Miley Cyrus has performed for some of the world’s biggest audiences — but for years, she quietly battled stage fright behind the scenes.
In a recent interview, the pop icon revealed that a therapy called EMDR was instrumental in curbing her anxiety.
“Love it. Saved my life,” she told The New York Times in May. “I’ve never had stage fright again. Ever.”
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In another recent interview with Vogue, Cyrus said that EMDR felt like watching a movie in her mind — vivid and emotional, but grounding.
Cyrus isn’t the only public figure to try EMDR. Prince Harry has shared in interviews that he uses the therapy to process painful memories connected to his mother’s death.
Miley Cyrus has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, but for years, she quietly battled stage fright behind the scenes. (Getty Images)
What is EMDR?
EMDR — or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing — is an alternative therapy designed to help people process unresolved trauma and emotional pain.
“It is a powerful, research-based method that helps people heal from painful or distressing experiences that have become ‘stuck’ in the brain,” Dr. Kate Campbell, licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Bayview Therapy in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, told Fox News Digital.
EDMR “helps people heal from painful or distressing experiences that have become ‘stuck’ in the brain.”
“EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, often through eye movements, tapping or sound, to help the brain reprocess those upsetting memories,” added Campbell, who leads a team of EMDR professionals.
She elaborated, “On a neurological level, EMDR helps shift the memory from being stored in the emotional part of the brain (the amygdala) to the more logical, rational part (the prefrontal cortex).”
In a recent interview, Cyrus revealed that EMDR was instrumental in curbing her stage fright. (Getty Images)
Once that shift happens, according to Campbell, people are often able to think about the experience without feeling overwhelmed.
“The emotional intensity and negative beliefs linked to it begin to fade,” she said.
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The goal is not to forget the experience, Campbell noted, but to help the brain “understand, integrate and release it, so people can move forward with more clarity, confidence and peace.”
“By revisiting old fears in a safe, controlled setting and reprocessing them through bilateral stimulation, the brain can shift those memories from a place of heightened distress to emotional neutrality.”
Turning panic into power
The root cause of performance anxiety often stems from earlier negative experiences — like an embarrassing childhood moment, fear of judgment or the pressure to be perfect — which get “locked” into the nervous system, according to Campbell.
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“Over time, these feelings can build into anxiety that shows up in high-pressure moments, like being on stage or speaking in public.”
EMDR is especially effective for performance anxiety because it addresses the underlying causes, not just the symptoms, the expert noted.
“Miley’s experience highlights how EMDR helps recalibrate the brain’s emotional memory network,” one doctor said. (iStock)
The therapy aims to replace the negative memories and beliefs with supportive, empowering ones, Campbell said.
“Many people notice their bodies feeling more relaxed and their thoughts becoming clearer and calmer after just a few sessions,” she noted. “That shift can open the door to greater confidence, presence and peace in performance settings.”
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Campbell applauded Cyrus’ openness about undergoing EMDR therapy.
“It helps to reduce the stigma of mental health and highlights how EMDR is not only for those with deep trauma or full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” she said.
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Cyrus’ experience highlights that healing through therapy doesn’t have to take years, Campbell emphasized.
“With the right support from expert mental health professionals, people can overcome deeply-rooted fears and make space for resilience, clarity and peace.”