1. What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured psychotherapy approach used to help clients process distressing memories and reduce their emotional impact. EMDR combines attention to distressing memories with bilateral stimulation within a structured therapy. Its mechanisms remain under study.
EMDR is a recommended treatment for PTSD. Evidence for other conditions varies and should be evaluated separately.
2. The 8 Phases of EMDR Therapy
1. History Taking
Gather the client’s history and plan for treatment.
2. Preparation
Build resources and skills to help the client feel safe and ready.
3. Assessment
Identify the target memory and related negative beliefs.
4. Desensitization
Attend to the target memory during clinician-guided sets of bilateral stimulation.
5. Installation
Strengthen an adaptive belief associated with the target memory.
6. Body Scan
Check the body for any remaining tension or distress.
7. Closure
Support present orientation and plan for the period between sessions.
8. Reevaluation
Review progress and determine next steps in treatment.
3. What EMDR looks like in session.
EMDR sessions are collaborative and client-centered. After identifying a target, the clinician guides the client through sets of bilateral stimulation-while the client notices what comes up. Distress typically reduces as the memory is reprocessed and new insights emerge. Closure includes attention to the client’s state and a plan for the period between sessions.
4. Common Misconceptions
EMDR is not just eye movements
Bilateral stimulation is one component of a structured, eight-phase therapy – not the treatment itself.
EMDR is not hypnosis.
EMDR is not trance work. Clients stay engaged with the therapist and can pause or stop the process.
EMDR is structured, not random.
Every session sits inside a treatment plan: assessment, preparation, carefully chosen targets, and monitored processing.
EMDR doesn’t require detailed retelling of trauma.
Clients do not have to narrate every detail of a traumatic experience for EMDR to proceed; the work still happens inside a structured clinical process.
5. Next Steps
Explore EMDR in Practice
Learn how EMDR is applied across clinical settings.
Read the Research
Discover the evidence behind EMDR’s effectiveness.
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About EMDRNews
Curated by Timothy Vermillion, DSW, LCSW, BCD
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