The 8 Phases of EMDR Explained
Takeaway: If you’re considering starting therapy, it’s important to understand what you can expect from the process. Learning more about the types of therapy and what they entail can help you make an informed decision. In this post, I’ll explain the 8 phases of EMDR so you can get a sense of how it works and whether it’s right for you.
What is EMDR therapy?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, better known as EMDR, is a unique form of mental health treatment. According to the EMDR Institute, it was first developed in 1978 by psychologist and researcher Dr. Francine Shapiro.
At first, EMDR was primarily used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While it's still commonly used to treat trauma, research has since shown that it's effective in treating a number of different issues, including
Anxiety
Depression
Chronic pain
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Substance abuse
...and more.
EMDR is different from traditional forms of talk therapy. It works by using bilateral stimulation to change how a person's brain reacts to memories of a traumatic event. EMDR therapists use a variety of different bilateral stimulation techniques, but some common ones include back-and-forth eye movements, tapping, or handheld buzzers.
EMDR therapy tends to be more structured than many other forms of therapy. While your clinician will tailor each EMDR therapy session to your specific needs and goals, all EMDR treatment follows the same process, which I'll explain in detail below.
What are the 8 phases of EMDR?
There are 8 EMDR phases, all with their own unique structure and purpose. Here, I'll identify each of the 8 phases of EMDR and explain what to expect during each one. Check out the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA) website for even more details about the 8 phases.
Phase 1: History taking and treatment planning
The first phase usually takes the entire first session or two of EMDR therapy. Your therapist will ask you questions about what brings you in and what you hope to get out of therapy. Know that you do not need to share many details about your trauma: just enough so your therapist can get a general sense of how they can help you.
Your therapist will also explain more about EMDR therapy and what to expect throughout the process. This is a great time to ask any questions you might have. From here, you and your therapist will create a treatment plan. You'll decide how frequently to meet and come up with a plan to help you reach your goals.
Phase 2: Preparation
During the preparation phase, you and your therapist will continue to get to know each other. Building a strong, trusting therapeutic connection will help you feel comfortable engaging in this work, which can often be challenging and uncomfortable.
At this time, your therapist will also help you develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage the negative emotions that will likely arise during EMDR therapy. Often, these include grounding skills such as the 5-4-3-2-1 method or certain breathing techniques to help you stay calm during the process.
Phase 3: Assessment
Once you feel equipped, it's time to dive into the main portion of EMDR therapy. During the assessment phase, you'll identify which target memory you'd like to start with. Again, you don't need to discuss this memory in detail with your therapist: you'll simply be bringing it to mind.
After you choose a target memory, you'll identify the associated negative beliefs (e.g. "I am bad" or "I am in danger"). You'll then identify a positive belief that you'd like to replace them with (e.g. "I am a good person" or "I am safe").
Phase 4: Desensitization
During the desensitization portion of EMDR therapy, your therapist will use the bilateral stimulation methods I described earlier in the post.
While your therapist guides you through these exercises, you'll hold the traumatic memory in mind. The goal is to redirect the way that your brain reacts to this memory.
Phase 5: Installation
As the name suggests, the goal of the installation phase is to install positive beliefs in place of the negative belief you identify in Phase 3.
As with Phase 4, your EMDR therapist will guide you through bilateral stimulation techniques to help your brain reprocess the traumatic event: this time while holding the positive cognition in mind.
Phase 6: Body scan
Once you've worked on installing the positive beliefs, you'll then bring the traumatic memories back to mind. Your therapist will guide you through a body scan to see if any physical sensations arise when you do so.
If your body still has a reaction to the memory of the traumatic events, you'll repeat the process until you have no negative emotions or body sensations in response to the traumatic memories.
Phase 7: Closure
Each session ends with intentional closure. Since you're dealing with difficult memories and emotions, your EMDR therapist will help you get to a grounded place before you leave the session.
Your therapist will also give you a sense of what to expect between sessions and remind you of the coping tools you learned in Phase 2. You can use these skills outside of session as needed.
Phase 8: Reevaluation
Similarly, each EMDR session begins with reevaluation. Before delving into the work, your therapist will check in with you and see what came up for you between sessions.
At this time, you'll also make sure that you're on the same page about what the session will hold and ensure that you're making progress toward your goals for therapy.
How EMDR can help
Each person has their own unique goals for EMDR therapy. However, there are many common benefits. Take a look at these examples to see if any of them resonate with what you hope to get out of treatment.
Heal past wounds. EMDR is a highly effective treatment for trauma. Whether you experienced a single traumatic event or a lifetime of chronic trauma, this approach could be a good option for you: especially because you don't have to talk about your experience in detail.
Improve your quality of life. Trauma symptoms can take a toll on your daily functioning. Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, panic, and negative emotions can take over if left untreated. EMDR therapy can help you reduce and even eliminate many symptoms associated with trauma.
Feel more grounded. During the EMDR therapy process, you'll learn skills to help you feel more in control of your emotions. These skills can serve you long after you've wrapped up your work in therapy.
These are just a handful of ways that EMDR therapy can help you. You'll likely find your own positive outcomes from the process.
Start the process of EMDR therapy today
If you think EMDR therapy might be a good fit for your needs, I'm here to help. I'm Janae Kim, a licensed marriage and family therapist in the states of Texas and California.
I provide virtual EMDR therapy, and I'm passionate about helping trauma survivors recover. In particular, I specialize in supporting BIPOC, high-achievers, and HSPs heal their wounds. Together, we can find a new path forward for you.
