What Are the 8 Phases of EMDR? A Comprehensive Overview

When you hear the word “therapy,” you probably get a picture in your mind of two people talking in a private room. EMDR will challenge that perception by, well, challenging your perception. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a relatively new approach — created in the 1980s — that uses eye, finger, and hand movements to achieve something called bilateral stimulation.

When both sides of your brain are engaged by your therapist’s hand and finger movements, you slip into a state similar to REM sleep. However, you’re fully conscious. But you’re able to process negative memories or images without getting triggered. All of this takes place over eight phases.

The 8 Phases of EMDR

Phase 1

For starters, it should come as no surprise that this phase is where some fundamental info is garnered, for example:

• Discussing a patient’s decision to try EMDR therapy

• Full medical history

• The client provides some basic details on their concerns, issues, problems, etc.

• Agreeing on what will be focused on during sessions

Phase 2

Since EMDR is quite unusual within the realm of therapy, Phase 2 begins with the therapist supplying some specifics and answering some questions. Working as a team, the patient and practitioner set realistic expectations and goals.

Phase 3

Here is where things get deeper. The memory has been chosen to focus on. But what does that image mean? When it comes to mind, what emotions, sensations, and beliefs does it elicit? To effectively measure these elements, two scales are used: Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) and Validity of Cognition (VOC).

Phase 4

Get ready for things to shift gears in a hurry. The desensitization phase is what sets EMDR apart from other approaches. Here is what happens in progression:

• The patient aims all their focus on the memory chosen

• The therapist does their part by utilizing finger and hand movements (and sometimes sounds)

• All the while, the patient aligns their eye movements with the therapist’s hand movement — never losing focus on the negative memory or pattern

• To gauge progress, the therapist applies the SUD scale until it drops to zero

Phase 5

When the SUD scale is at zero, you’ve attained desensitization. Now it’s time to replace that memory or belief with something positive and motivating. The hand and eye movements continue until the client feels 100 percent belief in the positive image.

Phase 6

A full body scan is performed by the client to check for any lingering discomfort. If a disturbance is found, more bilateral stimulation is performed until it’s fully gone. This is not pressurized or stressful — but it is necessary.

Phase 7

It’s time for closure. A lot has happened in a short time. Thus, it requires a slow return to homeostasis before wrapping up. An EMDR session is officially considered closed when no negative sensations are felt. As for the scales, you want SUD at 0 and VOC at 7.

Phase 8

You might be surprised to learn that Phase 8 occurs at the beginning of your next session. That’s when your therapist does the same measurements that ended Phase 7. From there, more work can be done on the previous issue of focus or a new target can be chosen. Generally speaking, EMDR lasts from 6 to 12 sessions.

How Do I Know If EMDR Is Right for Me?

As you can see, EMDR is not standard talk therapy. You might wonder if and how it works and if will it be the right choice for you. To help answer those questions, it is best to set up a free and confidential consultation to ask your questions and learn more about your therapist. I’d love to tell you more about EMDR therapy and how it can change your life.