Recovery From PTSD: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy

Gurprit Ganda
Feb 17, 2025
3 min read

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has emerged as a transformative approach for healing PTSD, offering a structured yet flexible framework to process distressing memories. Developed by Francine Shapiro, this evidence-based method uses bilateral stimulation—such as eye movements or taps—to help individuals reprocess traumatic experiences that have led to PTSD, reducing their emotional intensity. Below, we demystify the eight phases of EMDR therapy, providing clarity on how this innovative treatment fosters resilience and recovery.

Phase 1: Client History and Treatment Planning

The foundation of

EMDR

begins with a thorough assessment of the client’s history, including past traumas, current triggers, and future goals. Therapists evaluate the client’s emotional stability, readiness for processing, and safety factors to tailor a personalized treatment plan. This phase ensures that both therapist and client identify specific memories or situations to target, laying the groundwork for focused intervention.

Key Activities

Gathering detailed personal and trauma history.

Gathering detailed personal and trauma history.

Assessing internal and external resources for emotional regulation.

Assessing internal and external resources for emotional regulation.

Collaboratively selecting target memories for reprocessing.

Collaboratively selecting target memories for reprocessing.

Phase 2: Preparation

Trust and safety are paramount. Therapists educate clients about EMDR’s mechanics, including bilateral stimulation, and teach coping strategies such as mindfulness or

grounding techniques

. This phase equips clients with tools to manage distress during and between sessions, fostering a sense of control and readiness.

Key Activities

Explaining the EMDR process and setting realistic expectations.

Explaining the EMDR process and setting realistic expectations.

Practicing self-soothing techniques (e.g.,

deep breathing

, visualization).

Practicing self-soothing techniques (e.g.,

deep breathing

, visualization).

Establishing a “safe place” visualization to use if emotions become overwhelming.

Establishing a “safe place” visualization to use if emotions become overwhelming.

Phase 3: Assessment

Here, clients pinpoint a specific memory to reprocess. They identify:

A vivid image representing the memory.

A vivid image representing the memory.

A negative self-belief (e.g., “I am powerless”).

A negative self-belief (e.g., “I am powerless”).

A desired positive belief (e.g., “I am in control”).

A desired positive belief (e.g., “I am in control”).

Therapists measure the emotional intensity using the

Subjective Units of Distress (SUD)

scale

(0-10) and the validity of the positive belief with the

Validity of Cognition (VOC)

scale

(1-7).

Phase 4: Desensitization

Bilateral stimulation—via eye movements, taps, or tones—is introduced as clients focus on the traumatic memory. This phase aims to reduce the emotional charge linked to the memory, allowing new insights and associations to emerge. For example, a combat veteran might recall a traumatic event and gradually experience decreased distress as the memory is reprocessed.

Key Outcomes

SUD levels decrease to 0-1, indicating minimal distress.

SUD levels decrease to 0-1, indicating minimal distress.

Negative emotions and physical sensations dissipate.

Negative emotions and physical sensations dissipate.

Phase 5: Installation

The focus shifts to reinforcing the positive belief identified in Phase 3. Therapists use bilateral stimulation to strengthen the client’s acceptance of this belief until it feels “completely true” (VOC = 7). For instance, a survivor of assault might replace “I am weak” with “I am resilient”.

Phase 6: Body Scan

Clients mentally scan their body for residual tension or sensations linked to the memory. Any lingering discomfort is addressed with additional bilateral stimulation, ensuring somatic and emotional resolution.

Phase 7: Closure

Sessions conclude with techniques to restore emotional equilibrium, such as guided imagery or

journaling

. Clients are reminded to use coping skills if distress arises between sessions.

Phase 8: Reevaluation

At the start of each new session, therapists assess progress by revisiting previously processed targets. This phase ensures sustained improvement and identifies new areas for focus, maintaining the therapy’s momentum.

Why EMDR Works: The Science Behind the Phases

EMDR’s effectiveness lies in its ability to mimic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where the brain naturally processes memories. Bilateral stimulation “unsticks” traumatic memories stored in the right hemisphere, allowing integration with the left hemisphere’s logical and positive frameworks. This dual attention stimulus—focusing on the past while engaging in the present—reduces the vividness and emotional grip of traumatic memories.

Conclusion: The Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy

EMDR therapy’s eight-phase approach offers a roadmap for healing, blending structure with adaptability to meet each client’s needs. By systematically addressing past traumas, present triggers, and future challenges, EMDR empowers individuals to reclaim their narrative and cultivate lasting resilience.