Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Phases of EMDR Treatment:

Phase 1: History-taking

  • The clinician will conduct a full case history and collaborate with the client to identify goals for treatment, memories to work with during treatment, and triggers.

Phase 2: Preparation

  • The clinician familiarizes the client with EMDR procedures, coping skills, and strategies to maintain emotional safety during and between future EMDR sessions.

Phase 3: Assessment

  • The memory of focus is activated and assessed on image, cognition, affect, and body sensations related to the memory. This phase is repeated throughout the treatment process to track how and when feelings of discomfort reduce.

Phase 4-7: Memory Processing

  • During the main treatment phase, the client focuses on the memory while completing eye movements. Sessions continue until feelings of distress related to the memory have been significantly reduced.

Phase 8: Evaluating Treatment Results

  • The clinician evaluates how treatment outcomes have been maintained over time and collaborates with the client to identify different target memories. They evaluate if and when to discontinue EMDR treatment.

EMDR is a unique evidence-based psychotherapy used to process traumatic memories. Typically, the mind processes the days events and encodes them into memory during sleep, especially rapid eye movement (REM) sleep cycles. However, when something highly stressful or traumatic occurs, the bodies natural methods of processing these memories can become overwhelmed. As a result, these memories may feel emotionally vivid, intrusive, and stuck for long periods of time after their occurrence. Individuals who experience this may also, among other symptoms:

  • Have upsetting dreams and nightmares

  • Have difficulties concentrating or making decisions

  • Avoid people, places, and items that remind you of the event

  • Feel jumpy and easily get startled at loud or sudden noises

  • Feel constantly on guard and alert

  • Experience a pounding heart and rapid breathing

  • Become irritable or experience angry outbursts

EMDR sessions use eye movements, similar to those during REM sleep, by following the clinician’s finger as it moves side to side across your visual field.

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