EMDR therapy follows a structured approach with eight distinct phases, designed to help you process and heal from difficult experiences.
Here’s an overview of what you can expect:
1. History Taking and Treatment Planning We’ll start by exploring your personal history and understanding what has brought you to therapy. Together, we’ll identify the experiences to focus on and outline a treatment plan tailored to your goals. This phase may take several sessions, depending on the complexity of your history. During this time, we’ll also focus on building a strong, trusting relationship, which is essential for working effectively with traumatic memories.
2. Preparation I’ll explain how EMDR therapy works and answer any questions you might have. We’ll also practice techniques for managing emotions (often referred to as stabilisation). These tools will help you feel grounded and confident throughout the process, enabling you to tolerate any emotions that arise without feeling overwhelmed. During this stage, we’ll develop a "team" of resource figures to support you during the processing phase. Depending on your needs, this phase can take time—sometimes even longer than the reprocessing itself—since it’s crucial to feel fully prepared.
3. Assessment Once you’re ready, we’ll identify a specific memory or experience to focus on, called the “target.” You’ll share the images, beliefs, emotions, and body sensations connected to it. To track progress, we’ll use two key measures:
Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD): Measures the level of distress the memory causes.
Validity of Cognition (VOC): Evaluates how strongly you believe a positive thought about yourself related to the memory.
4. Desensitisation In this phase, we’ll use bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, taps, or sounds) to reduce the emotional intensity of the memory. As new thoughts or feelings emerge, we’ll process them together.
5. Installation When the memory no longer feels distressing, we’ll reinforce a positive belief about yourself in relation to it. This helps instil a sense of empowerment and confidence.
6. Body Scan I’ll guide you to revisit the memory alongside your new positive belief while checking for any lingering physical tension or discomfort. If any sensations remain, we’ll process them until your body feels completely at ease.
7. Closure At the end of each session, I’ll ensure you leave feeling calm and grounded, even if the memory isn’t fully processed yet. This phase helps maintain your emotional stability between sessions.(Phases 3–7 may require multiple sessions, depending on the complexity of the memory.)
8. Revaluation In the following session, we’ll revisit the processed memory to confirm it feels neutral and that your positive belief is firmly in place. From there, we’ll decide the next steps to continue your healing journey.
EMDR therapy is a collaborative process, and I’ll support you every step of the way to help you transform distress into lasting healing.
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