The 8 Phases of EMDR Therapy: What to Expect, Session by Session

Most people who look into EMDR have the same picture in mind: a therapist moving a finger back and forth while you relive the worst day of your life. It’s an understandable picture, and it’s mostly wrong. The eye movements are one part of one phase. Before that comes careful planning and skill building, and nothing moves forward until you’re ready.

If not knowing what happens in the room, or on the screen, is what has kept you from reaching out, this guide is for you. Here’s what each of the eight phases involves, how long they tend to take, and how the process works when your sessions are online from anywhere in Colorado.

What Are the 8 Phases of EMDR Therapy?

The 8 phases of EMDR therapy are history taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses this fixed sequence so that memory processing only begins after you have a plan, coping skills, and trust in your therapist. The EMDR International Association describes each phase as part of a standardized approach.

Why Does EMDR Follow a Set Structure?

EMDR is built on an idea called the Adaptive Information Processing model. In plain terms, it holds that when something overwhelming happens, the memory can get stored with the original emotions, body sensations, and beliefs still attached. Dr. Francine Shapiro, who developed EMDR, described these unprocessed memories as the root of many ongoing symptoms. That’s why a smell, a tone of voice, or a stretch of highway can bring it all back as if it were happening now.

The eight phases exist to help your brain finish processing that memory safely. The structure is the safety feature. It keeps a therapist from rushing into painful material before you have the tools to handle it.

The 8 Phases at a Glance

Phase 1: History and Treatment Planning

Your first session looks a lot like a first session with any good therapist. We ask what is bringing you in, what you’ve already tried, and what you want life to look like on the other side. We also ask about your health, your support system, and what is going on in your life right now.

From there, we build a plan together. That includes choosing "targets": the past memories, present-day triggers, and future situations you want to feel differently about. You share only as much detail as you’re comfortable with. In its 2013 guidance, as summarized by Dr. Shapiro, the World Health Organization noted that EMDR doesn’t involve detailed descriptions of the event or homework. That’s a relief for many people.

Phase 2: Preparation

This is the phase people tend to underestimate. Before any memory work, you learn how EMDR works and what it may feel like. Then you practice skills for calming your body and mind, such as picturing a calm place, slow breathing, or a "container" exercise for setting distressing thoughts aside.

These skills are what make the later phases workable. They are also useful on an ordinary Tuesday when stress runs high. Preparation can take one session or several. If you’ve lived with trauma for a long time, a longer preparation phase is a sign of careful treatment. It doesn’t mean you’re behind.

For online sessions, this is also when we set up the practical side: a private space, a steady internet connection, headphones if you like them, and the form of bilateral stimulation that suits you. We cover the options in our post on whether virtual EMDR works.

Phase 3: Assessment

Once you’re ready to work on a specific memory, we map it out. You’ll be asked to identify:

• The image that represents the worst part of the memory
• A negative belief about yourself that goes with it, such as "I am not safe" or "It was my fault"
• A positive belief you would rather hold, such as "I am safe now" or "I did the best I could"
• The emotions and body sensations that come up

You’ll rate how disturbing the memory feels on a scale of 0 to 10, and how true the positive belief feels on a scale of 1 to 7. These two numbers give us a baseline, so progress is something you can see and not only something you hope for.

Phase 4: Desensitization

This is the phase most people picture. You hold the memory in mind while following a form of bilateral stimulation, meaning something that alternates left and right. Online, that’s usually a moving dot on your screen, alternating tones through headphones, or tapping your own shoulders or knees.

After each short set, your therapist asks a simple question: "What do you notice?" There’s no right answer. A thought, a feeling, a different memory, or nothing at all are all fine. Your therapist guides the next set based on what you report.

Over time, the memory usually begins to feel more distant and less charged. According to EMDRIA, people often notice shifts in insight, images, feelings, or beliefs during this phase. You can raise a hand and stop at any point. The goal is for that 0 to 10 rating to come down as far as it reasonably can.

Phase 5: Installation

Once the distress has dropped, the focus turns to the positive belief you chose in Phase 3. You pair it with the memory while continuing bilateral stimulation, until the belief feels true in your gut and not only in your head. Sometimes the original belief changes along the way. "I am safe now" might become "I can trust myself." That’s welcome.

Phase 6: Body Scan

Trauma often lingers in the body after the mind has made peace with it. In this phase you think of the memory and the positive belief together, then slowly scan from head to toe. If you notice tightness, heaviness, or any other leftover sensation, a few more sets of bilateral stimulation help it settle. A memory is considered fully processed when you can bring it to mind without your body bracing.

Phase 7: Closure

Every session ends with closure, whether or not a memory is finished. Your therapist helps you return to a calm, grounded state using the skills from Phase 2. You’ll also talk about what to expect between sessions. Processing can continue for a day or two, and Cleveland Clinic notes that a therapist won’t end a session until you feel calmer and safe. We may suggest keeping brief notes on anything that comes up.

Phase 8: Reevaluation

Each new session begins by checking in. How did the week go? Does the memory still feel settled? Did anything new surface? This tells us whether to continue with the same target, move to the next one, or spend more time on stabilizing skills. Reevaluation is how your treatment plan stays matched to you and doesn’t run on autopilot.

How Long Do the 8 Phases of EMDR Take?

It depends on what you’re working through, and honest providers will tell you so. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs describes a typical course for PTSD as about three months of weekly sessions lasting 50 to 90 minutes, and notes that many people begin to notice improvement after a few sessions. Cleveland Clinic estimates three to six sessions for a single event, and eight to twelve or more for complex or long-term trauma.

The phases aren’t one per session. Phases 3 through 7 often happen within a single appointment, and you’ll cycle through them for each memory you target. Some people prefer to do this work in longer blocks. Most EMDR intensives are 90 minutes or two hours. Three- and four-hour sessions may be available when clinically appropriate and strongly preferred by the client. If that appeals to you, read about the benefits of EMDR intensives and see current options on our rates page.

Do the 8 Phases Work the Same Way Online?

Yes. The eight phases are the same. Only the delivery changes. Instead of following a therapist’s hand, you follow a dot on screen, listen to alternating tones, or tap. A 2021 evaluation in BMC Psychiatry looked at 93 clients who received EMDR remotely and found meaningful drops in symptoms. The authors were careful to point out the limits of their study, including the lack of a control group, so more research is needed. Still, the early evidence and day-to-day clinical practice point the same direction.

For Coloradans, online care also removes some real obstacles: I-25 traffic, mountain passes in winter, or living hours from the nearest trained provider. EMDR Center of Denver offers online EMDR therapy to adults anywhere in Colorado, and many people find it easier to do vulnerable work from their own couch.

How Can You Prepare for Your First EMDR Session?

• Find a private spot where you’ll not be interrupted. A parked car works if home is busy.
• Test your internet and have headphones nearby.
• Leave a buffer afterward. Avoid booking a big meeting right after a session.
• Jot down what you want to be different. You don’t need a full history written out.
• Bring your questions. There are no silly ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?

No. Your therapist needs a general sense of what happened in order to plan treatment, but EMDR doesn’t depend on a detailed retelling. During processing you mostly notice what comes up and report it briefly.

Can the phases happen out of order?

The sequence stays the same, but you’ll move back and forth. If life gets stressful, your therapist may return to preparation skills for a session or two before continuing. That flexibility is built into the model.

What if I can’t do eye movements?

Eye movements are one option among several. Tapping and alternating sounds are common alternatives, and many people find them more comfortable, especially on screen.

Is EMDR only for PTSD?

PTSD is where the research is strongest. Clinicians also use EMDR for concerns that trace back to distressing experiences, including anxiety, grief and loss, and depression. A consultation can help sort out whether it suits your situation. EMDR isn’t the right fit for everyone, and a good therapist will say so.

Will I feel worse before I feel better?

Some people feel tired or emotionally tender for a day or two after a processing session. This is usually brief. Your therapist will prepare you for it and check in at the next session.

Final Thoughts

Knowing the map tends to make the road less intimidating. If you’re curious whether EMDR could help with trauma or something else you’ve been carrying, you can meet our clinicians and schedule a free 15-minute consultation, or call 720-464-3444. There’s no pressure and no commitment. It’s a conversation.

More research on the 8 phases of EMDR:

• EMDR International Association. Experiencing EMDR Therapy. https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/experiencing-emdr-therapy/
• Shapiro F. The Role of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy in Medicine. The Permanente Journal. 2014;18(1):71-77. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3951033/
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/emdr.asp
• Cleveland Clinic. EMDR Therapy: What It Is, Procedure and Effectiveness. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22641-emdr-therapy
• McGowan IW, Fisher N, Havens J, Proudlock S. An evaluation of EMDR therapy delivered remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21:560. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-021-03571-x

This article is for education and isn’t a substitute for therapy or medical advice. If you’re in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room.