Maybe you’ve heard about EMDR and wondered, what actually happens behind those mysterious initials? As someone who guides clients through EMDR every week, I know it can feel daunting to step into something unfamiliar, especially when you’ve already tried talking about your trauma and it hasn’t budged. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, research‑backed therapy that helps you process memories without having to relive all the details. Because EMDR works directly with your nervous system, it often brings relief faster than traditional talk therapy. Sessions typically last between an hour and 90 minutes and follow a series of standardized phases.

How EMDR works

EMDR is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. Research suggests that traumatic memories are stored in a fragmented way that keeps the brain on high alert. The dual focus of recalling the memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation helps the brain “reprocess” the memory so that traumatic memories no longer hold the same emotional charge.

Eight phases of EMDR

1. History taking and treatment planning – Your therapist gathers background information and discusses the specific memories or issues you want to address. This helps determine whether EMDR is appropriate and what your goals are.
2. Preparation and education – The therapist explains how EMDR works and teaches you grounding techniques to help you feel safe during sessions.
3. Assessment – You identify the target memory, the negative belief it triggered and a positive belief you want to adopt.
4. Desensitization and reprocessing – During this core phase, the therapist guides you to recall the traumatic memory while simultaneously performing bilateral stimulation (following their finger or lights with your eyes, tapping or listening to alternating tones). This helps the brain reprocess the memory so it feels less overwhelming.
5. Installation – You focus on a positive belief while continuing the bilateral stimulation so it becomes associated with the formerly traumatic memory.
6. Body scan – The therapist checks how your body feels when you recall the memory to ensure that distress has decreased.
7. Closure and stabilization – The session ends only when you feel calm. Your therapist may ask you to journal any new thoughts or feelings between sessions.
8. Re‑evaluation – At the start of the next session, your therapist assesses whether the target memory still causes distress and plans the next steps.
   
   
   

What to expect during a session

An EMDR session often begins with a quick check‑in—How did you sleep? Any new memories surface?—before we dive into the phase appropriate for where you are in the process. If you’re just starting, we’ll spend more time in history taking and preparation; if you’re further along, we’ll move into desensitization and installation. Bilateral stimulation might look like tracking my a visual cue with your eyes, listening to alternating tones or holding gentle pulsers in your hands. Clients often tell me they feel their shoulders drop and their breath deepen as distress moves through them. Depending on the complexity of what you’re working with, EMDR may take anywhere from three to twelve sessions.

Ready to try EMDR?

If you’ve been curious about EMDR, know that it’s a gentle yet powerful way to move trauma out of your body without retraumatizing yourself. I use EMDR every day with high‑functioning adults who are tired of holding it all together while quietly falling apart. Seeing them reclaim calm and clarity is one of my favorite parts of this work. If “just talking about it” hasn’t worked and you’re ready for something different, let’s connect. Reach out to set up a free consultation and we’ll explore whether EMDR is right for you.

For more details on what EMDR therapy involves, the EMDR International Association’s overview of EMDR therapy explains the phases and what you can expect.