The 8 phases of EMDR
The complete EMDR therapy protocol, phase by phase
If you've been recommended EMDR or are already in treatment, understanding the 8 phases will help you know what to expect at each step. Here you'll find what happens in each phase, what patients experience, how long it takes, and why the order matters.
What are the 8 phases of EMDR therapy?
The 8 phases of EMDR are the standard protocol developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro for treating trauma through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. The protocol structures treatment sequentially: first building the patient's safety and coping resources (phases 1-2), then actively processing the traumatic memory (phases 3-6), and finally closing and consolidating the work (phases 7-8).
If you've been recommended EMDR or are already in treatment, understanding the phases will help you know what to expect at each step. For a broader introduction, start with our guide on What is EMDR?.
The protocol is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychological Association (APA) as a first-line treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The phases are not a rigid staircase you climb once: they are a framework you move through in cycles, adapted to each person and their pace.
The 8 phases of EMDR therapy step by step
Phase 1: History taking and treatment planning
- The therapist gets to know you: gathering information about your personal history, reasons for seeking treatment, and distressing experiences. Together you build a map of past memories, current triggers, and future goals.
- You'll experience this phase as an in-depth clinical interview with open questions and note-taking. You don't need to remember everything clearly or have a complete narrative.
- Duration: 1 to 2 full sessions. Complex trauma histories may require more time. To learn what the first day looks like, see your first EMDR session.
Phase 2: Preparation
- The therapist explains how EMDR works and teaches you emotional regulation techniques: the Safe Place, the Butterfly Hug, 4-7-8 breathing, or the Container Exercise. The goal is to feel stable before working with difficult memories.
- You'll learn to reduce tension or anxiety within minutes. This phase increases your sense of safety and control before trauma processing begins.
- Duration: 1 to 2 sessions for single-incident trauma. For complex trauma or high instability, preparation may span several sessions.
Phase 3: Assessment
- Together with your therapist, you select a specific target memory and identify its components: the most disturbing image, the associated negative belief (for example, "I am not good enough"), the desired positive belief ("I am good enough"), emotions, body sensations, the disturbance level (SUD, 0-10), and how true the positive belief feels (VoC, 1-7). The therapist may use the EMDR belief list as a reference.
- You'll be guided through focused questions and brief rating scales. It can feel uncomfortable to look closely at the memory, but the process is brief and contained.
- Duration: from a few minutes to a significant portion of the session, depending on the memory's complexity.
Phase 4: Desensitization
- This is the core phase of EMDR: while you hold aspects of the memory in mind, the therapist applies bilateral stimulation (eye movements, alternating sounds through headphones, or tapping). With each set, the memory loses emotional intensity. You are always in control and can signal the therapist to pause at any point.
- The session alternates short periods of stimulation with pauses where you briefly share what you notice: images, thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations. Waves of emotion or connections to other memories may arise: this is a normal sign that your brain is processing.
- Duration: typically spans full sessions and may repeat across multiple sessions, especially for complex trauma.
Phase 5: Installation
- Once distress has decreased, the focus shifts to strengthening the positive belief chosen in Phase 3 ("I am safe now," "I am enough"). It is reinforced with bilateral stimulation until it feels completely true.
- Many people describe a sense of relief, empowerment, or self-compassion. The memory still exists, but it no longer defines who you are.
- Duration: usually completed within the same session as desensitization.
Phase 6: Body scan
- With the memory and positive belief in mind, you mentally scan your body from head to toe to detect any lingering tension or physical discomfort. If anything arises, additional sets of bilateral stimulation are applied.
- You'll learn to listen to your body's signals as part of the healing process. Many patients notice a sense of lightness, easier breathing, or muscle relaxation.
- Duration: a brief segment at the end of work with each memory.
Phase 7: Closure
- Every reprocessing session ends with closure that ensures you leave in a state of sufficient calm and present-moment orientation, whether or not the work on the memory is complete. The therapist reviews regulation techniques and provides guidance for the time between sessions.
- You may feel somewhat stirred up, tired, or lighter. It is normal to experience vivid dreams, emotional waves, or new memories between sessions. You'll have a clear self-care plan. See our guide on what to expect after EMDR for what's normal and what isn't.
- Duration: the final minutes of each session that includes reprocessing.
Phase 8: Reevaluation
- At the start of the next session, therapist and patient review prior work: does the memory remain neutral? Does the positive belief still hold? Has new material surfaced that needs attention?
- Many people are surprised to find that a previously unbearable memory now feels distant or neutral, like something that happened rather than something that is happening now.
- Duration: a brief segment at the start of many sessions throughout treatment.
How long does full EMDR treatment take?
How long EMDR treatment takes depends on the type of trauma and the complexity of each case:
Single-incident trauma (an accident, an isolated assault): treatment can be completed in 6 to 12 sessions, sometimes as few as 3 to 6 for a single memory. Phases 1 and 2 are usually brief, with most time spent cycling through phases 3 to 8.
Complex trauma (multiple events, chronic childhood trauma, prolonged abuse): treatment typically spans months, with repeated cycles of preparation, reprocessing, and reevaluation. Phases 1 and 2 are extended to stabilize and build a strong, trusting relationship with your therapist.
The phases are sequential for safety: without proper preparation (phases 1-2), working with traumatic memories (phases 3-6) can feel too intense. Likewise, memories are not reopened without closure (phase 7) or without evaluating their impact (phase 8). The therapist adjusts the pace to each person's needs.
In practice, phases 1 and 2 focus on early sessions. Phases 3 through 6 repeat each time a new memory is processed. Phases 7 and 8 are recurring: closure at the end of each session and reevaluation at the start of the next. If you're considering EMDR therapy, explore how our online EMDR platform works.
Evidence and references
- Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
- World Health Organization (2013). Guidelines for the Management of Conditions Specifically Related to Stress. WHO.
- American Psychological Association (2017). Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD.
- EMDRIA. The Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy. EMDR International Association.
- American Psychological Association. Exploring the 8 phases of EMDR.
Frequently asked questions
This resource is a complementary tool and does not replace therapy with a qualified professional. If you experience significant distress, contact your therapist.
