Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It helps alleviate psychological stress tied to traumatic memories. Major health organizations, including the American Psychological Association and the World Health Organization, recognize EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma.

EMDR is becoming increasingly popular because it offers relief without requiring detailed discussion of painful experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR focuses on the brain's information processing system rather than just changing thoughts and beliefs. Through bilateral stimulation—typically eye movements—EMDR helps the brain reprocess "stuck" memories, reducing their emotional impact.

How Does EMDR Work? A Step-by-Step Breakdown

EMDR follows an eight-phase protocol designed to help people process and heal from painful experiences safely.

Step 1: History Taking and Treatment Planning

Before jumping into trauma work, your therapist takes time to understand you truly. This foundational phase isn’t just about gathering background information—it’s about building a roadmap for where the work will go.

In these first 1–2 sessions, your therapist will:

• Explore your personal history, current symptoms, and key stressors
• Identify specific target memories for processing—these can be major traumatic events or even smaller, repeated negative experiences that have built up over time.
• Assess your readiness for EMDR (because jumping into trauma work too soon can be overwhelming)
• Collaborate with you on clear, achievable treatment goals

This phase helps create a personalized plan that respects your pace and your needs.

Step 2: Preparation

Trauma processing takes courage—and preparation helps you build the tools to feel safe and grounded before doing the deeper work.

During this phase, your therapist focuses on:

• Strengthening your sense of trust and safety within the therapeutic relationship
• Teaching coping strategies like deep breathing, mindfulness, and self-soothing techniques to regulate emotional overwhelm
• Practicing exercises like “safe place” visualization, where you mentally create a calming environment you can return to anytime you feel distressed.

Clients are taught coping skills so they feel prepared to address difficult memories during later phases.” Think of this phase as emotional strength training before starting the heavy lifting.

Step 3: Assessment

Once you feel ready, you and your therapist will choose a specific memory to work on. But it’s not just about recalling what happened—it’s about unpacking the deeper layers of how that memory impacts you.

Together, you'll:

• Identify the negative belief attached to the memory (for example, “I’m not safe” or “I’m powerless”)
• Define the positive belief you’d like to hold instead (like “I am safe now” or “I have control”)
• Rate your current distress level using the SUD scale (Subjective Units of Distress)
• Measure how true the positive belief feels using the VOC scale (Validity of Cognition)
• Tune into any physical sensations that come up when thinking about the memory (because trauma often lives in the body, not just the mind)

This step helps create a clear, focused target for the reprocessing work ahead.

Step 4: Desensitization

This is the heart of EMDR therapy—the active processing phase where the real healing starts to happen.

Here’s what it involves:

• Bilateral stimulation begins, typically through guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones. This rhythmic left-right stimulation is key to how EMDR works.
• While focusing on the chosen memory, you allow thoughts, feelings, images, and body sensations to surface naturally.
• Your therapist helps you process these experiences in brief sets, checking in between each one.

The goal is to reduce the emotional charge of the memory, so trauma no longer triggers the same distressing response.

Step 5: Installation

Once the emotional intensity around the memory has been reduced, the next step is to strengthen the positive belief you want to hold actively.

In this phase:

• You focus on the new, adaptive belief (like “I am strong” or “I did the best I could”)
• Bilateral stimulation continues as your brain works to link this positive belief to the memory
• Your therapist helps reinforce the connection between the memory and the new, healthier self-perception

This phase helps replace old, painful narratives with ones that support your healing and sense of self-worth.

Step 6: Body Scan

Trauma isn’t just in your head—it often gets stuck in your body. Even after emotional processing, some physical tension or discomfort might remain.

The body scan helps you:

• Check in with your body while holding both the memory and the positive belief in mind
• Notice any lingering sensations like tightness, heaviness, or discomfort
• Use bilateral stimulation to address and release any remaining physical distress

This step ensures that both your mind and body are fully included in the healing process.

Step 7: Closure

Each EMDR session wraps up with a focus on returning to emotional balance, regardless of how intense the session may have been.

During closure, your therapist will:

• Guide you back to a sense of calm, often using relaxation exercises or your “safe place” visualization
• Provide strategies for self-care between sessions, like journaling, grounding practices, or movement
• Ensure that you leave the session feeling as stable and supported as possible

This phase is critical for maintaining emotional safety throughout your healing journey.

Step 8: Reevaluation

Healing isn’t always linear, and EMDR builds in regular check-ins to make sure the work is truly sticking.

At the start of each new session, you and your therapist will:

• Revisit the memories you’ve already processed
• Assess whether any distress has returned or if more processing is needed
• Decide on the next steps—whether that’s targeting new memories or reinforcing the work you’ve already done

This phase honors the fact that trauma recovery is a process, not a one-and-done event.

What Is EMDR Therapy Used For?

PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)

EMDR was originally developed for PTSD and has substantial research support. The American Psychological Association considers EMDR "conditionally recommended" for treating PTSD, indicating strong evidence for its effectiveness with combat veterans, accident survivors, and victims of assault or natural disasters.

Complex trauma and childhood trauma

EMDR's phased approach makes it well-suited for addressing complex and childhood trauma. The therapy can carefully target early memories while maintaining safety, helping clients reduce emotional reactivity and improve self-image.

Anxiety, panic attacks, phobias

EMDR effectively treats various anxiety disorders by targeting the traumatic memories that fuel anxiety symptoms. Research shows promising results for general anxiety, panic attacks, and specific phobias.

Depression tied to traumatic experiences

When depression has roots in traumatic experiences, EMDR can help by processing underlying negative beliefs and painful memories, often resulting in significant mood improvement.

Other applications

EMDR has shown effectiveness for:

• Grief and loss
• Chronic pain linked to emotional trauma
• Dissociation
• Emerging uses including addiction, eating disorders, and performance anxiety

Why Does EMDR Work? The Science Behind It

EMDR therapy works on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model—traumatic experiences can become "stuck," frozen in their original form along with all the emotions, sensations, and beliefs attached to them.

Your brain naturally processes and integrates life experiences. But trauma can overwhelm this system, activating the fight, flight, or freeze response. Instead of being filed away properly, these memories remain isolated in the amygdala (your brain's alarm system), causing symptoms like anxiety, flashbacks, or avoidance behaviors.

Three key brain regions are involved in trauma processing:

• The amygdala (emotional alarm system)
• The hippocampus (memory filing system)
• The prefrontal cortex (rational thinking center)

EMDR jumpstarts your brain's natural healing process. The bilateral stimulation works similar to what happens during REM sleep, allowing traumatic memories to be reprocessed and filed away more appropriately.

Several theories explain how bilateral stimulation helps:

1. REM sleep mimicry: Bilateral stimulation may mimic the eye movements in REM sleep, when the brain naturally processes emotional experiences.
2. Working memory taxation: When you track moving stimuli while recalling trauma, you tax your working memory, which reduces the vividness and emotional punch of traumatic memories over time.
3. Dual attention: Focusing simultaneously on the past (memory) and present (bilateral stimulation) helps the brain recognize the trauma is over.

There is usually an increased connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and limbic system after EMDR treatment, suggesting improved emotion regulation. 

What Does EMDR Feel Like? What to Expect Emotionally

EMDR offers a unique experience of dissolving emotional intensity without fully reliving trauma. During sessions, you might experience:

• Waves of emotion that rise and fall naturally
• Physical sensations like tingling, warmth, or tension release
• New insights about the traumatic event
• Shifts in how memories appear (sometimes becoming more distant)
• Spontaneous connections between current reactions and past experiences

Some clients describe EMDR as watching a movie of their experience rather than reliving it. Others notice the emotional charge dissolving while the factual memory remains intact.

Healing happens at your own pace. Your therapist will guide the process, but your brain does the healing work in its own unique way. The goal isn't to erase memories but to transform their impact on your present life.

How Many EMDR Sessions Do You Need?

For single-event trauma (like a car accident), most people need approximately 6-12 EMDR sessions to process the memory thoroughly.

Complex trauma (repeated childhood abuse, multiple traumatic events) typically requires more time, often 20+ sessions. This allows time to build coping skills, process multiple memories, and address layers of negative beliefs.

Factors affecting treatment length include:

• Trauma severity and complexity
• Your existing coping skills
• Therapy frequency
• Other mental health challenges
• Your unique processing style

The EMDR International Association emphasizes that EMDR is not a quick fix but a methodical approach that respects each person's healing journey.

Is EMDR Safe? Risks and Considerations

EMDR is safe for most people when conducted by qualified professionals. However, emotional discomfort during processing is normal. You may experience:

• Temporary increases in distress during or between sessions
• Vivid dreams or new memories emerging
• Fatigue after sessions

These responses typically resolve as processing continues.

Some people may not be good candidates for EMDR without additional support:

• Those experiencing active psychosis
• People with unmanaged dissociative disorders
• Those with severe substance use disorders
• Individuals with serious medical conditions affecting brain function
• People in current crisis situations

For those who may require additional support or alternative approaches, considering online psychiatry services can be beneficial. Additionally, understanding the importance of telehealth informed consent is crucial when engaging in virtual therapy sessions.

The importance of working with a qualified EMDR therapist cannot be overstated. Proper training ensures the therapist can correctly implement all phases, recognize processing difficulties, maintain client safety, and modify the approach when needed.

Begin Your Healing Journey with EMDR Therapy Today

If you've been struggling with the effects of trauma, anxiety, depression, or other challenges discussed in this article, EMDR therapy offers a proven path toward healing and recovery. This powerful therapeutic approach has helped countless individuals process painful memories, reduce emotional distress, and regain control of their lives.

At Innerwell, we specialize in providing evidence-based online EMDR therapy delivered by qualified, compassionate therapists. Our team understands the complexities of trauma and creates a safe, supportive environment for your healing journey. Whether you're dealing with a single traumatic event or complex trauma, we tailor our approach to your unique needs and circumstances.

Whether you prefer in-person sessions or the convenience of at-home EMDR therapy in California, we offer flexible options to accommodate your life demands.

EMDR therapy at Innerwell offers:

• Personalized treatment plans based on your specific history and goals
• Comprehensive support through all eight phases of the EMDR protocol
• Flexible scheduling options to accommodate your life demands
• Integration with other therapeutic approaches when beneficial
• Both in-person and virtual EMDR sessions using secure, specialized technology

You don't have to carry the weight of traumatic experiences forever. With the right support and proven therapeutic techniques, transformation is possible. Take the first step toward healing by reaching out to Innerwell today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how EMDR therapy can help you reclaim your life.

FAQs About How EMDR Works

What is EMDR therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy developed to treat individuals who have experienced trauma. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not primarily involve discussion of the traumatic events. Instead, it uses a structured approach where the therapist guides the client's eye movements while the client recalls distressing memories. The goal is to facilitate the adaptive processing of these memories, reducing their emotional impact and promoting psychological healing.

Do I have to talk in detail about my trauma?

No. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to share every detail of your traumatic experiences. You'll need to identify the memories to work on and share enough information for your therapist to understand the situation, but detailed descriptions aren't necessary.

What happens if I get overwhelmed during a session?

Your therapist will help you return to a calm state using grounding techniques practiced during the preparation phase. You're always in control and can signal your therapist if you need to pause.

Can EMDR be done virtually?

Yes, EMDR can be effectively delivered through secure telehealth platforms. Research shows online EMDR can be as effective as in-person treatment.

Is EMDR hypnosis?

No, EMDR is not hypnosis. In EMDR, you remain fully aware and conscious throughout the session. While both approaches can access deeper levels of awareness, EMDR doesn't involve suggestions or altered states of consciousness.

Does EMDR work for childhood trauma?

Yes, EMDR is particularly effective for childhood trauma. The therapy can help process early traumatic memories and resolve their ongoing effects on adult life. For childhood trauma, therapists often take extra care during the preparation phase to ensure emotional stability.

Can EMDR help even if I don't remember the traumatic event clearly?

Yes. EMDR can work with fragments of memories, body sensations, or emotional responses, even when complete memories aren't accessible. Your brain knows what needs healing, and EMDR can help process traumatic material stored implicitly (without conscious recall) as well as explicit memories.