The 8 Phases
of EMDR
Overview
EMDR is a structured protocol, not a technique. Knowing the phases tells you where you are and what comes next.
— The Short Answer
EMDR follows an eight-phase protocol developed by Francine Shapiro and standardized in EMDR training worldwide. Phases one and two are history-taking and preparation. Phase three assesses the specific target. Phases four through six are the reprocessing core: desensitization, installation of a positive belief, and a body scan. Phase seven closes each session. Phase eight re-evaluates at the start of the next one.
The Approach
The phase clients hear about is desensitization — the eye movements or other bilateral stimulation. The phase that determines whether treatment works is preparation. That is where the nervous system learns to come back down, where grounding and containment are built, and where dissociation or panic is screened for. Reprocessing that starts before preparation is complete is the single most common reason EMDR feels overwhelming.
The phases are not a one-way march. Re-evaluation frequently sends you back to preparation for a while, or reveals that a memory belonged to a cluster rather than standing alone. Ego state therapy is used when a protective part objects to a target, and somatic work extends preparation when the body cannot yet tolerate activation.
Sessions are secure telehealth throughout Florida, in 50-minute and 90-minute formats. Every reprocessing session closes deliberately, whether or not the target is finished.
— What Changes
The Eight Phases, In Order
1. History and Treatment Planning
Mapping your history, symptoms, and the memories driving them, then deciding the order targets will be approached in.
2. Preparation
Building grounding, containment, and resourcing skills, explaining the mechanism, and screening for dissociation. The phase that determines everything after it.
3. Assessment
Selecting the image, the negative belief, the desired positive belief, the emotion, the body location, and baseline distress and belief ratings.
4. Desensitization
Sets of bilateral stimulation while the target is held in mind, following whatever the brain brings up, until distress drops toward zero.
5. Installation
Strengthening the positive belief — the new conclusion about yourself — until it feels true rather than merely reasonable.
6. Body Scan
Checking the body for residual sensation connected to the target, because reprocessing is incomplete while the body still holds it.
7. Closure
Returning to a regulated state before the session ends, with a plan for whatever surfaces between sessions. Never skipped.
8. Re-evaluation
Opening the next session by checking what held, what shifted, and what surfaced, then deciding whether to continue or return to an earlier phase.
— For You If
You may recognize yourself.
- You are about to start EMDR and want to know the structure
- You are in EMDR and unsure which phase you are in
- A previous EMDR course moved to reprocessing too fast
- You want to know what preparation should actually include
- You have complex trauma and want to understand the sequencing
- You prefer knowing the map before doing the work
— Frequently Asked
About The 8 Phases of EMDR
01What are the 8 phases of EMDR?+
The eight phases are history-taking and treatment planning, preparation, assessment of the target, desensitization, installation of the positive belief, body scan, closure, and re-evaluation. Phases one to three set up the work, phases four to six are the reprocessing core, and phases seven and eight manage each session's ending and the next session's starting point.
02Which EMDR phase is the most important?+
Preparation, phase two. It builds the grounding and containment skills that make reprocessing tolerable and screens for dissociation. When EMDR feels overwhelming or destabilizing, the cause is almost always that reprocessing began before preparation was adequate.
03How long does each EMDR phase take?+
History and preparation commonly take one to three sessions for single-incident trauma and considerably longer for complex trauma. Assessment takes part of a session. Desensitization through body scan usually spans two to four sessions per target. Closure occupies the last ten to fifteen minutes of every reprocessing session, and re-evaluation the first few minutes of the next.
04Do you always go through the phases in order?+
The order is followed for each target, but the protocol is not linear across treatment. Re-evaluation regularly sends the work back to preparation when regulation slips, and a new target restarts at assessment. Returning to an earlier phase is a clinical decision, not a setback.
05What happens during the desensitization phase?+
You hold the target image, belief, emotion, and body sensation in mind while following sets of bilateral stimulation, then report whatever came up. The therapist follows that material rather than steering it, repeating sets until the distress rating on the target drops to zero or near zero.
06Can the EMDR phases be done over video?+
Yes. All eight phases translate to secure telehealth, with bilateral stimulation delivered through on-screen visual movement, alternating audio, or self-administered tapping. Closure and safety planning are handled explicitly in the same way as in person.
07What does it cost, and do you take insurance?+
Standard 50-minute sessions are $200 and extended 90-minute sessions are $325. The practice is private pay, with a superbill available for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Start with a free 15-minute consultation.
— Go Deeper
Related reading
— Other Approaches
Explore the full toolkit
— Begin
Know the Protocol Before You Begin
A free 15-minute consultation walks through how the phases would be sequenced for your history. Telehealth throughout Florida.
Free 15-min consultation · annieshap94@gmail.com