What Are the 8 Stages of EMDR: What to Expect from Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

It’s a buzzworthy type of therapy, and for good reason — eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, commonly abbreviated as EMDR, is a powerful method developed to help patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. A 2010 article published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine said it’s now used to treat much more, with applications ranging from psychological issues like phobias and test anxiety to medical concerns like pain management and even dermatological disorders. But what is it — and what are the 8 stages of EMDR therapy? Let’s explore how this groundbreaking treatment is used, especially in the context of overcoming co-occurring mental health conditions like PTSD and anxiety while receiving addiction treatment at a drug and alcohol rehab like WhiteSands Treatment. We’re proud to provide several different trauma therapies used in addiction treatment, and we know things like EMDR can make a profound difference in this work.

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What Are the 8 Stages of EMDR?

Any kind of therapy is a process, and there are 8 stages of EMDR therapy. The EMDR International Association says therapists follow a road map of sorts to achieve the “information processing” at the heart of this treatment:

1. History & Treatment Planning: The therapist discusses why the patient is getting this kind of therapy. During this phase, patients will be asked about their history, and the therapist will create a treatment plan that includes specific traumatic events that will be discussed and treated.
2. Preparation: Next, the therapist will explain the process and help the patient understand what they can expect. It’s an important chance to talk through any concerns and start to build the therapeutic alliance that makes this all possible.
3. Assessment: The “target event,” or traumatic event that will be reprocessed, is now identified. Patients might be asked about feelings and experiences related to this event, and the therapist will take baseline measurements that will provide guidance on the success of treatment.
4. Desensitization: This starts the actual reprocessing component of EMDR therapy. During this stage, dual attention bilateral stimulation, or BLS, is used to activate a patient’s information processing system. This might involve side-to-side eye movements, or sounds or taps, while the patient focuses on the target event. At the same time, patients are encouraged to remain in the present. This stage will continue until their disturbance level is reduced to an appropriate level.
5. Installation: Now that the patient has achieved desensitization, their therapist will work with them to adopt and accept an associated positive belief connected to their target event. This stage continues until the patient accepts the positive belief as true.
6. Body Scan: During this stage, the therapist asks the patient to think of the target event and the new positive belief while scanning their own body. If any other disturbance in the body is identified, it’s reprocessed.
7. Closure: This stage happens during every session of EMDR treatment. During this process, the therapist will help patients calm down and return to the present moment.
8. Reevaluation: Each new session will begin with this stage of EMDR therapy. Patients and their therapists talk over memories that they’ve processed. Even if the original target event is successfully reprocessed, and the patient still accepts as true the new positive belief, other target events might become evident that will be analyzed in future treatment sessions.

How Does EMDR Work for Trauma?

Since the first clinical trial to investigate EMDR in 1989, it has served as a major therapy to help patients heal from trauma. But how does it work? Unlike cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on assisting patients in pinpointing incorrect or troubling beliefs and attitudes and replacing them with more positive thought patterns, EMDR instead asks patients to change their emotions and feelings stemming from trauma — and that gives their brain a chance to heal.

EMDR is based on adaptive information processing, which relates to how memories are stored in the brain. Traumatic memories and experiences are stored in a disconnected manner, and that doesn’t give people a chance to truly heal from these feelings. EMDR therapy asks patients to remember and then reprocess these traumatic memories with specific eye movements or other methods, and that makes it easier for the patient to manage and heal from this trauma.

What Is an EMDR Assessment?

An EMDR assessment is the third of the 8 stages of EMDR, and it’s an important final step before the actual desensitization begins. During an EMDR assessment, therapists and patients identify the target event that will be desensitized and repossessed. Part of this work is also to pinpoint specific beliefs, images, sensations, feelings, and more that the patient holds about the traumatic event or experience in question. Another crucial part of the assessment is measuring and establishing a baseline on the Subject Units of Disturbance and Validity of Cognition scales. These measurements help the therapist know when their patient has truly reprocessed the target event and become desensitized to the target event that is used to represent their traumatic memory.

What Is the Desensitization Phase of EMDR?

The desensitization phase is the fourth of 8 stages of EMDR, and it’s a crucial one. During this phase, which kicks off the “reprocessing” part of this treatment, therapists ask patients to use dual attention bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or taps) while they focus on the target event. Desensitization will continue until they reach the lower disturbance measurement set as a goal during earlier stages of EMDR. It’s a pivotal period for this type of therapy, and because of what it can accomplish, EMDR is a powerful tool during dual diagnosis inpatient treatment for addiction and mental health issues at the same time.

What Is the Final Stage of EMDR?

Reevaluation is the last of the 8 stages of EMDR — but it’s also how each treatment session will start, even if the patient is still early in the process of EMDR therapy. During this stage, discussions will take place to identify the patient’s distress levels regarding the target event or traumatic memories. The therapist will also ask how the patient’s symptoms might have changed since therapy began. New target events might be identified during this phase of treatment, leading to new goals for more EMDR therapy sessions, according to the American Psychological Association. This stage is an important way of recapping what’s already changed and finding things that need help in the future.

Learn More About How WhiteSands Embraces the 8 Stages of EMDR Therapy

WhiteSands Treatment is proud to employ the 8 stages of EMDR therapy as part of our comprehensive treatment programs. Across Florida, our network of drug and alcohol addiction treatment facilities also helps patients overcome co-occurring mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, while they achieve recovery from substance use disorder. EMDR is one of the many types of therapy we use to give people the right support and assistance they need to get better. We also offer specialized programs, such as our veterans’ addiction treatment program, because we know each patient needs individualized treatment plans and care to have the most success in their fight against addiction.

External Sources

• National Library of Medicine — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: A Conceptual Framework
• EMDR International Association — The Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy
• American Psychological Association — EMDR Phases

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.

About the Author

Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.