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EMDR · 5 min read

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Reprocess stuck traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation while holding the memory in mind.

Originator: Francine Shapiro (1987)Best for: PTSD · Single-incident trauma · Phobias · Performance anxiety · Complex trauma (with adaptation)

Core idea

The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model proposes that trauma symptoms persist when a memory is stored in a state-specific, unprocessed form — images, body sensations, beliefs frozen as they were. Bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, tones) while the client briefly holds the memory appears to facilitate the brain's natural integration of that memory into adaptive networks. EMDR follows an 8-phase protocol.

Key concepts

AIP model
Symptoms = unprocessed memory networks; healing = integration into adaptive networks.
Target memory
Image + negative cognition + emotion + body sensation, with SUDS rating.
Negative & positive cognition
I am powerless → I have choices now (validity of cognition, VOC, 1–7).
Dual attention
Client holds the memory while attending to bilateral stimulation — one foot in past, one in present.
Resourcing
Calm place, container, protective figures — essential preparation before reprocessing.

What a session looks like

  1. 1
    Phase 1: History
    Identify targets; assess stability and readiness.
  2. 2
    Phase 2: Preparation
    Resourcing — calm place, container, stop signal.
  3. 3
    Phase 3: Assessment
    Activate the target: image, NC, PC, emotion, SUDS, body location.
  4. 4
    Phases 4–6: Reprocessing
    Desensitization → installation of PC → body scan, all with bilateral stimulation sets.
  5. 5
    Phases 7–8: Closure & re-eval
    Return to baseline; next session re-check the target.

Signature techniques

Bilateral stimulation
Eye movements (most studied), tactile taps, or alternating audio tones.
Cognitive interweave
Brief therapist input when processing stalls — adds adaptive information.
Calm/safe place
Resource installation with short BLS sets to strengthen access between targets.
Container exercise
Visualized vessel for storing distressing material between sessions.
Float-back & affect bridge
Tracing a current trigger back to the earliest related memory.

Evidence base

Recommended for PTSD by WHO, APA, ISTSS, and VA/DoD. Meta-analyses show effects comparable to trauma-focused CBT. Mechanism remains debated — proposed candidates include working-memory taxation, REM-like processing, and orienting response.

Common pitfalls

  • ▸Under-resourcing before reprocessing — destabilization with complex trauma.
  • ▸Skipping the body scan — somatic residue keeps the memory partially active.
  • ▸Treating EMDR as just eye movements; it's an 8-phase protocol, not a technique.
  • ▸Insufficient training — EMDRIA-approved basic training is the minimum standard.

Where to go next

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (3rd ed.)
Francine Shapiro
The foundational manual.
Getting Past Your Past
Francine Shapiro
Client-facing — great for explaining the model.
EMDRIA Basic Training
EMDR International Association
Required to practice — ~50 hours over multiple weekends.