What are the Different Phases of Treatment in EMDR Therapy?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a new non-traditional type of psychotherapy. This therapy gained popularity rapidly after its success in treating PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorders). There are many causes of PTSD, including physical assault, military combat, rape, car accidents, etc.

Different types of treatments are available for PTSD, like Cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, etc. Patients searching for EMDR therapy in Arizona should be aware of its procedure. This blog explains the entire process of EMDR therapy. So, if you want to know what happens in the EMDR treatment, this blog is for you.

EMDR Treatment Explanation

The EMDR treatment consists of a total of eight phases. Let’s see what a therapist does in each of these 8 phases of treatment.

EMDR: Phase 1

The first phase of treatment is all about history-taking sessions. Once the client is ready, the therapist makes a treatment plan. After that, both the therapist and client identify the possible targets for EMDR treatment processing. These targets include current situations and distressing moments/thoughts, causing emotional distress in the patient. Other targets include past incidents. The treatment aims to develop the patient's specific skills and behaviors that he will need to handle future situations.

EMDR: Phase 2 

In the second phase of the treatment, the EMDR therapist introduces the patient to different ways of handling emotional distresses. These ways include a variety of stress reduction techniques. The patient can use these techniques in between the sessions. When the patient maintains an equilibrium between the sessions, the therapy produces rapid and effective changes.

EMDR: Phases 3 to 6

After the second phase, the therapist identifies the target and proceeds towards further steps in the EMDR process. These processes include patients identifying three things:

• An image related to past experiences/memory.
• A negative belief in himself.
• Emotional and bodily sensations related to the trauma.

In addition to the above-listed things, the patient is also asked to identify the positive beliefs in himself. Now, the therapist asks the patient to rate the intensity of both positive and negative beliefs. After doing this, the patient is told to focus on the negative thoughts, images, bodily sensations while keeping himself engaged in the EMDR process by using the different sets of bilateral stimulations. These bilateral stimulations are the eye movements. The type and length of these bilateral stimulation sets are not the same for all patients. At this point, the EMDR therapist instructs the client to notice whatever happens there simultaneously.

After completing each set of stimulation, the therapist instructs the patient to let his mind go blank and notice whatever feeling, memory, image, thought, or sensation comes to his mind. After that, the therapist prepares the report of the session. Based on the report, he selects the next focus of attention. In these phases of EMDR therapy, the stimulation sets are repeated by the therapist.

EMDR: Phase 7

In this phase of treatment, the therapist asks the patient to keep a log during the entire week. Here, the patient can use the self-calming techniques he has learned in phase 2 of the treatment.

EMDR: Phase 8

It is the last phase of the treatment. It consists of examining the progress made by the client. The EMDR therapy processes all the past and present events to provide the patient with how he can deal with the problems that may arise in the future.