What are the 8 phases of EMDR in order?

History-taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation, per EMDRIA. The first two happen once; phases three through eight repeat for each new memory a therapist and client work through together.

Which phase uses bilateral stimulation?

Phases four through six (desensitization, installation, and body scan) all use bilateral stimulation, the eye movements, tones, or taps that ease a memory's emotional charge, strengthen a healthier belief, and clear leftover body tension.

How long does it take to go through all 8 phases?

It varies by person and memory. The American Psychological Association's 2017 guideline notes a typical course of EMDR runs about 6 to 12 sessions, though phases one and two may take longer for someone with a complex history.

Can you skip phases 1 and 2?

No. Preparation and history-taking build the coping skills and trust a therapist needs before touching a distressing memory. Skipping them is why full EMDR is therapist-led rather than self-directed.

What happens in the reevaluation phase?

At the start of the next session, the therapist checks whether progress on the last memory held, whether the new positive belief still feels true, and then picks the next target to work on.

The 8 phases of EMDR, explained in plain English

EMDR therapy is organized into eight standardized phases: history-taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. A therapist works through phases one and two once, then repeats phases three through eight for each new memory or target processed, using bilateral stimulation to ease that memory’s emotional charge along the way.

What are the 8 phases, in order?

Per EMDRIA, the EMDR International Association, here’s what happens in each one:

Phase	What happens
1. History-taking	Therapist and client review history and choose memories or targets to work on.
2. Preparation	Therapist explains the process and teaches calming skills, like a calm-place exercise, for use if distress spikes.
3. Assessment	Client names a target memory, the negative belief attached to it, the positive belief they’d rather hold, and a baseline SUDS rating (how distressing it feels, 0 to 10).
4. Desensitization	Bilateral stimulation continues in short sets while the client briefly attends to the memory, until distress drops.
5. Installation	More bilateral stimulation strengthens the new, more helpful belief.
6. Body scan	Client checks for leftover physical tension tied to the memory.
7. Closure	Session ends with the client calm and grounded, whether or not processing finished.
8. Reevaluation	The next session opens by checking that progress held, then picks the next target.

Why does bilateral stimulation show up three times?

Phases four through six all lean on the same left-right rhythm: eye movements, tones, or taps. That’s the pattern that gives EMDR its name. Each repeat does a different job: loosening the memory’s charge, then reinforcing a steadier belief, then clearing leftover body tension. Outside a clinical setting, this same rhythm is what people mean when they talk about practicing bilateral stimulation on its own.

Can you do the 8 phases on your own?

Not the full protocol. Phases one through three depend on a trained therapist’s judgment: taking a careful history, building coping skills first, and choosing memories safe enough to process. See can you do EMDR on yourself for where that line sits, and is self-guided EMDR safe for an honest look at the limits.

What you can practice on your own is the ingredient inside phases four through six: bilateral stimulation, used as a wellness practice for everyday stress rather than deep trauma work. EmEase, a self-guided EMDR app, offers that practice at app.emease.com. It’s not the eight-phase protocol itself, but the guided version of the technique at its center. For the fuller picture of how the two relate, start with what is EMDR.