What is the installation phase in EMDR?

Installation is Phase 5 of EMDR's eight phases. After a target memory's distress has eased in the desensitization phase, installation uses bilateral stimulation to strengthen a chosen positive belief until it feels true, tracked on the 1-to-7 VOC scale, per EMDRIA.

What actually happens during installation?

The client holds the processed memory together with a positive belief while a therapist runs more sets of bilateral stimulation. They recheck the belief's strength on the VOC scale after each set, continuing until it climbs as high as it realistically can.

What counts as a good VOC score after installation?

Therapists work toward a 7, meaning the belief feels completely true. Some sessions end on a lower, more realistic number instead, which can still count as real progress rather than a failed attempt.

Can you do the installation phase yourself?

Not exactly. It depends on a memory that's already been carefully processed, which is therapist-guided work. You can still practice the underlying idea on your own: naming a wanted belief and pairing it with bilateral stimulation, which is what EmEase, a self-guided EMDR app, is built around.

Installation phase: how EMDR strengthens a positive belief

Q: Is installation the same as 'resource installation'?

No. Phase 5 installation strengthens a belief tied to a memory already processed in therapy. Resource installation (RDI) strengthens a calming or confidence-building state on its own, often for stabilization before harder trauma work, or as an everyday resourcing practice.

Installation is Phase 5 of EMDR therapy. Once a target memory’s distress has eased in the desensitization phase, installation uses more bilateral stimulation to strengthen a chosen positive belief, like “I did the best I could,” until it feels true. Progress is tracked on the 1-to-7 Validity of Cognition (VOC) scale.

Where does installation fit in EMDR’s 8 phases?

Per EMDRIA, the EMDR International Association, installation is the fifth of EMDR’s eight phases. It follows the desensitization phase, where a memory’s emotional charge comes down, and comes before the body scan. The two phases share a tool, bilateral stimulation, but not a goal: desensitization brings distress down; installation builds a healthier belief up.

The name fits the goal. A positive belief isn’t much use if it only shows up when things are calm. Installation is meant to lodge it firmly enough that it holds under stress too.

How does the installation phase actually work?

Earlier, in the assessment phase, the client named a negative cognition tied to the memory, a belief like “I’m not safe.” They also chose a positive cognition they’d rather hold instead, such as “I’m safe now.” Once desensitization eases the memory’s charge, installation pairs that memory with the positive belief and runs further sets of bilateral stimulation while the client holds both in mind.

A therapist checks progress with the VOC scale, the 1-to-7 self-rating Francine Shapiro introduced in a 1989 study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. One means the belief feels completely false; seven means it feels completely true, judged by gut feeling, not logic. Sets continue until the rating climbs as high as it realistically can. See VOC scale for how that measure works.

Is installation the same as ‘resource installation’?

No, though the shared name causes real confusion. Phase 5 installation strengthens a belief tied to a memory that’s already been processed in therapy. Resource installation, sometimes called Resource Development and Installation (RDI), works differently. It strengthens a calming or confidence-building state on its own, often before harder trauma work begins. Psychologist Andrew Leeds developed RDI this way, and a 2002 paper he co-authored describes early evidence for using it to help stabilize people with complex PTSD.

Can you strengthen a belief this way on your own?

Not the full version. Formal installation depends on a memory that’s already been carefully processed, which is a therapist’s call, not a do-it-yourself step. What you can practice alone is the underlying idea: naming a belief you’d like to feel more true. Then pair it with bilateral stimulation to reinforce it. That’s the kind of practice EmEase, a self-guided EMDR app, is built around, at app.emease.com.