What is EMDR therapy
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a therapy developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, and it has since become one of the most scientifically supported treatments for trauma and PTSD.
But EMDR is not limited to trauma. It is also used successfully to treat anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, complicated grief, and many other conditions where past experiences continue to affect the present.
The core idea behind EMDR
Your brain has a natural ability to process and heal from difficult experiences. When an event is too overwhelming, that processing gets blocked. EMDR reactivates that natural mechanism so you can integrate the experience without getting stuck in the pain.
What makes EMDR unique is that it does not require you to talk in detail about the traumatic event. You do not need to relive every moment or explain every sensation. The processing happens more internally, which is particularly valuable for people who feel that words are not enough to describe what they have carried.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychological Association, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognize EMDR as a frontline treatment for trauma. It is not an alternative or experimental therapy: it is evidence-based medicine.
The 8 phases of the EMDR protocol
One of EMDR's strengths is its structure. It is not an improvised therapy where you just "see what comes up." It is a protocol of 8 clearly defined phases, each with a specific purpose in your healing process.
The first phases prepare the groundwork. The central phases do the reprocessing work. And the final phases ensure that the processing is complete and that you feel stable before moving forward.
The 8 phases at a glance
- Phase 1: Clinical history and treatment planning
- Phase 2: Preparation and stabilization
- Phase 3: Assessment of the target memory
- Phase 4: Desensitization (active reprocessing)
- Phase 5: Installation of the positive belief
- Phase 6: Body scan
- Phase 7: Closure and stabilization
- Phase 8: Reevaluation
It is important to understand that these phases are not always completed in one session per phase. Some phases may take several sessions, especially the preparation phase. And that is okay. You and your therapist determine the pace together.
What happens in each phase
Phase 1: Clinical history and planning
In this first phase, your therapist gets to know you. You talk about your history, your current symptoms, and what brought you to therapy. Together, you identify the specific memories connected to the distress you feel today.
You do not need to share every detail. Your therapist guides you to identify the main "targets," which are the memories, situations, or beliefs that will be worked on during treatment. Your existing internal resources that will support you through the process are also identified.
Phase 2: Preparation and stabilization
This is one of the most important phases. Before touching any difficult material, your therapist makes sure you have tools to manage the intense emotions that may come up. You learn emotional regulation techniques, breathing exercises, and "safe place" visualizations that you can use during and between sessions.
This phase also establishes the therapeutic relationship. Your therapist needs you to trust her, and you need to feel safe in that space. With my Latina clients, this phase sometimes includes talking about what it means to ask for help in a culture where "you don't air your dirty laundry." That conversation is part of the preparation.
Phase 3: Assessment of the memory
Here the memory you will work on is activated. Your therapist asks you to identify the most disturbing image from the event, the negative belief you hold about yourself connected to that memory (for example, "I am to blame" or "I am not safe"), and the positive belief you would like to have instead.
Your level of disturbance is also measured on a scale of 0 to 10 (called SUD, for Subjective Units of Disturbance) and how true the positive belief feels on a scale of 1 to 7 (VOC, Validity of Cognition). These measurements help track your progress.
Phase 4: Desensitization
This is the phase where active reprocessing occurs. While you hold the memory in mind, your therapist guides you with bilateral stimulation, which can be eye movements (following their fingers or a light), tapping (alternating taps on your knees or hands), or alternating sounds.
Bilateral stimulation activates both hemispheres of your brain, facilitating the natural processing of information. During this phase, new images, thoughts, emotions, or bodily sensations may emerge. Your therapist guides you through everything, pausing regularly to check how you are doing.
Important note
You do not need to relive the trauma to process it. EMDR works with the memory in a way that lets you observe it from a safe distance, without feeling overwhelmed. Many clients report being surprised at how quickly the emotional intensity decreases.
Phase 5: Installation of the positive belief
Once the disturbance has decreased significantly, your therapist guides you to strengthen the positive belief you identified in Phase 3. The idea is that this new belief, for example "I am strong" or "I deserve to be safe," connects with the memory, replacing the old belief that kept you stuck.
Bilateral stimulation continues while you hold the positive belief alongside the memory, until you feel that this new truth is genuinely yours.
Phase 6: Body scan
Trauma does not just live in the mind: it lives in the body. After installing the positive belief, your therapist asks you to do a mental scan of your body, looking for any tension, discomfort, or residual sensation associated with the memory.
If you find anything, it is processed with more bilateral stimulation until your body is also at peace with that memory. This phase is especially important because many people carry trauma in the form of headaches, chest tension, or stomach knots without knowing why.
Phase 7: Closure and stabilization
At the end of each session, your therapist makes sure you are in a stable emotional state, regardless of whether the memory processing was completed or not. You use the regulation techniques you learned in Phase 2 to close the session with calm.
Your therapist also explains that between sessions, dreams, memories, or emotions related to the work you did may come up. This is normal and is part of your brain's ongoing processing.
Phase 8: Reevaluation
At the beginning of the next session, your therapist reviews with you how you have felt since the last time. The memory that was worked on is reviewed to see if the disturbance remains low and if the positive belief stays strong. If anything is pending, it is picked back up. If it is complete, you move on to the next target.
EMDR for first-generation Latina women
As first-generation women, we carry stories that we sometimes do not even recognize as trauma. Separation from family. Forced adaptation to a new country. Constant micro-aggressions. The pressure to be "the strong one" for the entire family. The fear of deportation, our own or someone close to us.
EMDR is particularly powerful for us because it does not require us to find the perfect words in a language that may not be ours for our deepest emotions. Processing does not depend on your ability to articulate what you feel: it depends on your brain's natural ability to heal.
At Happy Autumn, we adapt the EMDR protocol to honor your cultural context. We understand that your relationship with faith, family, loyalty, and sacrifice are part of your identity, not obstacles to your healing. We work with those strengths, not against them.
We also recognize that for many Latinas, the concept of "taking care of your mental health" can feel foreign or even selfish. But taking care of yourself is not betraying anyone. It is making sure you can continue being who your family needs, without destroying yourself in the process.
What to expect in your first EMDR session
Your first EMDR session does not include reprocessing. It is a conversation. Your therapist wants to get to know you, understand your story, and explain how the process works. There are no surprises and no pressure.
Typically, the first 2 to 4 sessions are dedicated to Phases 1 and 2: your history and your preparation. Active reprocessing begins when both you and your therapist feel you are ready.
- Duration: EMDR sessions last between 50 and 90 minutes, depending on the phase you are in
- Frequency: generally once per week, although it can be adjusted based on your needs
- Total: a typical treatment can last 6 to 12 sessions, but it varies depending on the complexity of what is being worked on
- After the session: it is normal to feel tired or have vivid dreams. Your brain continues processing
Remember
EMDR does not erase your memories. It transforms them. After processing, you still remember what happened, but it no longer triggers the same emotional or physical reaction. The memory loses its charge. You can remember without suffering.
Online EMDR: it is possible and effective
One of the most common questions we receive is whether EMDR works online. The short answer is yes. Multiple studies have shown that virtual EMDR is as effective as in-person EMDR for most conditions.
In online sessions, bilateral stimulation is adapted to the virtual format. Instead of following your therapist's fingers, you can follow a point moving across the screen, use tapping (alternately tapping your knees or shoulders), or use bilateral sounds with headphones.
For many Latina women, online EMDR offers important advantages:
- You can take your session from the privacy of your home, without anyone knowing you are in therapy
- You do not need extra time for transportation or arranging childcare
- You can access it from anywhere in Texas, Arkansas, or Florida
- After an intense session, you are already in your safe space to rest
At Happy Autumn, all our online sessions comply with HIPAA privacy and confidentiality standards. Your information is protected, and the platform we use is secure and encrypted.
Key takeaways
- EMDR is a structured 8-phase protocol, not an improvised technique. Each phase has a clear purpose in your healing
- You do not need to talk in detail about the trauma. EMDR works with your brain's natural processing
- The first sessions are dedicated to preparing and stabilizing you. Reprocessing begins when you are ready
- Your culture is a strength in this process, not an obstacle. We work with you, not against your identity
- Online EMDR is effective and available to you in Texas, Arkansas, and Florida
