The 8 Phases of EMDR and How Each Works Remotely

The eight-phase structure is the backbone of EMDR, and it doesn't change when you move online — but the practical details of each phase do. Here's a walk through all eight phases as they're standardly described, with a note on delivering each one over video.

The eight phases, briefly

EMDR is delivered in eight phases, and the naming below follows the EMDR International Association’s description. The phases are sequential in a first pass but also cyclical — you revisit earlier phases as new targets come up. Nothing here replaces your training; think of it as a map with remote-delivery notes pinned to each stop. For the wider context, see our overview of what EMDR therapy is.

Phase 1 — History taking and treatment planning

You and the client build a working relationship, take the client’s history, identify targets, and shape a treatment plan.

Remotely: This phase is mostly conversation, so it transfers to video with little friction. The one addition worth building in is a short tech and safety check: confirm the client has a private space, a stable connection, and headphones, and agree on what you’ll both do if the call drops. Our prepare your client guide covers this groundwork.

Phase 2 — Preparation

You explain the EMDR process, set expectations, and make sure the client has coping and self-soothing techniques in place before any reprocessing begins.

Remotely: This is the phase to introduce the mechanics of the tools. Show the client the moving dot, test the bilateral sound through their headphones, and practice a calm-place or grounding exercise on screen so it’s ready before you need it. Because tactile bilateral stimulation can’t come through the screen, this is also where you’d teach a client-led alternative like self-tapping or the butterfly hug — see bilateral stimulation for the options.

Phase 3 — Assessment

You identify the specific target to reprocess along with its image, negative and positive beliefs, emotions, body sensations, and baseline distress and validity ratings.

Remotely: Ratings like SUD and VOC are spoken aloud, so they work exactly as they do in the room. Keep your video frame steady and well-lit so you can read the client’s affect and body cues, which do a lot of quiet work in this phase.

Phase 4 — Desensitization

The client holds the target in mind through sets of bilateral stimulation, and you track what emerges between sets until distress reduces toward zero.

Remotely: This is where a smooth, uninterrupted dot matters most. Sharing your screen can make the animation stutter on a busy connection, which pulls the client out of the process. CloudEMDR Pro’s Remote Sessions send the client a link so the dot renders smoothly on their own device while you keep the controls and a timer — the remote session guide walks through it. Adjust speed and set length as you always would, reading the client’s response.

Phase 5 — Installation

You strengthen the client’s positive belief and link it to the target until it feels fully true.

Remotely: Mechanically identical to desensitization — same dot, same sound, spoken VOC ratings. Nothing special is required beyond keeping the delivery smooth and the check-ins clear.

Phase 6 — Body scan

The client holds the target and the positive belief in mind while scanning the body from head to toe for any residual tension or sensation.

Remotely: This phase leans entirely on the client’s inner attention and self-report, so it transfers cleanly. If your video frame shows the client’s face and shoulders, you’ll still catch a lot of the nonverbal cues you’d rely on in person.

Phase 7 — Closure

You bring the client back to a calm, present state before the session ends, whether or not the target was fully reprocessed.

Remotely: Closure matters even more online, because the client will step straight from a hard session back into their own home rather than a waiting room. Leave enough time for a grounding exercise, and confirm they feel settled before you end the call. It’s good practice to have local support and emergency contact details already on hand from phase 1.

Phase 8 — Reevaluation

At the start of later sessions, you review previously processed targets, check what held, and decide what to work on next.

Remotely: This is conversation and rating, so it works as it does in person. Keeping brief notes on each target between sessions helps you pick the thread back up quickly on the next call.

Putting it together

The eight phases give remote EMDR its reliability — you’re not improvising a new method, just delivering an established one through a screen. If you’re preparing for a first online session, pair this with the remote session guide and the FAQ for the practical setup, and you’ll have both the clinical map and the mechanics covered.