How Many Sessions Does EMDR Therapy Take? – What to Know

EMDR means Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is a therapy which is used on patients with trauma memories. This therapy encourages these patients to focus on their trauma memories while they simultaneously experience the bilateral stimulation. But the main question that people ask about EMDR therapy is, “How many sessions does EMDR therapy take?” Though it entirely depends on the progress of the patients, we can still guide you through the process.

How Many Sessions Does EMDR Therapy Take?

Here is some important information about what EMDR is and how it can help the patients in a positive way — especially if they’re trying to work through some sort of trauma. When you are using the EMDR therapy for your betterment or for any of your family members, there are certain things that you need to know. This article will go over how EMDR therapy works and how many sessions it’ll take.

Use of EMDR for Treating PTSD

There is a particular approach that every EMDR therapist chooses. This is mainly an eight-phase approach including the following:

Phase 1: Taking the medical history of the patient

Phase 2: Preparing the client

Phase 3: Assessing the target memory 

Phase 4 to 7: Processing the memory to the adaptive resolution

Phase 8: Evaluating the results of treatment

The number of sessions may depend on the type of patients but these are the different phases that you have to go through.

• History Taking and Treatment Planning

Here the therapist will take the full history of the patients for conducting an appropriate assessment of the client. Then they can figure out and plan for the treatment according to that. EMDR can also be helpful when couples are looking for effective couples therapy. 

• Preparation

The next phase is the therapist offering a complete explanation of the treatment. This will introduce the clients to the procedure as well as to the practice of the eye movement. Also, the therapist will ensure the client that they have adequate effective management for the best experience.

• Assessment

This is the 3rd phase of the EMDR therapy. Here, it will activate the memory that is also being targeted in the session to identify and assess each and every component of the memory i.e. cognition, image and body sensation.

• Desensitization

This is the next phase where the client will be allowed to focus on the memory while engaging in the eye movement. The therapist will continue this phase in different sets and procedures. This process will continue until the client reports that the memory is not distressing them anymore.

• Closure & Re-Evaluation

The closure is the end of the session. Here they check whether or not all the targeted memories are fully processed in the session. Once it is done, the next session will start with phase eight i.e. re-evaluation. 

Final Words

So, how many sessions does EMDR therapy take and how does it work? These are the eight phases that a patient goes through during the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy. You need to consult with one of the best therapists who can provide you with the right and most effective EMDR therapy. Once you have found someone, you can talk to them about your history and they can evaluate the problem and help you out.