During this phase, the client focuses on the memory, while engaging in eye movements or other BLS. Then the client reports whatever new thoughts have emerged. The therapist determines the focus of each set of BLS using standardized procedures. Usually the associated material becomes the focus of the next set of brief BLS. This process continues until the client reports that the memory is no longer distressing. Installation Scaer, R. (2005). The Trauma Spectrum: Hidden Wounds and Human Resiliency. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. EMDR revolutionized the treatment of PTSD and has emerged as a front-line therapy for multiple forms of psychological trauma. The third edition of this foundational work underscores EMDR's integrative nature, research support, and sensitive adaptations to diverse populations. The clinical aids, client transcripts, and fidelity scales will prove a boon to practitioners and researchers alike."--John C. Norcross, PhD, ABPP, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of Scranton Dr. Russell has authored more than 13 articles and 6 book chapters on EMDR. He was awarded the Distinguished Psychologist Award by the Washington State Psychological Association for his sustained effort to transform military mental healthcare including advocating for EMDR trainings and treatment access, as well as the 2018 Outstanding Service in the Field of Trauma Psychology by APA Division 56 Trauma Psychology.

Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother’s hands: Racialized trauma and the path to mending our hearts and bodies. Las Vegas: Central Recovery Press. Dworkin, M. (2005). EMDR and the Relational Imperative: The Therapeutic Relationship in EMDR Treatment. New York: Brunner-Routledge.Mark C. Russell, PhD, ABPP, is a core faculty member at Antioch University, Seattle, and the establishing director of the Institute of War Stress Injury, Recovery, and Social Justice. As a graduate student, Dr. Russell became Francine Shapiro's research assistant and was primarily responsible for developing the theory underlying EMDR. Bannit, S.P. (2012). The Trauma Toolkit: Healing trauma from the inside out. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books. Shapiro, F., & Forrest, M. (1997). EMDR: The Breakthrough “Eye Movement” Therapy for Overcoming Stress, Anxiety, and Trauma. New York: Basic Books. Francine Shapiro, PhD, the originator and developer of EMDR therapy, was senior research fellow emeritus at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, California, and executive director of the EMDR Institute in Watsonville, California. She founded and was president emeritus of the Trauma Recovery/EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs, a non-profit organization that coordinates disaster response and pro bono trainings worldwide.

Baldwin, M. & Korn, D. (2021). Every memory deserves respect: EMDR, the proven trauma therapy with the power to heal. New York: Workman Publishing Company. The third phase of EMDR, assessment, activates the memory that is being targeted in the session, by identifying and assessing each of the memory components: image, cognition, affect and body sensation. EMDR therapy emphasizes working with imagery, cognitions, emotions, somatic sensations, and behavior linked to a disturbing memory, as well as attending to past, current, and future-oriented experiential contributors. Unlike many psychotherapeutic treatments, EMDR does not require prolonged exposure, the direct challenging of beliefs, or numerous sessions to achieve results.

Parnell, L. (2008). Tapping In: A Step-by-Step Guide to Activating your Healing Resources Through Bilateral Stimulation. Boulder, CO: Sounds True Books.

During EMDR therapy, clinical observations suggest that an accelerated learning process is stimulated by EMDR’s standardized procedures, which incorporate the use of eye movements and other forms of rhythmic left-right (bilateral) stimulation (e.g., tones or taps). While clients briefly focus on the trauma memory and simultaneously experience bilateral stimulation (BLS), the vividness and emotion of the memory are reduced. Two measures are used during EMDR therapy sessions to evaluate changes in emotion and cognition: the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scale and the Validity of Cognition (VOC) scale. Both measures are used again during the treatment process, in accordance with the standardized procedures: Validity of Cognition (VOC) scale Marich, J. (2014). Trauma Made Simple: Competencies in assessment, treatment, and working with survivors. PESI Publishing: Eau Claire, WI.Archer, D. (2021). Anti-racist psychotherapy: Confronting systemic racism and healing racial trauma. Montreal: Each One Teach One Publications. Closure is used to end the session. If the targeted memory was not fully processed in the session, specific instructions and techniques are used to provide containment and ensure safety until the next session. Re-evaluation After the client has named the emotion he or she is feeling, the clinician asks, "On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is no disturbance or neutral and 10 is the highest disturbance you can imagine, how disturbing does it feel now?"