Every experienced EMDR clinician eventually internalizes the protocol — but even then, a one-page reference beside you keeps the session clean. This cheat sheet condenses the eight phases, the two scales, and the standard prompts into something you can glance at without breaking rapport. It assumes you've completed EMDRIA-approved training; it's a memory aid, not a course.
The eight phases at a glance
- Phase 1 — History-taking. Take a trauma history, screen for readiness, and build the target sequence plan. Identify touchstone memories, present triggers, and future templates.
- Phase 2 — Preparation. Explain the process, set expectations, and install stabilization resources — the Calm Place and the Container. Confirm the client can self-soothe before you reprocess anything.
- Phase 3 — Assessment. Activate the target: image, negative cognition (NC), positive cognition (PC), VOC, emotion, and body location, then baseline SUD.
- Phase 4 — Desensitization. Run sets of bilateral stimulation, "go with that," and check in between sets until SUD reaches 0 (or ecologically valid).
- Phase 5 — Installation. Pair the PC with the target and strengthen with BLS until VOC reaches 7.
- Phase 6 — Body Scan. Have the client hold target + PC and scan the body; reprocess any residual disturbance.
- Phase 7 — Closure. Return the client to equilibrium every session, whether or not the target is complete. Use Calm Place / Container as needed.
- Phase 8 — Reevaluation. Open the next session by rechecking the previous target and reviewing what surfaced between sessions.
The two scales
SUD (Subjective Units of Disturbance): 0 = neutral / no disturbance, 10 = the worst you can imagine. Used to baseline and track a target through Phase 4. VOC (Validity of Cognition): 1 = feels completely false, 7 = feels completely true. Used to measure and strengthen the positive belief in Phase 5. The gut-level feeling matters more than the intellectual answer.
The core prompts
"When you bring up that memory, what negative belief about yourself goes with it?" · "What would you like to believe about yourself instead?" · "On a scale of 1 to 7, how true does that positive belief feel right now?" · "Notice that image, those words, and where you feel it in your body — go with that." · "What do you notice now?" · "On a scale of 0 to 10, how disturbing does it feel now?"
Closure, every time
The single most important rule this cheat sheet can't over-emphasize: never leave a client activated at the end of a session. If a target isn't complete, use Closure to bring them back to baseline — Calm Place, Container, or a debrief — and remind them that processing may continue between sessions. Log what surfaced so your notes drive the reevaluation next time.
Want the underlying detail behind each line? The full standard EMDR protocol walks through the mechanics phase by phase, and the glossary defines every term above.
For clinicians
Run the protocol with less friction
Rewire keeps the phases, scales, and between-session tools in one place — so you spend the session with your client, not your notes.
Open the therapist portal →