How Long Does EMDR Take? What Safe, Effective EMDR Therapy Looks Like
EMDR Therapy & EMDR Intensives in Colorado Springs
How long does EMDR therapy take?
Many clients start EMDR wanting to know how long the process is going to take, or even expecting that it’s quick.
Compared to talk therapy, EMDR does tend to work more quickly and efficiently. What may take years in talk therapy and only lead to a vague sense of resolution over time, can typically be resolved in a deeper and more lasting way in a much shorter timeframe with EMDR.
And yet, EMDR should not be rushed. I frequently have clients come to me after a very negative, or even re-traumatizing, experience with EMDR. This usually happens when important parts of the process have been skipped, rushed, or overlooked entirely.
What actually happens before EMDR reprocessing begins?
If you’ve heard anything about EMDR, then you probably associate it with Bilateral Stimulation (BLS), the use of eye movements, taps, or tones to facilitate reprocessing.
What is less commonly known or understood is that EMDR is an 8-phase process, and the use of BLS for reprocessing doesn’t start until Phase 4.
That means that when the standard, research and evidence based, EMDR protocol is used, there’s upfront work that happens to lay the foundation for successful, and safe, EMDR processing.
The initial phases of EMDR include:
Sharing a thorough history - It’s important for your EMDR therapist to understand your history, past experiences, current symptoms and triggers, and goals for therapy so that they can collaborate with you to create an intentional plan for what you’ll process. I always say we don’t have to process your entire life - that can feel really overwhelming to think about - we only need to pull out a handful of purposeful targets that relate to current symptoms and problems you’re wanting to resolve.
Building a safe therapeutic relationship - Trauma processing is hard. Part of what makes it feel safe, stable, and effective is a positive therapeutic relationship. The relationship with your therapist should function as a container in EMDR, reducing the feeling of being alone in your trauma or having to hold difficult memories and feelings by yourself. When safety and trust are established between therapist and client before starting EMDR, reprocessing feels less like reliving old trauma and more like observing it alongside someone else who is in it with you and there to help.
Creating a specific target sequence and plan - I often hear stories from new clients that their past EMDR experience didn’t include any planning, that it just went straight into BLS but they weren’t sure why or what the intended outcome was. Before we start EMDR reprocessing, we work together to create a plan that identifies only the memories and triggers we need to target to create present resolution. This plan is flexible because things often change as we work through targets, but a well laid out plan from the beginning allows us to keep building on each thing we process so that we are continually creating greater and deeper healing over time, rather than getting lost or stuck in the process. Thorough doesn't necessarily mean long… part of good treatment planning is identifying what actually needs to be processed, and what doesn't.
Preparation to maintain a “Window of Tolerance” - Most people can benefit from EMDR, but there are certain internal skills and resources that are important to have in place before reprocessing begins. The ability to cope with distress, calm the nervous system, and move yourself from internal disturbance to internal calm are the skills that ensure EMDR won’t become overwhelming in the process. We build these skills through preparation, working together to identify what skills are needed and practicing them to increase confidence before we get to processing trauma.
EMDR isn't simply racing to BLS. Taking time for history, relationship building, case conceptualization, target sequencing, and preparation isn't a delay that’s wasting time before starting EMDR - it is EMDR. EMDR is more than using BLS to reprocess trauma - it’s a process that’s slow enough to maintain a sense of safety, and structured enough to continually move you forward towards your goals for healing.
EMDR can sometimes work quickly. That doesn't mean it should be rushed.
How long those initial tasks of EMDR Phases 1 & 2 take is highly dependent on the individual client.
For many people who already have solid coping skills and internal resources, it may take just a few sessions to complete the initial preparation for reprocessing.
For others who have a very complex history, lack coping skills that work consistently, or experience dissociation in response to stress, preparation may take longer. EMDR is taxing, but it should not feel overwhelming, intolerable, or lead to dissociation - these issues can usually be largely avoided with adequate preparation.
From our first session, I’m looking for what kind of preparation will best serve you and your individual needs, sharing screening tools that help us identify what skills will be most helpful before EMDR, and collaborating with you to make decisions.
I don't ever skip Phases 1 and 2 so that we can get to reprocessing more quickly - I’ve seen too many people have bad experiences when EMDR was approached this way. How we navigate our way through the initial EMDR phases will vary between individual clients - but in every case, I want to understand before we dive deeper what we're treating, how the experiences connect, what we're targeting and in what order, and whether you have what you need to stay within a manageable range as we begin processing.
Our pace is determined by your individual needs and the overall clinical picture rather than by pressure to get to BLS.
Why Taking Time For EMDR Preparation Can Make Reprocessing More Efficient
Taking adequate time in Phases 1 and 2 can actually make later processing more efficient, because at that point we clearly know what we’re treating, we’ve worked together to select specific targets thoughtfully, and you as the client understand what's happening and why.
Skipping these phases can lead to pushing someone beyond what they can tolerate, which isn't necessarily efficient and can be ineffective. Needing to recover from sessions or becoming afraid of EMDR doesn't get someone to the finish line faster.
When we work together in EMDR therapy, I'm interested in meaningful progress, not the fastest possible path to reprocessing. A specific and time-limited recent event may require relatively few reprocessing sessions, or even be resolvable in a short-term EMDR Intensive. A lifetime pattern such as “I'm not good enough,” perfectionism, people-pleasing, or chronic anxiety may connect to many experiences and require a much broader treatment plan. By creating the plan together before we begin, we can make sure it works for your goals, needs, and desires.
So how long does EMDR take? For some people, EMDR treatment may be relatively short-term, particularly when we're addressing a single event or specific problem. For others, especially when symptoms are connected to complex trauma or patterns that developed over many years, EMDR therapy may take months or longer. The number of sessions depends on what you're treating, your history, your current symptoms, the amount of preparation you need, and your individual response to reprocessing.
Our Goal Isn’t Just Fast EMDR… it’s Safe & Effective EMDR
People often seek EMDR because they’re tired of living with something and want relief as quickly as possible - that's completely understandable, and we do want to find the most clear and efficient path towards healing. EMDR can create profound change, very often much faster than people expect.
But we can't accurately predict exactly how long healing will take before we truly understand what needs healing, why, and how it is best addressed.
I can’t necessarily promise you that EMDR will always be fast, but what I can promise is that I won’t waste your time, unnecessarily prolong treatment, or rush you through the process just to get to reprocessing - our plan will be designed around what works best for you.
There is a path forward. We just don't have to race down it.
