.png)
EMDR Therapy Explained: The 8-Phase Protocol for Trauma Resolution
- LCCH Asia
- Jul 31
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 12
Are you seeking effective relief from the lingering impact of past distressing experiences?
Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly effective, evidence-based psychotherapy that helps individuals heal from the symptoms and emotional distress resulting from disturbing life events. Endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), EMDR has gained global recognition for its profound impact in treating trauma.
This guide provides a definitive look at the science, the structured protocol, and how you can get certified as a trauma specialist in Asia.
The Core Idea: Adaptive Information Processing (AIP)
At the heart of EMDR therapy is the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. This model posits that the brain possesses an innate capacity to process and integrate disturbing memories.
When a traumatic event occurs, this natural processing system can become overwhelmed. The memory, along with its associated emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations, gets "stuck" or improperly stored in the brain's neural networks (specifically, the Amygdala and Hippocampus).
These "stuck" memories can be easily triggered, leading to ongoing emotional dysregulation, maladaptive behaviours, and a sense of being "back in time" (e.g., flashbacks, intrusive thoughts). EMDR therapy helps to reprocess these memories, promoting lasting emotional healing.
The Structured Path: The Comprehensive 8-Phase Protocol
EMDR therapy is not simply about eye movements; it's a comprehensive, eight-phase approach that systematically addresses past, present, and future aspects of a client's challenges. The treatment is systematically divided into eight phases, ensuring client safety and comprehensive resolution:
History-Taking and Treatment Planning: The therapist assesses the client's history, identifies specific disturbing memories or "targets" for EMDR processing, and develops a tailored treatment plan.
Preparation: The client learns essential coping skills and relaxation techniques to effectively manage any emotional distress that may arise during and between sessions.
Assessment: The client identifies the specific disturbing memory, its associated negative belief, a desired positive belief, the intensity of their emotions, and any physical sensations linked to the memory.
Desensitisation: This is where bilateral stimulation (e.g., guided eye movements) is most prominently used. The client focuses on the disturbing memory while engaging in sets of bilateral stimulation. The therapist guides the client through this process, observing their responses as the distress begins to reduce.
Installation: Once the distress associated with the memory has significantly decreased, the client focuses on the desired positive belief (identified in the Assessment phase), strengthening it while continuing bilateral stimulation.
Body Scan: The client mentally scans their body for any residual tension or uncomfortable sensations related to the memory, processing them with bilateral stimulation until they dissipate, ensuring a sense of calm and completion.
Closure: The session is closed responsibly, ensuring the client is stable and equipped with coping strategies, even if the processing of a memory is incomplete.
Re-evaluation: At the beginning of subsequent sessions, the therapist re-evaluates the progress made on previously processed targets and addresses any new related material that may have emerged, ensuring comprehensive trauma resolution.
The 8 Phases of Reprocessing
Bilateral Stimulation: A Key Component for Brain Healing
The bilateral stimulation (BLS) used in EMDR involves rhythmic left-right stimulation of the brain. While eye movements are the most common form, alternative methods include tactile stimulation (e.g., tapping on knees or hands) or auditory stimulation (e.g., tones delivered through headphones).
The precise mechanism by which BLS facilitates reprocessing is still being researched, but leading theories suggest it may:
Mimic REM Sleep: The eye movements are thought to mimic the eye movements during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, a natural phase associated with memory consolidation and emotional processing, thereby activating the brain's innate healing mechanisms.
Reduce Emotionality: It may help to reduce the vividness and emotional charge of distressing memories, making them easier for the brain to process without being overwhelmed.
Enhance Brain Communication: It could facilitate communication and integration between different parts of the brain involved in memory, emotion, and cognitive processing, leading to a more adaptive storage of the memory.
What Conditions Can EMDR Effectively Treat?
While initially developed as a highly effective PTSD treatment, EMDR's applications have expanded significantly to include:
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD): Provides a structured framework for complex, attachment-based trauma.
Anxiety Disorders: Including generalized anxiety, panic attacks, and specific phobias.
Grief and Loss: Processing "stuck points" and distressing memories related to bereavement.
Chronic Pain: Addressing the psychological component of pain, which is often rooted in trauma or prolonged stress.
Performance Anxiety: Clearing past failures to allow for future success (e.g., public speaking, sports performance).
Addictions: Desensitising the urge/trigger loop in both substance and behavioural addiction.
The LCCH Asia Advantage: EMDR Integrated with Clinical Hypnosis
While EMDR is a powerful standalone method, LCCH Asia's unique methodology integrates our expertise in Clinical Hypnosis to enhance stabilization and speed up healing:
Hypnotic Anchoring: We teach you how to use Hypnotic Anchoring (a specialized form of resourcing) to quickly and deeply install the "Safe Place" and other regulating resources. This makes the trauma processing phase (Desensitisation) safer and less overwhelming for the client.
Somatic Bridging: Our advanced faculty train therapists to fluidly transition between the dissociative state of hypnosis and the processing state of EMDR, allowing access to deeper emotional material with greater control.
How to Get EMDR Certified in Asia (The Career Path)
For therapists, mastering EMDR is a high-demand skill that significantly elevates your professional standing and clinical effectiveness.
Our Specialist Certificate in EMDR offers:
Accreditation: The course counts towards the Advanced Practitioner Diploma (APDIP) and is recognized by the Malaysian Society of Clinical Hypnosis (MSCH) and the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH).
Expert Faculty: Learn the protocols from clinical hypnotherapists who are active trauma specialists.
Financial Support: The course is HRD Corp Claimable for eligible practitioners in Malaysia, allowing you to upgrade your skills with full sponsorship.
Ready to start treating trauma effectively and become a specialist?
