Client + Clinician
Getting Started with EMDR
An introduction to the eight phases of EMDR, preparation, target selection, and what to expect when beginning treatment.
EMDR Research & Resources
Useful guides for meaningful conversations.
Explore simple, evidence-informed EMDR guides designed for clients and clinicians. Learn what EMDR is, how sessions work, what the research says, and how bilateral stimulation fits into treatment.
These resources support education and informed conversation. They are not a substitute for assessment, diagnosis, clinical judgment, or individualized treatment.
The preparation center · Review draft
Prepare with clarity. Move at a considered pace.
Practical education, phase references, printable materials, and equipment checks.
Free to read, download & share
The guide library
12 guides · No account needed
Start here
Client + Clinician
What Happens in an EMDR Session?
Follow a typical session from check-in and target work to noticing changes, grounding, and closure.
Client + Clinician
EMDR vs. Talk Therapy
Compare treatment focus, structure, processing, and discussion without assuming one approach fits everyone.
Client + Clinician
Understanding EMDR: A Visual Guide
A seven-part illustrated introduction to EMDR, common questions, treatment expectations, and the evidence for PTSD.
Questions & myths
Client + Clinician
EMDR Myths vs. Facts
Explore common questions about detailed disclosure, hypnosis, control, and expectations for change.
Client + Clinician
Is EMDR a Joke?
A respectful starting point for skepticism: what supports EMDR, what remains uncertain, and what to ask.
Client + Clinician
Is EMDR Magic?
Understand why EMDR is a structured psychotherapy rather than hypnosis, mind control, or a memory eraser.
Understanding the research
Client + Clinician
Why Does EMDR Work?
Explore proposed mechanisms, including working memory, while distinguishing research findings from settled explanations.
Client + Clinician
Can EMDR Help With More Than PTSD?
Start with established PTSD evidence, then explore other applications with appropriate differences in confidence.
Client + Clinician
Can EMDR Help With Depression?
A careful overview of promising depression findings, the smaller MDD evidence base, and the limits of PDD-specific research.
Client + Clinician
EMDR and the Brain
Seven illustrated discussion guides about trauma, memory, EMDR sessions, and the limits of before-and-after brain explanations.
Preparing for treatment
Client + Clinician
Am I Ready to Start EMDR?
Questions about preparation, coping, support, and pacing to discuss before beginning reprocessing.