EMDR Treatment Plan Strategies: Advanced Planning Methods

Creating an EMDR Master Treatment Plan is one of the most important skills developed during EMDR Phase 1: History Taking and Treatment Planning. While learning EMDR Target Selection and EMDR Target Sequencing can feel overwhelming at first, an organized plan provides the structure and confidence you need to guide clients through the eight phases of EMDR therapy.

This blog explores advanced strategies for writing EMDR Treatment Plans that are not only clinically sound but also grounded in research. We will review key models, sequencing methods, and practical steps for applying them in your own practice.

Beyond the Basics of EMDR Phase 1 Planning

If you’re already familiar with the essentials of writing a treatment plan, you know the core elements: diagnoses, goals, objectives, and interventions. But advanced EMDR clinicians go further, integrating research-based models into EMDR Target Selection and Sequencing. This allows us to move from a generic plan to a truly individualized EMDR Master Treatment Plan.

During EMDR History Taking, attention to attachment style, dissociation, and intergenerational trauma provides valuable context. As Hofmann and Luber (2009) suggest, organizing a timeline of both positive and negative memories helps us see the developmental flow of a client’s experiences, setting the stage for thoughtful sequencing.

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Advanced Target Selection Approaches

De Jongh, ten Broeke, and Meijer (2010) outlined the Two Method Approach for EMDR Target Selection, which encourages clinicians to consider whether to focus on symptom clusters or core negative beliefs. By integrating both methods, we can identify feeder memories that maintain maladaptive networks and select targets most likely to produce generalization across related experiences.

Similarly, Lombardo (2012) recommended organizing EMDR targets not only by chronology but also by clustering around shared themes such as responsibility, safety, or relational trauma. This helps clinicians and clients co-create a map that feels manageable while honoring the complexity of the trauma history.

Sequencing with Clinical Precision

Once target selection is complete, sequencing becomes the key to efficiency. Kitchur’s Strategic Developmental Model (2005) emphasizes beginning with middle childhood memories, then addressing earlier pre-verbal material, followed by adolescent and adult traumas. This developmental sequencing can stabilize clients before approaching highly vulnerable material.

Leeds (2016) advanced the concept of symptom-informed EMDR Target Sequencing, which organizes targets around clusters of presenting symptoms. This approach often follows an “earliest → worst → recent → present triggers → future templates” sequence. By anchoring sequencing to current symptom intensity, clinicians can build momentum while maintaining client safety.

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Research Supporting Master Treatment Planning

Research continues to reinforce the importance of well-structured EMDR Target Selection and Sequencing within the treatment planning process.

• Shapiro (2018) emphasized that fewer than 24 memories are typically necessary to resolve PTSD symptoms when sequenced strategically.

• De Jongh, ten Broeke, and Meijer (2010) demonstrated that using both symptom- and cognition-focused methods in the Two Method Approach helps clinicians identify the most impactful starting points.

• Matthijssen et al. (2020) reviewed emerging areas such as early EMDR interventions and highlighted the importance of clear protocols for expanding EMDR into new populations.

• Leeds (2016) documented empirical support for symptom-informed target treatment planning and emphasized its application to complex presentations such as depression, OCD, and personality disorders.

Together, these findings point to the value of combining models and staying research-informed when developing EMDR Master Treatment Plans.

Practical Guidance for Clinicians

• Begin EMDR Phase 1 by gathering comprehensive history and assessing attachment and dissociation.

• Use both timelines and float back techniques to uncover feeder memories that guide EMDR Target Selection.

• Consider developmental, symptom-focused, and cognition-focused models when designing EMDR Target Sequencing.

• Regularly revisit and update the EMDR Master Treatment Plan to reflect progress, new triggers, or shifts in client goals.

Bringing It All Together

An EMDR Master Treatment Plan is more than paperwork — it is the clinical blueprint that shapes how EMDR therapy unfolds. By integrating research, advanced models of EMDR Target Selection and Sequencing, and thoughtful EMDR History Taking and Treatment Planning, you can design treatment plans that are responsive, efficient, and deeply supportive of healing.

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References

1. de Jongh, A., ten Broeke, E., & Meijer, S. (2010). Two method approach: A case conceptualization model in the context of EMDR. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 4(1), 12–21.

2. Hofmann, A., & Luber, M. (2009). History taking: The time line. In M. Luber (Ed.), Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) scripted protocols: Basics and special situations (pp. 11–29). Springer Publishing.

3. Kitchur, M. (2005). The strategic developmental model for EMDR. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions: Pathways to healing (pp. 8–56). Norton.

4. Leeds, A. (2016). A guide to the standard EMDR therapy protocols for clinicians, supervisors, and consultants (pp. 63–92). Springer Publishing.

5. Lombardo, M. (2012). EMDR target timeline. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 6(1), 37–46.

6. Matthijssen, S. J. M. A., Lee, C. W., de Roos, C., Barron, I. G., Jarero, I., Shapiro, E., Hurley, E. C., Schubert, S. J., Baptist, J., Amann, B. L., Moreno-Alcázar, A., Tesarz, J., & de Jongh, A. (2020). The current status of EMDR therapy, specific target areas, and goals for the future. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 14(4), 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1891/EMDR-D-20-00039

7. Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.