EMDR Training & Treatment Hub

Welcome to the EMDR Hub, a central resource for psychologists who want to strengthen their clinical skills in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy. Here you’ll find blog series, case examples, treatment planning strategies, and research-driven discussions to help you integrate EMDR into your practice with confidence.

This hub also includes dedicated resources for EMDR Phase 2 preparation and stabilization, including guidance on how to assess readiness for EMDR processing, manage dissociation, and select preparation strategies before beginning trauma reprocessing.

This hub organizes all EMDR-related content, including Target Selection and Sequencing, EMDR Phase 1 History Taking and Treatment Planning, and other advanced applications. Over time, additional series will be added here to support your continuing education journey through Cannon Psychology Continuing Education, an APA-Approved Sponsor.

Where to Start with EMDR in This Hub

If you’re using EMDR in your practice, where you start usually depends on what you’re trying to solve:

• If you’re trying to determine whether a client is ready for EMDR processing → start with Phase 2 Preparation and Stabilization

• If you’re working on building a clear treatment plan → start with EMDR Target Sequencing & Treatment Planning

• If you want to strengthen your overall understanding of how EMDR works → start with the Theoretical Foundations of EMDR Therapy section

• If you’re noticing complex presentations (dissociation, chronic trauma, or instability) → start with the EMDR for Complex Trauma and Dissociation section

• If you’re looking to better understand EMDR therapy as a client, including what to expect in each phase → start with the Client-Friendly EMDR Guides section

EMDR Phase 2 Preparation and Stabilization

If you’re trying to determine whether a client is ready for EMDR processing or how to stabilize them before trauma work, start here.

Preparation and stabilization are central components of Phase 2 in the EMDR protocol. Before trauma processing begins, clinicians must assess whether clients have the emotional regulation capacity, dual attention, and safety needed to engage in reprocessing without becoming overwhelmed. Phase 2 preparation may include grounding strategies, containment exercises, Resource Development and Installation (RDI), and other stabilization techniques designed to strengthen readiness for trauma processing. The following resources focus specifically on EMDR Phase 2 preparation and readiness for trauma processing.

Articles in This Section

If you want a more detailed breakdown of specific preparation, stabilization strategies, and readiness decisions, start with these:

• How to Know When a Client Is Ready for EMDR Processing

• Why Preparation Is Essential Before Trauma Processing in EMDR Therapy

• Common Stabilization Techniques in EMDR Preparation

• Assessing Dissociation Before EMDR Trauma Processing

• How Dissociation Affects EMDR Preparation and Stabilization

• How to Explain EMDR Preparation to Clients

• Managing Reactions Between EMDR Sessions

• When to Delay EMDR Trauma Processing

• Preparation Strategies for Clients With Complex Trauma

Featured CE Course

If you want a more structured framework for assessing readiness, working with dissociation, and guiding preparation decisions, this course walks through these concepts step by step while earning continuing education credit:

→ EMDR Phase 2: Preparation, Stabilization, and Readiness for Trauma Processing

Preparation & Stabilization Tools

Many clinicians use structured preparation worksheets and clinician guides to support Phase 2 work and track readiness before trauma processing.

If you’re working with dissociation or more complex presentations, you may want to start with a more focused set of tools:

→ Dissociation-Informed EMDR Preparation Toolkit

If you’re looking for a comprehensive system to assess readiness, strengthen stabilization, and structure preparation work before moving into processing, the full toolkit provides a broader framework you can use across cases.

This system includes structured tools for evaluating preparation capacity, selecting stabilization strategies, recognizing dissociation patterns, troubleshooting when preparation is not working, and supporting clients between sessions. It also includes the Dissociation-Informed EMDR Preparation Toolkit as part of the full preparation framework:

→ EMDR Preparation & Stabilization Toolkit

If you’re ready to move from preparation into identifying and organizing targets, the next step is working through target selection and sequencing.

EMDR Target Sequencing & Treatment Planning

If you’re working to organize targets, build a clear EMDR treatment plan, or strengthen your clinical conceptualization, start here.

Featured CE Course

This course provides a structured framework for organizing targets, building EMDR treatment plans, and strengthening clinical decision-making while earning continuing education credit:

→ EMDR Treatment Planning: Target Selection and Sequencing

Target Selection & Sequencing Tools

Once you have that framework, the next step is applying it in your clinical work with clear, structured tools.

This toolkit provides a system of clinician resources to support target identification, sequencing, and treatment planning in practice:

→ Core EMDR Target Selection & Sequencing Toolkit

Articles in This Section

• Why Target Selection and Sequencing Matter in EMDR

• Timelines and Float Back in EMDR Target Selection

• Advanced Approaches to EMDR Target Sequencing

• EMDR Treatment Plan Strategies: Advanced Planning Methods

• Research-Driven Strategies for EMDR Target Sequencing
  

Additional EMDR Treatment Planning Resources

To deepen your treatment planning skills beyond the core 5-part series, these additional resources provide advanced guidance for developing comprehensive EMDR Master Treatment Plans. These articles offer case formulation support, examples of Phase 1 clinical decision-making, and strategies for applying treatment planning principles to complex trauma presentations. Each resource is designed to help you strengthen your conceptualization skills, refine target identification, and build a clear, ethically sound roadmap for EMDR treatment.

Articles in This Section

• EMDR Phase One: How to Write an EMDR Treatment Plan for PTSD

• EMDR Phase One: History And Treatment Planning

• Advanced EMDR Treatment Planning: Master Plan Strategies

• EMDR Target Selection and Sequencing in Addiction Work

  
  

Theoretical Foundations of EMDR Therapy

A strong understanding of EMDR’s theoretical foundations allows clinicians to make clearer case conceptualization decisions, anticipate client responses, and adapt treatment to complex presentations. This section includes key concepts such as the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, trauma memory storage, dissociation, and EMDR history. These resources support deeper clinical reasoning and help therapists strengthen the conceptual framework behind EMDR treatment planning.

Articles in This Section

• EMDR Glossary: Adaptive Information Processing Model

• EMDR Glossary: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

• EMDR Glossary: Dissociation in EMDR Therapy

• Why I Changed My Mind About EMDR Therapy

• Trauma Self-Help Resources By EMDR Specialists

EMDR Tools, Skills, and Techniques

These resources provide practical guidance on the clinical tools therapists use throughout EMDR preparation and reprocessing. From managing client disclosure, to using Flash, to helping clients anticipate common reactions, these articles support skill-building in real-world EMDR work. They can be integrated into Phases 1–7 and used alongside your treatment planning strategies.

Articles in This Section

• EMDR Therapy and the Flash Technique

• EMDR Tip: You Don’t Have To Tell Me All Of The Details!

• What Are the Most Common Reactions to EMDR Therapy?

• What To Expect In Your EMDR Trauma Therapy Sessions

EMDR for Complex Trauma and Dissociation

Working with complex trauma often requires careful pacing, expanded Phase 2 preparation, and a deeper understanding of dissociation and internal parts work. These resources help clinicians recognize dissociative processes, adapt protocols for medical or occupational trauma, and support clients with chronic trauma histories. This section strengthens your ability to provide safe, attuned, and phase-appropriate EMDR for complex presentations.

Articles in This Section

• Assessing Dissociation Before EMDR Trauma Processing

• How Dissociation Affects EMDR Preparation and Stabilization

• Preparation Strategies for Clients With Complex Trauma

• EMDR Glossary: Dissociation in EMDR Therapy

EMDR for Addiction and Problematic Behaviors

Applying EMDR to substance use and behavioral addictions requires specialized protocols, careful Phase 1 assessment, and thoughtful Target Selection and Sequencing. These resources explore evidence-based approaches, such as DeTUR, CravEx, FSAP, and Flashforward, and offer clinician-facing guidance for integrating EMDR within recovery-oriented treatment plans. For more advanced work, see the Addiction Treatment & Recovery Hub.

Articles in This Section

• Foundations of EMDR and Substance Use Treatment Planning

• Culturally Responsive EMDR for Addiction Treatment

• EMDR Target Selection and Sequencing in Addiction Work

• Addiction-Focused EMDR Protocols

• Relapse Prevention and Long-Term Recovery in Addiction Treatment

  
  

EMDR in Telehealth and Online Practice

Providing EMDR therapy through telehealth requires thoughtful preparation, clear informed consent, and strong attention to safety, pacing, and stabilization. These resources support clinicians who are adapting EMDR to virtual settings, helping you understand client readiness, session structure, and what to anticipate when working remotely. For guidance on legal and ethical considerations in telepsychology, visit the  Laws & Ethics Hub.

Articles in This Section

• How Online EMDR Therapy Works And Why It’s Worth Trying

• Online EMDR Therapy: What to Expect and How It Helps

• Urgent Need For Anxiety Help? Introducing Telehealth

• Understanding Evidence-Based PTSD Therapy Options

Client-Friendly EMDR Guides (Shareable Resources)

These articles were originally written for clients and offer simple, trauma-informed explanations of each EMDR Phase. Therapists can share these with clients who want to understand EMDR in clear, accessible language. These are not CE materials, but they can support informed consent, readiness, and preparation.

• Understanding EMDR Phase 1: History & Treatment Planning

• EMDR Phase 2: Preparation Process Explained

• EMDR Phase 3 Assessment: How It Prepares You for Phase 4

• Understanding EMDR Phase 4: What Happens in Desensitization

• Enhancing Positive Beliefs: EMDR Phase 5 Installation

• EMDR Phase 6: Body Scan for Trauma Relief

• EMDR Phase 7: How Closure Helps You End Each Session Safely

• EMDR Phase 8: Re-Evaluation and Tracking Your Progress

Additional Client-Facing EMDR Resources

• What Are the Most Common Reactions to EMDR Therapy?

• How Long EMDR Therapy Takes: Understanding Your Treatment Timeline

• What To Expect In Your EMDR Trauma Therapy Sessions

• EMDR Tip: You Don’t Have To Tell Me All Of The Details!

• Why I Changed My Mind About EMDR Therapy

• How Online EMDR Therapy Works — And Why It’s Worth Trying

• Online EMDR Therapy: What to Expect and How It Helps
  

Cannon Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Cannon Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content