Assessment

& Desensitization

Target:
We are going to begin the EMDR process. I will be checking in with you by asking “what are getting now?” or “What are you noticing
now?”. When I do, tell me the last thing you thought of, felt, saw, or noticed in a word or phrase. It can be a thought, an image, an emotion,
1
Image
or a body sensation. Sometimes you’ll notice something new, sometime you wont. There are no ‘supposed to’s’ in this process. Just tell me

“When you focus on _____(target)____, what is coming up for you w/o judging whether it ‘should’ be happening or not, or what you think I’m thinking. Don’t discard anything as
irrelevant; everything is connected for a reason. If at any point you want to stop, raise your hand. Just let whatever happen, happen.
what picture comes to mind that
represents that moment?

(* if restarting incomplete session: “Now I’d like you to bring up that thing we were working on…notice the emotion that arises, and where you feel it in your body…)
Ok, Now I’d like you to bring up the image ________ and those negative words _____(NC)_____, and notice where you feel it in your body….
What 1-2 words could I say that would Now hold that all together in your mind and …(the buzzies will go back and forth/ follow my fingers/ etc.)
allow you to recall this image?
________________________________
BLS (EMD: ≈ 8-10 EMDr: ≈ 10-20 EMDR: ≈ 24 ,36, 60 )
2
Negative Cognition (if NC has not yet been identified)

“When you think of _____(target)____, what negative words

“Take a deep breath in…..and out.”
about yourself come up?”
“What do you get now?”/ “What are you noticing now?”


If… no new info or change in 2 sets

3
Positive Cognition If… Still on topic: If… veering off topic:

Check SUDS
When you bring up that picture (or that experience), what

“Go with that…” “When you go back to ____(target/the “On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is bringing up __(the thing we were

would you prefer to believe about yourself? thing we were working on)___ what do working on/ NC & that thing we were working on)__ and feeling relatively

you get now?” calm or neutral, and 10 is the highest disturbance you can
imagine, how disturbing does it feel now?”
* if SUD may be near 0 say NC with target

Validity of Cognition

When you think of that picture, how true to those words feel PC Installation 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
to you now on a scale of 1-7 …. “Do the words ____(PC)____ still fit or is there another positive statement
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

that feels more suitable?”


false true
_________________________________________________________________________________ “Where do you feel it in your “Ok, bring back up the last
body?” or thing you noticed ________ and
“As you think of ___( target/the memory/thing we’re working on)____ and those
let’s go with that”
4 “I wonder what keeps it from
Emotion words ___(PC)___, how true do they feel from a 1 to 7 (where 1 is
being a 0…”

completely false & 7 is completely true)?”
* Consider interweaves,
When you bring up that image and those

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
“Go with that…” check body sensations
words… (NC)…, what emotion(s) do you feel

now?

“Go with that…”

“Take a breath… bring up the
___(target)___ … and what do

BLS you notice now?”

Now think of the __( target/the thing we were working on)__ & hold it together

“Go with that…”

5
SUDS
with the words __(PC)___” After a few sets ask….
“Has anything changed?”
How disturbing does the image feel to you BLS “Notice that…"
now?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
“On a scale from 1-7, how true do the words ___(PC)___ feel now?”



neutral highest
disturbance
you can imagine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7


6 Body Reassess PC “Go w/ that…”
(as long as content is on path)
“What’s “Close your eyes and keep in mind the original memory and

keeping it from ____PC____. Then bring your attention to the different parts of your
being a 7?”
When you think of the memory and the Revaluate: On a scale from 1-7, how true do the body, starting with your head and working downward. Any place you

feeling ______, where do you feel it in your words ___(PC)___ feel now?” find any tension, tightness, or unusual sensation, tell me.”
“Go with
body?
that…” (ANY sensation= BLS- “Go with that”)
* if no decrease since original, explore a better fitting PC

Created by Brittani P. Antunes, MC, LPC, NCC