History & planning
Understanding your situation and planning care together.
The foundations
Understanding EMDR.
Without the overwhelm.
A starting point for the approach, the language, and the role of professional support. You don’t need to know everything before asking your first question.
Start here
More than following a moving dot.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured psychotherapy approach delivered by a trained clinician. Eye movements or other alternating stimulation are one part of a broader process that includes preparation, assessment, and follow-up.
A therapist works with you to decide whether EMDR is appropriate, establish support, and plan the work. You do not have to make those clinical decisions alone.
The distinction matters.A bilateral stimulation tool is not, by itself, EMDR therapy. EMDRJourney offers self-guided tools for preparation, stimulation, and reflection; it does not replace a trained clinician.
A structured approach
The eight phases, at a glance.
In therapist-led EMDR, these phases provide a framework across treatment. They are not a checklist to rush through in a single app session.
Preparation
Building understanding, support, and ways to settle.
Assessment
Identifying the experience and responses to work with.
Desensitization
Working with the experience under clinical guidance.
Installation
Attending to a relevant positive belief.
Body scan
Noticing physical responses that remain.
Closure
Ending the session with support and orientation.
Reevaluation
Reviewing the experience and what comes next.
Read more from the EMDR International Association .
A rhythm that alternates.
“Bilateral” refers to stimulation that alternates between the left and right sides. In EMDR treatment, a clinician may use eye movements, sounds, or taps as part of the process.
In EMDRJourney, you can adjust visual movement and optional alternating sound. Start from what is comfortable, and pause if the experience does not feel right. The moving dot is a tool; it does not assess you or decide what treatment you need.
A thoughtful companion to your preparation.
EMDRJourney gives you a structure for checking in, choosing a focus, adjusting your practice, and reflecting afterwards. Your saved sessions offer a place to return to your own observations.
For work with traumatic memories, PTSD, dissociation, or overwhelming distress, discuss readiness and a treatment plan with a qualified, EMDR-trained mental health professional.
Keep it simple
Your next step can be a question.
Explore our guides or find a clinician to talk through whether EMDR is right for you.