Reference
The Clinician’s EMDR & Bilateral Stimulation Reference Glossary
Short, standalone definitions of the terms used across EMDR training and practice. Definitions follow the standard protocol literature (Shapiro, 2018) and are general information, not clinical guidance.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
- A structured, eight-phase psychotherapy developed by Francine Shapiro for processing distressing memories. It is recommended for PTSD in WHO and NICE guidelines. What is EMDR?
- Bilateral stimulation (BLS)
- Rhythmic left–right sensory input — eye movements, alternating tones or alternating taps — used during the reprocessing phases of EMDR. Bilateral stimulation
- Dual attention
- Holding awareness of a disturbing memory while also attending to a present-moment task such as bilateral stimulation. Keeping one foot in the present is considered central to EMDR reprocessing.
- Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model
- The theoretical framework of EMDR. It proposes that distress arises from memories that were stored without being adequately processed, and that processing links them with more adaptive information. The AIP model
- Working-memory theory
- An experimental account proposing that a demanding task during recall competes for limited working-memory capacity, making the memory less vivid and emotional. Working memory theory
- Eight phases
- The standard EMDR protocol: history taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure and re-evaluation.
- Target memory
- The specific memory chosen for processing in a session, usually represented by its most disturbing image.
- Negative cognition (NC)
- A self-referencing negative belief the client currently holds in connection with the target memory, for example "I am powerless".
- Positive cognition (PC)
- The preferred self-referencing belief the client would like to hold about themselves in relation to the target memory, for example "I am in control now".
- Validity of Cognition (VoC)
- A 1–7 scale on which the client rates how true the positive cognition feels, where 1 is completely false and 7 is completely true.
- Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD)
- A 0–10 scale on which the client rates how disturbing the target memory feels right now, where 0 is no disturbance and 10 is the highest imaginable.
- Assessment phase
- Phase 3, in which the target, image, negative and positive cognitions, VoC, emotions, SUD and body location are identified before reprocessing.
- Desensitization
- Phase 4, in which sets of bilateral stimulation are applied while the client attends to the target memory and whatever emerges, until disturbance is reduced. EMDR Phase 4
- Reprocessing
- The general term for Phases 4–6, in which the memory is processed with bilateral stimulation and linked with more adaptive information.
- Installation
- Phase 5, in which the positive cognition is paired with the target memory using bilateral stimulation until the VoC is as high as possible.
- Body scan
- Phase 6, in which the client holds the target and positive cognition in mind and notices any remaining body sensation, which is then processed.
- Closure
- Phase 7, which returns the client to a stable state at the end of every session, whether or not processing is complete. Remote closure and grounding
- Re-evaluation
- Phase 8, at the start of the next session, in which the therapist checks the results of previous work and decides on next targets.
- Set
- One continuous run of bilateral stimulation between check-ins. Protocol texts give starting points for set length, which the clinician adjusts. BLS speed and set length
- Cognitive interweave
- A brief therapist intervention used when processing is stuck or looping, introducing information or a perspective to help processing continue.
- Resource development and installation (RDI)
- Preparation-phase work that strengthens positive internal resources, such as a calm or safe place, before reprocessing begins.
- Window of tolerance
- A widely used clinical concept describing the range of arousal in which a person can process experience without becoming overwhelmed or shut down.
- Abreaction
- An intense emotional and physical release that can occur during reprocessing as a memory is accessed.
- Visual BLS
- Bilateral stimulation through eye movements following a moving stimulus, such as a therapist's hand, a light bar or a moving point on a screen. Visual bilateral stimulation
- Auditory BLS
- Bilateral stimulation through tones that alternate between the left and right ear, usually delivered through headphones. Auditory bilateral stimulation
- Tactile BLS
- Bilateral stimulation through alternating taps or vibrations, delivered by hand or with handheld devices. Tactile bilateral stimulation
- Light bar
- A device or screen display that moves a point of light from side to side for the client to follow with their eyes. EMDR light bar
- Online (remote) EMDR
- EMDR delivered over video, with bilateral stimulation provided on the client's own device. Suitability is assessed client by client. Online EMDR
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