3 Ways EMDR Therapists Drift From the Basics

EMDR basic training gives us a foundation: the three-pronged approach, eight phases, and the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. But as we get more comfortable as EMDR therapists, it's pretty easy to start drifting from those basics.

And to be clear, adapting EMDR isn't necessarily a bad thing. I love integrating IFS-informed work, sand tray, and other creative approaches into EMDR therapy.

But there's a difference between intentionally adapting EMDR and unintentionally drifting away from it.

That distinction matters because much of the research supporting EMDR's effectiveness is based on comprehensive, high-fidelity EMDR therapy. If we're going to talk about the evidence behind EMDR, we also need to understand the model that evidence is based on.

Here are three common ways drift can happen.

1. Stopping at Desensitization

Getting the SUD down isn't the end of EMDR reprocessing.

Phases 4–6 include desensitization, installation, and body scan. Each serves a purpose as we work toward adaptive resolution—not simply making a memory feel less distressing.

2. Reprocessing Without an EMDR Treatment Plan

If we're choosing a new target based solely on whatever is upsetting the client that week, we may be missing an important piece of EMDR: treatment planning.

Using the AIP model, we're looking at how past experiences connect to present symptoms and triggers and considering where treatment needs to go. Treatment plans can absolutely change, but there should be a clinical rationale behind why we're choosing a particular target.

3. Talking Too Much During Reprocessing

Sometimes being helpful in EMDR means doing less.

Between sets, we can easily slip back into our regular therapist habits: reflecting, interpreting, asking questions, or making connections for our clients.

Sometimes that's clinically necessary. But sometimes our client just needs us to ask, “What are you noticing now?” and then...

“Go with that.”

Why EMDR Fidelity Matters

EMDR is a therapy that we can do well—and we can do incorrectly.

That doesn't mean every adaptation is wrong or that every EMDR therapist needs to practice exactly the same way. It does mean we need to know the model well enough to recognize when we're intentionally adapting it and when we've simply drifted from it.

That's why ongoing EMDR consultation and continuing education matter. Basic training is the beginning, not the end, of learning how to practice EMDR well.

Want to hear me talk through all three? [Watch my latest Club07Clear video: Are You Drifting From EMDR? → YOUTUBE LINK]

Looking for support with your own EMDR practice? [Learn more about EMDR consultation with me → CONSULTATION LINK]