What Is EMDR Therapy, and Who Is It For?
EMDR is a structured psychotherapy used mainly for trauma-related symptoms and PTSD. During a session, you briefly focus on part of a distressing memory while following back-and-forth stimulation such as eye movements, taps or tones.
EMDR is more than eye movements. It follows eight phases: history-taking, preparation, assessment, processing, installation, body awareness, closure and reevaluation.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
EMDR pairs focused attention on a distressing memory with bilateral stimulation, inside a structured treatment plan.
- Assessment of symptoms, history, safety and readiness
- Preparation and development of grounding or coping resources
- Target selection: choosing specific memories or beliefs to treat
- Bilateral stimulation while processing target material
- Closure at the end of each session
- Reevaluation of progress and remaining distress
What it may support
- PTSD and trauma-related symptoms
- Distressing memories and triggers
- Negative beliefs connected with traumatic experiences
- Avoidance, hyperarousal, or emotional distress when clinically appropriate
What to expect
A trained clinician explains the process, answers questions, and determines whether EMDR is appropriate. Clients remain awake and in control and can ask to pause.
Not every client begins trauma processing immediately. Stabilization, safety, medical or psychiatric coordination, and other therapies may come first.
How Does EMDR Fit With Other Trauma Treatment at Montco?
EMDR is one option within a broader trauma treatment plan, not a stand-alone program. Montco Recovery Center has dedicated pages for PTSD treatment, trauma treatment and trauma-informed care, and a clinician decides whether EMDR is appropriate for you and when to begin.
Treatment at Montco Recovery Center
EMDR may be integrated into a broader individualized treatment plan when it is clinically appropriate and delivered by a trained provider. Treatment may also include coping skills, medication management, individual or group therapy, and care coordination.
Contact MRC at (215) 398-1888 to confirm current EMDR availability, provider training, admission criteria, and the settings in which it is offered.
Montco Recovery Center is located at 262 Bethlehem Pike, Suite 102, Colmar, PA 18915 and serves adults from Montgomery County, Bucks County, and surrounding communities.
Levels of care and services
Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) provides structured daytime support for adults whose symptoms significantly affect daily functioning but who do not require 24-hour inpatient care.
Outpatient mental health services may be appropriate for adults seeking individual, group, family, medication-management, and wellness support with greater schedule flexibility. Placement is based on assessment, safety, functioning, and clinical need.
Take the next step
If symptoms are affecting your daily life, you do not have to sort through them alone. Call Montco Recovery Center at (215) 398-1888 to ask about current services or schedule a confidential assessment.
If there is an immediate safety concern or life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. In the United States, call or text 988 for crisis support.
Frequently asked questions
Is EMDR hypnosis?
No. EMDR is not hypnosis. Clients remain awake, aware and able to communicate throughout the session, and they can ask to pause at any time. The clinician guides the process, but you stay in control of how far each session goes.
Do I have to describe every detail of the trauma aloud?
No. EMDR does not necessarily require a detailed verbal account of every part of the memory. Your clinician still needs enough information to plan treatment safely, so you share what is needed. Preparation and grounding skills come before processing begins.
Is EMDR effective for PTSD?
EMDR is among the trauma-focused psychotherapies strongly recommended for PTSD in major clinical guidance. It is used mainly for trauma-related symptoms, including distressing memories, triggers and negative beliefs tied to traumatic experiences. A clinician determines whether it is appropriate for you.
Can anyone start EMDR right away?
No. A trained clinician first assesses your readiness, safety, stability, symptoms and treatment goals. Some people begin with stabilization, coping skills, medical or psychiatric coordination, or other therapies before trauma processing starts. This preparation supports safe, steady progress, and your clinician decides together with you when processing begins.
Does Montco Recovery Center offer EMDR therapy?
EMDR may be part of an individualized treatment plan at Montco Recovery Center when it is clinically appropriate and delivered by a trained provider. Because availability and admission criteria can change, call (215) 398-1888 to confirm current EMDR services before scheduling an assessment.
Does insurance cover EMDR therapy at Montco Recovery Center?
Coverage depends on your insurance plan and the level of care recommended. You can use the Verify Insurance page on the Montco Recovery Center website or call (215) 398-1888 to check your benefits before you start. Our admissions team can explain what your plan may cover.
How long does EMDR therapy take?
The length of EMDR treatment varies with your history, symptoms and goals. Because EMDR includes reevaluation of progress and remaining distress, your clinician reviews how you are doing and adjusts the plan as you go. Ask about expected timing during your assessment.
