Protocol reference

EMDR Manual — A Free Downloadable Clinician Reference

The complete standard protocol in one place: what happens in each phase, the verbatim wording, printable PDFs, and which published manuals to buy.

  • All 8 phases with verbatim clinician wording
  • Printable PDF cheat sheets and worksheets
  • Which published EMDR manuals to own
  • Fidelity checks for consultation
  • Free — no account required

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EMDR Assist showing the 8-phase guided protocol

The short answer

There is no single official "EMDR manual." The authoritative text is Shapiro's Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed., 2018), supplemented by the training manual your EMDRIA-approved basic training provided. This page is a free working reference to the same eight-phase standard protocol, written for clinicians who want the sequence and the wording without opening the book mid-session.

Reviewed by the EMDR Assist Clinical Team, EMDR-trained clinicians.

Educational reference material for EMDR-trained clinicians. It does not replace EMDRIA-approved Basic Training, consultation, supervision, or clinical judgement, and it is not medical advice.

The eight phases at a glance

  1. History-taking — case conceptualization, target sequence plan, screening and exclusions.
  2. Preparation — psychoeducation, calm place, container, BLS test, stop signal.
  3. Assessment — image, NC, PC, VOC, emotion, SUD, body location.
  4. Desensitization — BLS sets, channel-following, return to target, interweaves.
  5. Installation — strengthen the PC to VOC 7.
  6. Body scan — clear residual somatic disturbance.
  7. Closure — complete vs incomplete session protocols.
  8. Reevaluation — recheck SUD/VOC, confirm the target holds, move to the next.

Printable pages to keep on your desk

Published manuals worth owning

  • Shapiro (2018) — EMDR: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures, 3rd ed. The source text.
  • Luber — EMDR Scripted Protocols series. Verbatim scripts by population and presentation.
  • Leeds (2016) — A Guide to the Standard EMDR Therapy Protocols. Strong on case conceptualization.
  • Gonzalez & Mosquera — EMDR and Dissociation: The Progressive Approach. Essential for complex presentations.

Using the manual in consultation

Fidelity questions in consultation almost always trace back to the same four places: an unclear target, a missed body scan, closure skipped under time pressure, and no reevaluation. Keeping the protocol visible — in print or in the guided session tool — is the cheapest way to keep those from slipping. See the consultation guide for how to present protocol decisions to a consultant.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official EMDR manual?

There is no single official manual. Shapiro's 'Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures' (3rd ed., 2018) is the authoritative text, alongside the training manual issued by your EMDRIA-approved basic training provider.

Where can I get a free EMDR manual PDF?

The full copyrighted texts are not free, but EMDR Assist publishes free clinician references covering the same eight-phase standard protocol — an 8-phase cheat sheet, phase-by-phase scripts, and printable worksheets.

What are the 8 phases of the EMDR protocol?

History-taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation.

Which EMDR manual is best for complex trauma?

Gonzalez and Mosquera's 'EMDR and Dissociation: The Progressive Approach' is the standard reference for dissociative and complex presentations, used alongside the standard protocol.

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