Somewhere between booking the first appointment and walking in the door, most people start wondering what EMDR therapy treatment actually involves from one week to the next.
It’s usually late when the questions get practical. Will this take six weeks or six months? Do you have to retell the worst night of your life? What are you supposed to do on the days in between, and how will you know it’s working?
This page follows the whole course of care instead of a single session. How EMDR works and what a session feels like are covered in the EMDR therapy Miami guide, and the eight phases have their own page, 8 stages of EMDR. It’s general information, not personal medical advice.
Buxani Counseling Care, a mental health clinic in Miami, lists EMDR among its therapies. What its own site says about EMDR comes near the end.
What Does EMDR Therapy Treatment Look Like From Start to Finish?
A course of EMDR treatment usually runs in three parts: planning and preparation, a stretch of processing sessions, and a review that decides whether to keep going, change course or wrap up. Only the middle part uses the left-right eye movements, taps or tones people associate with EMDR.
1Planning and preparation
The first visits are for history, goals and skills. Memory work doesn’t start until you and the therapist agree you’re steady enough for it, and how long that takes varies a lot.
2Processing sessions
This is the part most people picture. You focus on one memory at a time while following a moving light, a hand, taps or tones, and the therapist checks in between short rounds. The phase-by-phase detail is in the 8 stages guide.
3Review and wrap-up
Near the end, the therapist rechecks how the memories you worked on feel and whether anything else needs work. Some courses end there. Others add new memories or change the plan.
Who EMDR Treatment May Suit, and Who May Need to Wait
The major guidelines address EMDR for PTSD, so that’s where the guidance is clearest. The VA’s National Center for PTSD describes EMDR as “one of the most effective types of treatment for PTSD.” Therapists also use it for other concerns, and it’s fair to ask what the evidence looks like for yours. Only a licensed clinician can say whether symptoms add up to PTSD.
EMDR may suit someone who:
- has one memory, or a small set of them, that still hits hard
- would rather not retell every detail (the VA says you usually won’t need to discuss the details of the trauma, though you will think about it)
- can settle after an upsetting moment, at least with a few skills
- has enough steadiness at home and work to handle some stirred-up feelings between visits
Someone may need to wait, or begin with something else, when:
- there’s a crisis or an unsafe situation going on right now
- sleep and support are thin, and strong feelings stay overwhelming long after anything upsetting
- a big upheaval is underway, like a hurricane evacuation, a move or a family emergency
Waiting isn’t failing. Therapists often spend extra time on calming skills first, and the VA says you and your provider will discuss how ready you are to focus on your trauma memories. Medical history is worth sharing early too, such as seizures or eye conditions, since the movement part can often be adapted.
How Treatment Planning and Preparation Work
Treatment planning is a conversation, not a form. You and the therapist agree on what you want to change, list the memories or triggers that matter most, and decide where to start and how fast to go.
Expect questions about your history, sleep, support and anything that feels risky right now. From that, a plan takes shape: a first memory to work on and a way to track change, often a 0 to 10 rating of how upsetting a memory feels.
Preparation is its own piece of the work. You learn ways to settle yourself when feelings run high, such as picturing a calm place in detail or slowing your breathing, and you practice them until they work outside the therapy room. A skill you’ve only tried once in a quiet office won’t hold up on the Palmetto at rush hour.
What If Preparation Takes Longer Than You Expected?
It happens, and it isn’t a sign you’re doing badly. Some people need more time with calming skills before memory work feels safe, especially when trauma is long-standing or life is busy and unsettled. A trauma-informed therapist watches for signs of overwhelm and slows down, and Buxani’s trauma-informed therapy page describes a process paced to the client’s comfort level.
If you’re worried the pace is too slow or too fast, say so. The plan is meant to be revisited.
Is EMDR only for PTSD?
No, but PTSD is where the major guidelines speak to it. Therapists also use EMDR for other concerns, and it’s fair to ask what the evidence looks like for yours before you start.
How do I know if I’m ready to start EMDR?
You usually find out in the first visits. The VA says you and your provider will discuss how ready you are to focus on your trauma memories, which often means checking if you can settle yourself after something upsetting. Not being ready yet isn’t a failure.
What is an EMDR treatment plan?
It’s a shared list of what you want to change, which memories or triggers to work on and in what order, and how you’ll both tell whether things are shifting. A good plan gets revisited as you go.
Does Buxani Counseling Care build coping skills before EMDR memory work?
Buxani’s EMDR page describes a preparation and skill-building step in which therapists first help clients build coping skills, emotional regulation strategies and tools that promote safety and stability. The page also says treatment moves at a comfortable pace.
How Many EMDR Sessions Do People Often Need?
The American Psychological Association describes EMDR as “typically delivered one to two times per week for a total of 6-12 sessions,” although some people benefit from fewer sessions. Those are typical figures, not a promise for any one person.
The APA adds that processing of a specific memory is generally completed within one to three sessions. A course covers several memories, plus the preparation and review around them, which is why totals run higher. The VA’s EMDR page describes about three months of weekly sessions, which lands in a similar range.
What Changes the Number of Sessions
- how many memories are on the plan, and how heavy each one is
- a single event in adulthood versus trauma that began in childhood or went on for years
- how long preparation takes before memory work feels safe
- how often you can come in (the APA says sessions can be held on consecutive days)
- new memories or triggers that turn up as the work goes on
A longer course isn’t a worse one. And a therapist who gives you a firm number before the plan exists is guessing.
What Happens Between Sessions
Not much is required. The VA’s EMDR page says EMDR doesn’t require homework or practice assignments between sessions. Some therapists still suggest two small habits: keep using the calming skills from preparation, and jot down what comes up.
Three lines are plenty: what came up (a dream, a memory, a mood), when it happened, and how strong it felt from 0 to 10. Some people write theirs on the balcony after dinner, once the heat has eased. Share the page at the next visit.
If you can, leave breathing room after a session: a quiet dinner and an early night beat a packed calendar. Tiredness, vivid dreams and a short stretch of strong feelings can follow, and the Miami guide covers side effects in detail. If something stirs up more than you can handle, tell the therapist before the next visit.
How People Notice Progress
Progress in EMDR tends to be quieter than people expect. It usually shows up as a memory that feels less vivid or less charged, not as a memory that disappears. The APA describes the therapy as associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion tied to trauma memories.
Signs people and therapists look for:
- the memory feels further away, more like something that happened than something happening
- a trigger, such as a thunderclap, a car horn or a stretch of I-95, stirs up less
- you can think or talk about it without your body bracing
- the 0 to 10 number you give a memory goes down from one session to the next
The VA says many people start to notice improvement after a few sessions. That’s not a promise and it’s not a deadline. Progress isn’t a straight line either: some weeks feel flat, and working on one memory can bring up another, which therapists expect and add to the plan.
Can EMDR work in one session?
Not for a whole course, as a rule. The APA says processing of a specific memory is generally completed within one to three sessions, and that some people benefit from fewer sessions than that. A full plan often covers several memories, so a single visit is the exception, and no therapist can promise it.
Is there homework in EMDR?
Not required. The VA says EMDR doesn’t require homework or practice assignments between sessions. Some therapists still suggest using your calming skills and jotting down what comes up.
What if I don’t feel any different after a few sessions?
Tell your therapist. Change can be quiet, and it sometimes shows up in sleep or in how a trigger lands before the memory itself feels different. If nothing has moved, the plan can be adjusted: a different memory to start with, a slower pace or another approach.
Does Buxani Counseling Care say how many EMDR sessions are needed?
Its EMDR page doesn’t give a session count or a timeline. It describes treatment at a comfortable pace, so the first conversations with a therapist are the place to ask what to expect.
What EMDR Can and Cannot Do
EMDR is meant to make a distressing memory less vivid and less loaded. It isn’t meant to wipe anything out or to fix everything at once.
What it can offer is a structured plan and a therapist who adjusts the pace when things get heavy. What it can’t:
- erased memories, a guaranteed result or a fixed timeline
- a fix for ongoing stress, an unsafe home or a grief that is still fresh
- a diagnosis, which takes an assessment by a licensed clinician
How EMDR Compares With Other Trauma Treatments
EMDR is one of several trauma-focused treatments, and the guidelines don’t word them all the same way. The APA’s guideline recommends offering cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure, and suggests offering EMDR. The Military Health System’s page on psychotherapy for PTSD, which covers the VA and Department of Defense guideline, lists cognitive processing therapy, EMDR and prolonged exposure together as recommended psychotherapies.
| Treatment | Main idea | Length the APA gives | APA wording |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMDR | Briefly focus on a memory while following left-right movement, tones or taps | Typically 6-12 sessions | Suggested |
| Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) | A type of CBT that helps you examine and change unhelpful beliefs about the trauma | Generally 12 sessions | Recommended |
| Prolonged exposure (PE) | A type of CBT that gradually approaches trauma-related memories, feelings and situations | About three months of weekly sessions | Recommended |
| Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) | Works on the links among thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and on current problems | Typically 12-16 sessions | Recommended |
That same Military Health System page says the guideline recommends the indicated psychotherapies over the indicated medications. Questions about medication belong with a prescriber, not with a blog.
No single treatment wins for everyone. Fit counts: how you feel about retelling, what you’ve already tried and what your therapist is trained to do. Buxani’s CBT page covers the thought-based option.
What to Do If It Feels Like Too Much
Say so, in the moment if you can. A good therapist treats “this is too much” as useful information, slows down or stops the movement, and brings you back with the calming skills from preparation.
- During a session: ask to pause. Agreeing on a stop signal in advance helps.
- Right after: put both feet on the floor, name five things you can see, breathe out slowly, drink some water. A slow walk outside helps some people, especially in the shade near water.
- The next day: tell the therapist what happened, even if it seemed small. The pace, the starting memory or the whole plan can change.
- If it doesn’t ease: call the therapist between sessions rather than waiting for the next appointment.
If you ever feel unsafe, or think about hurting yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) in the U.S. For an emergency, call 911.
Is EMDR better than CPT or prolonged exposure?
There’s no clear winner for everyone. The APA recommends offering CBT, CPT and prolonged exposure and suggests offering EMDR, while the VA and Department of Defense guideline lists CPT, EMDR and prolonged exposure together as recommended psychotherapies. Fit, comfort and what your therapist is trained in all matter.
Can I use EMDR along with medication?
Some people use more than one kind of care. Decisions about medication, including starting, stopping or changing a dose, belong with the prescriber, so tell your prescriber and your therapist about each other.
Can you do EMDR on yourself?
Tapping videos and self-guided routines exist, but they aren’t the same as treatment. The APA describes EMDR as an individual therapy, and with trauma, a licensed therapist can slow things down when a memory gets heavy. That safety net is hard to replace.
What other trauma therapies does Buxani Counseling Care list?
Its trauma page names CBT, including trauma-focused approaches, EMDR, mindfulness and grounding techniques, and DBT, and says treatment is individualized. A licensed therapist can help sort out which fits.
Choosing EMDR Therapy Treatment in Miami: Questions to Ask First
Choose a licensed therapist with EMDR training who can explain the whole plan, meaning what happens first, how the pace is set and how progress is checked, and who doesn’t mind being asked.
Questions worth bringing to a first call:
- What would my treatment plan include, and how often is it reviewed?
- Roughly how many sessions do you expect for goals like mine, and what could change that?
- Who chooses which memory comes first, and can I say no to one?
- What should I do between sessions, and how do I reach you if a hard week hits?
- How will progress be measured, and when would you suggest trying something else?
- What other approaches would you consider for me, such as CPT or prolonged exposure?
A good sign is a therapist who says “it depends” and then explains what it depends on. For more general questions, the guide on preparing for a therapy session is a useful companion.
EMDR at Buxani Counseling Care
Buxani Counseling Care is a mental health clinic at 9700 S Dixie Hwy #880, Miami, FL 33156. Its EMDR page names teenagers and adults, describes treatment at a comfortable pace, and lists eight stages that begin with history taking and preparation. It doesn’t give a session count, so that’s worth asking about in a first conversation.
Sessions can be in person in Miami or through secure telehealth for people in Florida, and the telehealth page says you join from any device with a camera and internet access. The clinic also offers individual therapy in Miami. To ask about EMDR, use the booking page.
Final Takeaway
A course of EMDR treatment is a plan, not one dramatic session. Planning and preparation come first, the memory work sits in the middle, and a review at the end decides what happens next.
The APA’s typical range is 6 to 12 sessions, with room to run shorter or longer. If a week feels like too much, bring it to the therapist instead of pushing through alone.
A good course of EMDR care moves at a pace you can actually live with.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Treatment
What are the risks of EMDR therapy?
The main one is emotional discomfort while focusing on hard memories. The VA says that discomfort is usually brief and that most people who complete EMDR find the benefits outweigh it. Tiredness, vivid dreams and strong feelings can follow a session, and the EMDR therapy Miami guide goes through them. Tell your therapist about any health condition and about anything that feels too intense.
What is the success rate of EMDR?
No single number fits everyone, and this page doesn’t quote one. The VA describes EMDR as “one of the most effective types of treatment for PTSD,” and the APA suggests it as an option. Results differ from person to person.
How do I know when EMDR treatment is finished?
Near the end, the therapist rechecks how the memories you worked on feel and whether other memories need work. Treatment wraps up when you and the therapist agree the goals on your plan have been met, or when you decide to pause. It’s reasonable to ask whether a later check-in makes sense.
Can I pause EMDR treatment?
Yes. A move, a family emergency or plain overwhelm can all be good reasons. Talk with the therapist first so the pause is planned: what to keep doing, what to watch for and how to restart.
Does insurance cover EMDR therapy?
It depends on your plan and the provider. Check your plan’s mental health benefits and ask the clinic what it can help you verify. A general page can’t tell you what your own plan covers.
Why do some people call EMDR controversial?
Mostly because nobody has a settled explanation for why left-right movement would help, and theories differ. Even so, the APA guideline and the VA and Department of Defense guideline both include EMDR among their treatment options for PTSD.
Who does Buxani Counseling Care offer EMDR to, and in what format?
Buxani’s EMDR page names teenagers and adults and says the clinic offers both in-person and secure telehealth counseling. The clinic is at 9700 S Dixie Hwy #880, Miami, FL 33156, and its telehealth page says that service is for people in Florida. For a younger child, ask the clinic directly.
How do I ask Buxani Counseling Care about an EMDR consultation?
Use the booking page to send an online appointment request, fill in the form or call the number listed there. Mention EMDR so the clinic knows what you’re asking about.
Written and reviewed by a licensed mental health therapist.
