Understanding the Different Types of EMDR Reprocessing
- annabellalipson
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
How EMD, EMDr, and EMDR Support Trauma Healing at Your Pace
If you have started EMDR therapy, or if you are just beginning to explore it, you might be wondering, “Is there just one way to do EMDR?” Or, “How will my therapist know which approach is right for me?”
These are thoughtful and important questions. And the truth is this: EMDR is not a one-size-fits-all process. In fact, there are several ways we can approach EMDR reprocessing, depending on where you are in your healing journey and what your nervous system needs.
Three different types of EMDR reprocessing are often used when working with trauma: EMD, EMDr, and EMDR. Each one has a slightly different purpose and level of depth, and each is designed to meet you exactly where you are.
Let’s break these down in a way that is clear, compassionate, and easy to understand.
What Is EMDR, Exactly?
Before we get into the different types, it helps to understand what EMDR actually is.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a type of therapy that helps your brain heal from trauma and distressing experiences by processing them in a more adaptive way. During EMDR reprocessing sessions, therapists often use back-and-forth eye movements or other types of bilateral stimulation, such as tapping or sound, while you briefly focus on a memory.
Over time, EMDR can help reduce emotional pain, shift negative beliefs, and create space for a greater sense of safety, calm, and self-worth. How we approach that process depends on what feels safe and supportive for you.
EMD: A Gentle, Focused Start
The first type of EMDR reprocessing is called EMD, or Eye Movement Desensitization. This is the most contained and structured version of the process.
EMD focuses on one specific distressing memory without intentionally opening up related memories, emotions, or themes. We often choose this approach when a memory feels especially intense, or when your nervous system is still learning how to stay grounded during trauma work.
EMD can be especially helpful if you are experiencing:
High anxiety or panic
Dissociation or emotional flooding
Early trauma or developmental trauma
Fear about starting trauma therapy
The goal of EMD is symptom relief. We are not trying to process everything connected to the memory. Instead, we are helping reduce the emotional charge of one painful experience so it no longer feels as overwhelming or disruptive in daily life.
For many clients, this is an empowering and stabilizing place to begin. EMD allows trauma healing to start in a way that feels manageable and contained.
EMDr: A Gentle Opening Toward Deeper Work
As you begin to feel more supported and resourced in therapy, we may move into EMDr. The “r” stands for restricted.
In EMDr, we still keep the work paced and contained, but we allow a bit more movement. You may begin to notice related thoughts, emotions, or memories arise during reprocessing, and we allow just enough of that material to surface while carefully monitoring your nervous system.
EMDr can be helpful when:
A memory is part of a larger pattern
You are ready to explore more depth, but not everything at once
We want to gently connect the dots without overwhelming your system
This approach acts as a bridge between symptom relief and deeper healing. It gives your brain space to make connections while still prioritizing safety, regulation, and choice.
EMDR (Full Protocol): Going to the Root
When you feel ready, and when your nervous system is stable enough, we may move into standard EMDR, often called full protocol EMDR.
This is the most comprehensive form of EMDR reprocessing. In full EMDR, we allow your brain to access and process the entire network connected to a memory, including emotions, body sensations, beliefs, and earlier experiences.
This is where we often address the core beliefs shaped by trauma, such as:
“I am not safe.”
“I am not enough.”
“I have no control.”
Through EMDR, your brain can revisit these memories and update them, creating new meaning and integration. What once felt like a present-day threat becomes something that belongs in the past.
This work can lead to deeper, long-lasting change. It is never rushed, and it does not mean every session is intense. The process unfolds at a pace that respects your capacity and resilience.
How Do We Decide Which Types of EMDR Reprocessing to Use?
EMDR therapy should never feel rushed or forced. Choosing between EMD, EMDr, and EMDR is a collaborative process.
As a therapist, I consider:
Are we focusing on short-term relief or long-term healing?
How grounded do you feel before and after sessions?
Are we working with a single event or complex trauma?
What is your nervous system communicating through your body and emotions?
I also integrate trauma science and nervous system-informed approaches, including Polyvagal Theory, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), CBT, and DBT.
There is no pressure to “do it all.” These different types of EMDR reprocessing are simply tools that allow therapy to be flexible, responsive, and respectful of your pace.
Your healing journey deserves to be just as unique as you are.
Meet the Therapist: Annabella Lipson, LMHC
Annabella Lipson is a trauma-informed therapist at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling who works with adults and teens using EMDR therapy. She offers a warm, attuned, and collaborative approach that helps clients feel safe enough to explore their experiences at a pace that feels right.
Annabella specializes in trauma, anxiety, and attachment-related concerns. She integrates EMDR with nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and relational therapy to support both symptom relief and deeper healing. Her work is grounded in a “what happened to you” lens, honoring each client’s resilience while helping them build new patterns of safety and self-trust.
Clients often describe Annabella as calming, thoughtful, and deeply present. She believes healing happens through safety, connection, and respect for the nervous system.
About Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling
Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling provides trauma-informed therapy for children, teens, and adults.
We offer:
👉Virtual therapy throughout NY, NJ, CT, and FL
👉In-person therapy in Scarsdale and Westchester, NY
👉EMDR therapy for trauma, anxiety, and nervous system healing
Our goal is to help clients feel safer in their bodies and more connected to themselves and others.
Read Relevant Blogs
Go Deeper in Your Healing Journey
🎁 Learn More About The EMDR Therapy Progress Journal
📚 Check out our blogs, where our therapists break down EMDR concepts, trauma education, and practical healing strategies you can start today.
Ready to Explore EMDR Therapy?
If you are curious about EMDR or want to explore a more personalized, nervous system-informed approach, you do not have to do it alone.
👉 Book a free 15-minute consultation to learn whether EMDR therapy with Annabella Lipson or another PLMHC therapist is the right fit for you:
If you are in crisis, call 988 (U.S.) or your local emergency number.