EMDR worksheets for therapists the complete guide

EMDR Worksheets for Therapists: The Complete Guide (Phases, Scripts, Templates, & Worksheets)

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is one of the most powerful trauma therapies ever developed — and also one of the most misunderstood.

Here’s the truth every EMDR therapist knows:

Clients don’t heal from the worksheet — they heal from the processing.
But worksheets are the scaffolding that makes that processing possible.

EMDR worksheets help clients:

  • build safety and stability
  • identify targets and themes
  • map memories
  • track distress
  • develop resources
  • reflect post-processing
  • organize future sessions

They don’t replace EMDR — they prepare, reinforce, and structure it.

This guide is the internet’s most complete, optimized, therapist-friendly resource on EMDR worksheets, including templates for each phase, client scripts, examples, and downloadable tools.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. What Are EMDR Worksheets?
  2. Why EMDR Worksheets Work
  3. The 8 Phases of EMDR (Breakdown + Worksheets for Each)
  4. Essential EMDR Worksheets Every Therapist Should Have
  5. EMDR Worksheets for Stabilization & Resourcing
  6. EMDR Worksheets for Target Development
  7. EMDR Worksheets for Reprocessing
  8. EMDR Worksheets for Adolescents & Trauma-Sensitive Clients
  9. How to Introduce EMDR Worksheets Without Interrupting Safety
  10. Common EMDR Worksheet Mistakes Therapists Make
  11. Where to Get High-Quality EMDR Worksheets
  12. Free EMDR Worksheet Pack

1. What Are EMDR Worksheets?

EMDR worksheets are structured, trauma-informed tools that support the EMDR process across all eight phases. They help therapists:

  • track client history
  • identify target memories
  • map triggers & symptoms
  • develop resourcing pathways
  • reinforce session insights
  • prepare clients for processing
  • reflect on shifts post-session

They’re not “homework.” They are containers of safety that organize an otherwise nonlinear process.

2. Why EMDR Worksheets Work

EMDR worksheets enhance:

✔ Clarity — clients see connections between past, present, and future
✔ Containment — trauma becomes organized, not overwhelming
✔ Preparation — clients enter processing already understanding their own patterns
✔ Pacing — worksheets slow down the work when it risks going too fast
✔ Recall — clients track SUDS, VOC, triggers, and changes over time
✔ Integration — post-processing insights become concrete

Worksheets = structure without over-processing. They support EMDR without turning it into talk therapy.

3. The 8 Phases of EMDR (With Worksheets for Each Phase)

EMDR is built on 8 structured phases. Below is a breakdown + the exact worksheets that pair with each stage.

Phase 1: History Taking & Treatment Planning

Goal: Understand client background + trauma map.

Key Worksheets:

  • Trauma Timeline Worksheet
  • Life Events Checklist
  • Symptom Log
  • Presenting Problems Worksheet
  • Memory Network Mapping Sheet

History taking worksheet (free)

Why it matters: Helps you identify the “big four”:

  1. Targets
  2. Themes
  3. Patterns
  4. Touchpoints for resourcing

Phase 2: Preparation

Goal: Build safety + stabilization.

Key Worksheets:

Why it matters: No worksheet in this phase is optional — stabilization is the foundation of ethical EMDR.

Phase 3: Assessment

Goal: Create clarity around the target memory.

Key Worksheets:

  • Target Memory Worksheet
  • NC/PC (Negative & Positive Cognition) Sheet
  • VOC (Validity of Cognition) Scale
  • SUDS (Distress Scale) Log
  • Sensations Map

Why it matters: This phase sets the coordinates for processing.

Phase 4: Desensitization

Goal: Reduce emotional charge of traumatic memory.

Key Worksheets:

  • SUDS Tracking Sheet
  • Body Sensation Log
  • Cognitive Shifts Tracker
  • Dual Awareness Notes Sheet

Why it matters: Even though EMDR doesn’t require verbal processing, worksheets help track movement across sets.

Phase 5: Installation

Goal: Strengthen the positive cognition.

Key Worksheets:

  • VOC Reassessment Worksheet
  • PC Strengthening Sheet
  • Belief Integration Worksheet

Why it matters: Reinforces new emotional and cognitive associations.

Phase 6: Body Scan

Goal: Identify and clear residual tension.

Key Worksheets:

  • Body Scan Map
  • Body Sensation Worksheet
  • Somatic Release Log

Phase 7: Closure

Goal: Ensure stability between sessions.

Key Worksheets:

  • Between-Sessions Safety Plan
  • Distress Management Worksheet
  • Calm-Down Plan
  • Post-Processing Reflection Sheet

Phase 8: Reevaluation

Goal: Check progress + prepare next targets.

Key Worksheets:

  • Reevaluation Checklist
  • Post-EMDR Progress Log
  • Symptom Change Worksheet

4. Essential EMDR Worksheets Every Therapist Should Have

Regardless of modality, these worksheets form the foundation:

  1. Trauma Timeline
  2. Target Memory Sheet
  3. NC/PC Cognition Worksheet
  4. SUDS + VOC Scales
  5. Safe/Calm Place Worksheet
  6. Container Exercise Sheet
  7. EMDR Body Scan Map
  8. Present Triggers Log
  9. Future Template Worksheet
  10. Post-Session Processing Sheet
  11. Between-Session Safety Plan
  12. Therapist Session Notes Template

5. EMDR Worksheets for Stabilization & Resourcing

These worksheets help clients build capacity before processing.

⭐ Top Worksheets

  • Container Exercise Worksheet
    Helps create a mental container for intrusive thoughts.
  • Calm Place Visualization Worksheet
    Builds grounding imagery.
  • 3-Step Resourcing Worksheet
    Strengthens internal support.
  • Grounding Skills Menu
    Teens love this one.
  • Window of Tolerance Chart (free)
    Essential for pacing trauma work.

6. EMDR Worksheets for Target Development

⭐ Worksheets in this category:

  • Target Memory Worksheet
  • Trauma Themes Map
  • Life Event Bubble Chart
  • Trigger Identification Worksheet
  • Symptom–Memory Connection Sheet
  • NC → PC Worksheet

These worksheets create a map of the client’s trauma network.

7. EMDR Worksheets for Reprocessing

Although EMDR isn’t cognitive-heavy, worksheets help track:

  • SUDS movement
  • cognitive shifts
  • emotional changes
  • somatic changes

Best worksheets for this phase:

  • SUDS Tracking Log
  • Body Sensation Map
  • Cognitive Shifts Journal
  • Dual Awareness Worksheet

Great for clients who dissociate easily or lose continuity.

8. EMDR Worksheets for Adolescents

Teens need worksheets that are:

  • visual
  • simple
  • non-threatening
  • step-by-step
  • grounding-oriented
  • designed with space for doodles

Teen-friendly worksheets:

  • Emotion Volcano Worksheet
  • Safe Place Comic Strip
  • Tapping Sequence Guide
  • Trigger Tracker
  • Teen SUDS Scale (faces instead of numbers)
  • EMDR Preparation Checklist

9. How to Introduce EMDR Worksheets Without Breaking the Flow

Use the 10-Second EMDR Warm-Up Box:

WHY

“This helps keep you grounded and safe before we begin.”

WHAT

“We’ll fill this out together — step by step.”

HOW

“This makes the EMDR work smoother and prevents overwhelm.”

This approach increases client buy-in dramatically.

10. Common Mistakes Therapists Make With EMDR Worksheets

❌ Over-processing during assessment
❌ Making worksheets too cognitive
❌ Doing worksheets instead of resourcing
❌ Giving too many worksheets at once
❌ Not reviewing worksheets at session start
❌ Using adult worksheets with teens
❌ Skipping stabilization worksheets (dangerous)

11. Where to Get High-Quality EMDR Worksheets

Best sources:

Your worksheets fill the biggest gap:
✔ modern design
✔ therapist-friendly
✔ trauma-sensitive
✔ printable + digital
✔ client-safe wording

12. Download the Free EMDR Worksheet Pack

Your free EMDR Worksheet Sample Pack includes:
✔ Calm Place Worksheet
✔ Container Exercise Sheet
✔ Target Memory Template
✔ SUDS Scale
✔ Body Scan Map
✔ Teen EMDR Prep Sheet

Get it straight to your email in the pop up (if you missed it click the teaser in the corner)

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