EMDR Target Time Line

This Clinical Q&A section responds to a question about organizing a client's historical information into a targeting sequence within a treatment plan that is consistent with Shapiro's (2001) three-pronged protocol. The procedures for identifying and prioritizing treatment eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) targets are reviewed in the context of Shapiro's theoretical model, and various time line models are summarized. The author then presents her EMDR Target Time Line, which provides a practical simple visual tool for documenting past, present, and future aspects of the presenting problem. It allows the therapist to note if disturbing past experiences present around a core theme, such as negative cognitions, physical symptoms, or situations/persons/circumstances. Three clinical cases are used to illustrate the form's application with various types of treatment targets.