In this video, Meg Young, LCSW, explains Phases 3 and 4 of EMDR: target assessment and desensitization, which are typically completed together during the same session. During Phase 3, you identify the specific experience you want to work through, along with the images, emotions, body sensations, negative beliefs, and positive beliefs connected to it. You may also explore earlier experiences that are connected to the current target and create a timeline of related memories. In Phase 4, you begin the reprocessing process using bilateral stimulation while allowing thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations to come up without analyzing or trying to control them. Meg explains that EMDR works through a past, present, and future approach, helping you process what happened, understand how it continues to affect you today, and develop a healthier way of responding to similar situations in the future. Throughout the process, you remain present and in control, and sessions are closed with techniques to help you feel grounded and return to the present before leaving.