Past, present and future in the EMDR protocol
The standard EMDR protocol is often organised around three prongs: past experiences linked to the problem, triggers that remain active in the present and responses needed for future situations.
Past, present and future is a planning framework, not a requirement to process every memory or follow an automatic sequence. The practitioner formulates which experiences maintain the problem, reviews current triggers and tests future skills or responses. Safety, priorities, context and consent may change the order or limit the scope.
The past prong
Experiences relevant to current symptoms and goals are identified. Relevant does not necessarily mean the earliest, most intense or most detailed event; selection requires a clinical hypothesis.
A long event list is not a treatment plan. Practitioner and client decide which target to address, what preparation it needs and how to assess whether change generalises.
The present prong
Even when a memory changes, places, relationships, sensations or situations may continue to activate learned responses. These triggers are assessed for current impact and safety.
Some “triggers” represent real danger, illness, discrimination or a harmful relationship. Processing should not turn valid information into an internal defect or replace protective action.
The future prong
Work considers how to respond in upcoming scenarios and which obstacle appears when an adaptive action is imagined. A future template may be used for rehearsal and to identify unfinished material.
The goal is not guaranteed control or preparation for every possibility. Work concerns specific situations and is reviewed in everyday life.
Why order may change
Recent trauma, continuing threat, dissociation, crisis or particular needs may require stabilisation, present-focused work or coordination before past memories. An adaptation should have an explicit rationale.
Ask which formulation connects the targets, which signs support progression, how change is measured and when the plan will be reconsidered. “Following the protocol” does not replace individual clinical judgement.
Frequently asked questions
Must the earliest memory be processed first?
Not always. Selection and sequence depend on formulation, safety, clinical relevance and consent.
What is a present trigger?
It is a current situation, cue or experience linked to the problematic response; activated memory must first be distinguished from real danger.
What does the future prong mean?
It assesses and rehearses adaptive responses to relevant scenarios, often through a future template, without promising outcomes.
Sources and scope
Informational content based on guidelines and professional bodies. It does not diagnose, recommend individual treatment or replace clinical assessment.