A target memory is a specific past experience or event selected for processing during Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment. It is usually chosen because it appears connected to a current difficulty, emotional response, or negative belief that the person wants to address.
Target selection begins with understanding the person's concerns and identifying experiences that may be relevant to them. In therapist-guided EMDR, this is generally a collaborative process involving the person receiving treatment and their therapist.
The target does not always have to be the earliest, most upsetting, or most detailed memory. What matters is its relevance to the treatment goals and how it fits within the overall treatment plan.
EMDR uses a structured process for identifying, assessing, and processing target memories. Understanding how memories are selected can make the treatment process easier to follow and explain why different experiences may be addressed at different stages.
What Is a Target Memory in EMDR?
A target memory is an experience that has been identified as relevant to a person's current concerns and selected for processing.
The memory may involve a single event, a particular moment within a longer experience, or an incident connected to a broader pattern of distress.
For example, someone who feels uncomfortable speaking in groups might identify a past experience of being publicly criticized.
Another person may notice that an uncomfortable response to a current situation reminds them of an earlier experience involving rejection or embarrassment.
In EMDR, these connections help identify experiences that may be useful to address.
A target memory can include several components:
An image or mental representation of the event.
A negative belief associated with the experience.
Emotions connected to the memory.
Physical sensations noticed when recalling it.
A preferred positive belief that the person would like to associate with the experience.
These components are examined more closely during the assessment phase of EMDR.
A target memory does not need to be unusual or dramatic. Experiences that appear relatively ordinary to someone else may still have personal significance.
When Is a Target Memory Selected During EMDR?
Target selection generally begins during Phase 1: History-Taking and Treatment Planning.
EMDR uses an eight-phase treatment approach, but the first phase focuses on understanding the person's concerns, experiences, and goals.
In therapist-guided treatment, the person and therapist discuss what has been difficult and consider which past experiences may be related to those difficulties.
They may identify several possible memories rather than selecting only one.
The treatment plan can then organize these experiences into a sequence that supports the person's goals.
Phase 2: Preparation
Before memory processing begins, the preparation phase introduces the treatment procedures and helps the person become familiar with the process.
This may include discussing what to expect, practicing bilateral stimulation, and establishing ways to pause or return attention to the present.
Bilateral stimulation involves alternating left-right sensory input, such as guided eye movements, sounds, or tapping.
Phase 3: Assessment
Once a particular target has been selected, the assessment phase identifies its specific components.
These include the memory image, associated beliefs, emotions, and physical sensations.
The assessment phase also establishes initial ratings that can be used to observe changes during processing.
This distinction is important: identifying a target memory and beginning to process it are separate parts of EMDR treatment.
What Factors Influence Which Memory Is Selected?
Several considerations can help determine which memory becomes a treatment target.
1. Connection to the current concern
A common starting point is the difficulty the person wants to address.
This might involve anxiety in certain situations, distressing reminders of a past event, difficulty trusting others, or an uncomfortable belief about themselves.
The goal is to identify experiences that appear connected to the present concern.
For example, someone who frequently feels that they are not good enough may remember an experience in which they felt judged or rejected.
That memory may become a possible target if it is relevant to the person's current experiences.
2. Emotional significance
The emotional meaning of a memory can help explain why it has been identified.
A memory does not have to produce the strongest possible emotional response to be useful.
Some experiences may feel mildly uncomfortable while still being associated with a persistent belief or reaction.
3. Connections between experiences
Several memories may involve similar emotions or beliefs.
For example, different experiences involving criticism may be connected by the belief that making mistakes means being inadequate.
Identifying these connections can help organize possible targets.
4. Treatment priorities
Some memories may be more directly related to the person's immediate goals than others.
A treatment plan may therefore prioritize a particular experience because it is closely connected to a difficulty affecting everyday life.
5. Readiness and pacing
The selection process also considers whether the person is comfortable proceeding with the identified material.
A target may be revisited later if more preparation or clarification would be helpful.
These considerations allow target selection to remain structured without requiring every person to follow exactly the same sequence.
How Are Early, Recent, and Significant Memories Prioritized?
EMDR treatment planning may consider different types of past experiences.
Some approaches begin with earlier memories that appear connected to a current concern.
Others may prioritize a more recent event or a memory that is particularly relevant to the treatment goal.
Early memories
An early memory may be considered when it appears connected to a belief or emotional pattern that continues into the present.
For example, someone who feels uncomfortable expressing an opinion may identify an early experience of being dismissed or criticized.
Such an experience might help explain why similar situations remain uncomfortable.
More recent memories
A recent event may be selected when it is closely related to the person's current symptoms or difficulties.
For example, someone who recently experienced a frightening accident may focus on a particular moment from that incident.
A recent target may also be relevant when an earlier memory is not the most useful starting point.
Particularly meaningful memories
Sometimes a memory stands out because it represents a broader pattern of experiences.
It may not be the earliest or most recent event, but it may be closely connected to an important belief or emotional response.
The sequence is not determined by memory age alone.
Treatment planning considers how the memories relate to one another and which target is appropriate at the current stage.
What Is a Touchstone Memory?
A touchstone memory is an early experience believed to have contributed to the development of a continuing negative belief or emotional response.
The term is used in some EMDR treatment-planning approaches.
For example, a person who experiences persistent self-doubt may remember an early incident in which they felt incapable or unsuccessful.
That experience may be considered a touchstone memory if it appears connected to later situations involving similar feelings.
Identifying such a memory can help organize a treatment plan involving related experiences.
However, not everyone can identify a clear starting point for a particular belief or reaction.
A touchstone memory is not a requirement for beginning EMDR, and identifying one does not prove that it caused every later difficulty.
The connection is a working understanding developed during treatment rather than a definitive explanation of a person's life history.
How Does EMDR Connect Past Memories, Present Triggers, and Future Situations?
Standard EMDR treatment commonly uses a three-pronged approach.
This means examining relevant past experiences, present-day triggers, and future situations.
| Treatment focus | What it addresses |
|---|---|
| Past experiences | Memories that may contribute to current difficulties |
| Present triggers | Situations that currently bring up uncomfortable reactions |
| Future situations | Circumstances in which the person wants to respond differently |
Past experiences
The first area involves identifying and processing memories associated with the current concern.
These might include one significant event or several related experiences.
Present triggers
A trigger is a current situation that brings up an emotional, physical, or behavioral response connected to a past experience.
For example, someone may notice discomfort when receiving feedback at work.
The present situation may help identify earlier memories with similar emotional meaning.
Future situations
EMDR also includes preparation for future experiences.
This is often called a future template.
It involves imagining a situation in which the person wants to respond with greater confidence, flexibility, or emotional steadiness.
The future template is not a past memory. It is a related treatment target that focuses on a preferred response to an anticipated situation.
Together, these three areas help organize treatment around the person's current difficulties and desired changes.
How Are Related Memories Identified?
Sometimes a person recognizes a connection between current emotions and earlier experiences immediately.
At other times, the relationship is less obvious.
EMDR practitioners may use structured questions to explore possible connections.
One approach discussed in EMDR literature is the floatback technique.
This involves noticing a current emotional response or belief and considering whether an earlier experience involved something similar.
For example, someone who feels uncomfortable when being ignored might recall an earlier experience of feeling excluded.
The earlier event may then be considered as a possible target.
A 2012 article by Liz Royle and Catherine Kerr, published in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, discusses target selection using prioritization, grouping related memories, and techniques such as floatback.
The authors emphasize the importance of identifying memories that relate to the person's presenting concerns.
However, the purpose is not to force the discovery of forgotten events or assume that every emotion must come from one specific past experience.
If a connection is unclear, it can remain uncertain. Target selection can proceed using the information that is available.
What Happens During the Target Memory Assessment?
After identifying a target, EMDR uses a structured assessment to clarify what is associated with that memory.
This is Phase 3 of the treatment process.
The assessment generally includes several components.
Memory image
The person identifies an image or mental representation that best captures the selected experience.
For example, someone recalling a difficult conversation might identify the moment another person turned away.
The image helps establish a specific focus for the assessment.
Negative belief
The person identifies a negative belief about themselves associated with the memory.
Examples might include:
"I am not good enough."
"I have no control."
"I cannot trust myself."
These are examples of beliefs associated with memories, not conclusions that the person must accept as true.
Preferred positive belief
The assessment also identifies a more helpful belief the person would like to associate with the experience.
For example, someone who feels powerless when recalling an event might prefer the belief, "I have choices now."
The purpose is not to force positive thinking but to identify a belief that reflects the person's desired perspective.
Emotions
The person notices which emotions arise when focusing on the memory and its associated negative belief.
These might include sadness, anxiety, frustration, disappointment, or another feeling.
Physical sensations
The assessment also considers whether the memory is associated with sensations in the body.
Someone might notice tension in their shoulders, tightness in the stomach, or another physical response.
Not everyone notices a strong body sensation, and the intensity of these experiences can vary.
Together, these components help establish the focus for the processing phase.
How Is the Distress Level of a Target Memory Measured?
EMDR uses a rating system called the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scale.
The person rates how disturbing the memory feels in the present moment on a scale from 0 to 10.
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | No disturbance |
| 1–3 | Lower levels of disturbance |
| 4–6 | Moderate disturbance |
| 7–9 | Higher levels of disturbance |
| 10 | Highest disturbance imaginable |
The descriptions between the endpoints are general guides rather than rigid clinical categories.
For example, someone may give a memory a rating of 6 because it still feels noticeably uncomfortable.
Another person may rate a different memory as 2.
These ratings describe the person's current experience, not an objective measurement of how serious an event was.
Does the memory with the highest score get selected first?
Not necessarily.
The SUD rating helps measure current disturbance and monitor changes during processing.
It is not the only factor used to decide which memory to address.
A memory with a lower rating may still be relevant because it is closely connected to a current problem.
Similarly, a memory with a higher rating does not automatically become the first target.
How Is the Positive Belief Assessed?
Another measure used during EMDR is the Validity of Cognition (VOC) scale.
This measures how true a preferred positive belief feels when the person thinks about the target memory.
The scale ranges from 1 to 7.
A rating of 1 means the positive belief feels completely false, while 7 means it feels completely true.
For example, someone may identify the preferred belief, "I can handle difficult situations."
They then consider how true that statement feels while thinking about the selected memory.
The rating provides a starting point that can be compared with later assessments.
The SUD and VOC scales measure different things:
SUD measures the current level of disturbance associated with the target.
VOC measures how true the preferred positive belief feels in relation to that target.
Both help organize the assessment and monitor changes during treatment.
Neither scale independently determines which memory is most important.
What Is an Example of Selecting a Target Memory?
Consider a person who feels uncomfortable speaking during meetings.
They notice that receiving unexpected questions often brings up the thought, "I am going to say something wrong."
During treatment planning, they identify several experiences that may be relevant.
One is a recent meeting in which they felt embarrassed after answering a question.
Another is an earlier experience of being criticized while speaking in front of a group.
The person may also recall a childhood experience involving similar feelings.
These experiences could become possible targets.
Rather than automatically choosing the oldest or most upsetting memory, the selection process considers how each experience relates to the current difficulty and the treatment goals.
If the earlier criticism is selected, the assessment may explore the memory image, associated negative belief, emotions, physical sensations, and preferred positive belief.
Later treatment may address the more recent meeting experience and prepare for future situations involving public speaking.
This is an illustrative example, not a required treatment sequence.
Different people may identify different memories or organize them in a different order.
What If Several Memories Seem Equally Important?
It is common for more than one experience to be relevant to a current concern.
For example, someone experiencing anxiety about rejection may recall several situations involving friendships, family relationships, or work.
These memories may share similar emotional themes.
In EMDR treatment planning, related memories can sometimes be grouped according to common beliefs or responses.
The treatment plan then identifies which experience to address first.
This does not mean every memory must be processed individually.
Sometimes processing one experience may change how other related memories feel.
Other memories may still need separate attention.
The important point is that the treatment plan can be adjusted according to how the person responds and which concerns remain relevant.
What If Someone Cannot Identify a Clear Memory?
Not everyone can immediately identify a specific past event connected to their current difficulty.
A person may recognize a recurring emotion, negative belief, or uncomfortable response without knowing exactly when it began.
That does not automatically prevent meaningful treatment planning.
The process may begin by examining the current situation and identifying what makes it uncomfortable.
For example, someone who notices anxiety during disagreements may begin by identifying a recent situation in which that anxiety occurred.
From there, related memories may become clearer.
Alternatively, the current situation itself may remain the relevant focus within the treatment plan.
There is no need to invent a memory, force specific details, or assume that an unclear recollection must contain hidden information.
EMDR can work with experiences that are available to the person's awareness without requiring perfect recall.
Does a Target Memory Have to Be Described in Detail?
No. EMDR does not generally require a person to provide an extensive verbal account of every part of the memory.
The assessment focuses on identifying the relevant experience and its associated components.
For example, someone may briefly describe an event as "the conversation when I felt rejected."
They may then identify an image, negative belief, emotion, and physical sensation associated with it.
The processing phase uses this structured focus rather than requiring repeated detailed storytelling.
This is one of the distinctions between EMDR and some forms of talk-based psychotherapy.
In therapist-guided EMDR, communication remains important for treatment planning and assessment, but detailed descriptions are not always necessary.
The amount of information shared can vary according to the individual and the treatment circumstances.
Can the Target Memory Change During EMDR Treatment?
Yes. Target selection is part of an ongoing treatment plan rather than a decision that can never be revised.
A memory identified at the beginning may become less relevant as treatment progresses.
New connections may also emerge between past experiences and present concerns.
For example, someone processing a memory involving criticism may begin to recognize a connection with another experience involving rejection.
The new memory may be considered as a possible target later in treatment.
A different target may also become more relevant if the person's priorities or current circumstances change.
Phase 8: Reevaluation is particularly important for reviewing these developments.
During reevaluation, the person's response to previously processed material is reviewed, and the next treatment focus can be identified.
This allows EMDR to maintain a structured approach while remaining responsive to the person's experiences.
Why Does Target Selection Matter?
Target selection helps connect the procedures used during EMDR with the concerns the person wants to address.
A clear target provides a specific focus for assessment and processing.
It also helps organize the treatment plan across past memories, current triggers, and desired future responses.
However, identifying a target is not a test of whether someone has chosen the single correct memory.
Several experiences may be relevant to the same difficulty.
A target may also be reconsidered as new information becomes available.
The goal is to select an experience that provides a meaningful and appropriate starting point for the treatment process.
What Is the Main Takeaway?
A target memory in EMDR is selected because it appears connected to a current concern, emotional response, or negative belief that the person wants to address.
The process usually begins during history-taking and treatment planning, when relevant memories and present-day difficulties are identified.
In therapist-guided EMDR, target selection is generally collaborative and considers the person's goals, the connections between experiences, and their readiness to proceed.
Some treatment plans begin with early memories, while others prioritize more recent or particularly meaningful experiences.
Once selected, the memory is assessed through its associated image, beliefs, emotions, physical sensations, and initial disturbance ratings.
The most important point is that target selection is based on relevance and thoughtful treatment planning, not simply choosing the oldest or most distressing memory.
The selected target can also change as treatment progresses, allowing the process to remain responsive to the person's needs and experiences.
References
American Psychological Association. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy.
https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/eye-movement-reprocessing
EMDR International Association. Experiencing EMDR Therapy.
https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/experiencing-emdr-therapy/
EMDR International Association. Language of EMDR.
https://www.emdria.org/glossary/language-of-emdr/
Royle, L., & Kerr, C. (2012). From the general to the specific—Selecting the target memory. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 6(3), 101–109.
https://doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.6.3.101
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for PTSD.
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/emdr_pro.asp
EMDR International Association. Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy Infographic.
https://www.emdria.org/resource/8-phases-of-emdr-therapy-infographic/
