Affect Tolerance Skills (Base Of The Pyramid)

This is the foundation.
It means being able to notice and tolerate your emotions — both positive and negative — without getting overwhelmed or shutting down.

You don’t have to feel calm all the time, but you can recognize when you’re upset and use coping skills to come back to balance.

You’re developing the ability to “ride the wave” of emotions rather than being pulled under by them.

Resource Development (Middle Of The Pyramid)

Next, we build and strengthen your inner and outer resources — the supports that help you feel safe, grounded, and connected.

This might include visualizing a calm place, connecting with supportive people, using grounding techniques, or identifying personal strengths and positive memories.
These resources give your nervous system stability, so when we begin trauma processing, you have tools to return to safety quickly.

Trauma Reprocessing (Top Of The Pyramid)

Once your affect tolerance and resources are in place, your brain is ready to begin reprocessing traumatic memories.
In this phase, EMDR helps your brain integrate those “stuck” experiences so they become part of your past story, not something you relive in the present.

How You Know You’re Ready

You’re ready for trauma reprocessing with EMDR when you can move between positive and negative emotions without losing your sense of control.
That means:

• You can feel distress, notice it, and use a strategy to calm your body.

• You can return to a sense of safety after emotional activation.

• You can access both positive and negative feelings — not just one side.

When you can shift between these states, it shows your nervous system is flexible and resilient enough to handle reprocessing.
This balance is what allows EMDR to work safely and effectively.