Remote practice resource
Remote EMDR contingency plan: location, disconnection, safety, and BLS pause
Build a practice-specific continuity plan for online EMDR covering patient location, local resources, backup contact, technical interruption, immediate BLS stop, documentation, and review.
By the EMDRSuite Editorial Team
Product claims checked against the current EMDRSuite code and interface.
No independent clinical reviewer is named for this guide.
Create the plan before it is needed
A remote continuity plan should follow the laws, standards, employer rules, insurance requirements, and emergency procedures that apply to the therapist and the patient's location. A downloadable template cannot determine those obligations.
Public telehealth guidance emphasizes knowing the patient's current location, local emergency resources, a reachable backup number, an appropriate nearby contact where relevant and authorized, and what each person will do if video or audio is lost.
Define the first response to a connection failure
The technical sequence should be unambiguous: stop active bilateral stimulation, attempt to confirm contact, use the agreed backup channel, and follow the practice's clinical or emergency procedure. Restoring video does not by itself establish that the session should continue.
Decide in advance who calls whom, after how long, which number is used, what the patient should do if the therapist disappears, and how the therapist distinguishes a routine reconnect from a situation requiring escalation.
Keep safety information protected and usable
Location, contact and emergency information can be sensitive clinical data. Store it only in the authorized record with appropriate access, retention, and correction controls. Do not put it in the patient link, page analytics, browser URL, or a general support ticket.
The printable planner below runs entirely in the current browser page and does not submit or save entries. It is a drafting aid, not the authoritative record; transfer or print information only within the practice's approved workflow.
Test, date, and review the plan
A plan is only useful if both participants understand it and the listed channels work. Test the patient link, backup call, BLS pause, device permissions, and reconnection without using real clinical content. Review the plan when location, contact, jurisdiction, platform, or circumstances change.
EMDRSuite provides a visible patient pause control, therapist stop controls, private links and reconnection state. These technical features support the plan but do not replace local emergency resources, informed consent, assessment, or professional action.
Private browser-only planning aid
Printable remote EMDR continuity plan
Draft the practice-specific response to disconnection or emergency, then print or transfer it only into your authorized record.
No submission · no server storage · no autosave · reload or close to clear
This page may contain sensitive information while you type. Use a private device and your approved documentation workflow.
Planning aid for appropriately qualified professionals. Adapt it to applicable law, licensure, employer policy, consent, emergency procedures, and clinical judgment.
FAQ
remote EMDR contingency plan
What should a remote EMDR contingency plan include?
At minimum, consider current location, local resources, authorized contacts, a backup communication channel, disconnection steps, immediate BLS stop, documentation, and review requirements applicable to the practice.
Does the printable planner save patient information?
No. Entries remain in the current page and are not submitted or autosaved. Closing or reloading clears them.
Should therapy resume as soon as video reconnects?
Not automatically. The therapist re-establishes contact and decides what is appropriate under the clinical and contingency plan.
Does EMDRSuite replace an emergency plan?
No. It supplies technical controls and communication features; the professional remains responsible for the applicable plan and response.
References
Remote EMDR contingency plan: location, disconnection, safety, and BLS pause
EMDRSuite
Put the guide into practice with EMDRSuite
Run remote EMDR with visual BLS, bilateral sounds, secure patient links, video-ready sessions, saved settings, and notes.
Continue with related EMDR guides