A Step-by-Step Look at What Happens Throughout an EMDR Session

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a structured approach used to help individuals recover from traumatic experiences, nervousness, panic attacks, and different distressing memories. Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro within the late Nineteen Eighties, EMDR has grow to be a widely acknowledged methodology for treating trauma-associated conditions comparable to submit-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD). Should you’ve ever wondered what an EMDR session actually entails, this guide takes you through each phase so that you know precisely what to expect.

1. The Initial Consultation and Preparation

The EMDR process begins with an assessment session the place your therapist gathers information about your history, present challenges, and goals for therapy. This section helps the therapist determine whether EMDR is appropriate for you.

Throughout this stage, you’ll additionally talk about any past traumatic events, emotional triggers, and symptoms you need to address. The therapist will explain how EMDR works and reply questions to make sure you feel comfortable and informed.

Preparation also contains learning self-soothing methods—similar to breathing exercises, visualization, or grounding methods—that make it easier to keep calm throughout or after a session. These tools are essential for maintaining emotional balance throughout the treatment process.

2. Figuring out Goal Memories

Once you and your therapist are ready to begin, the subsequent step is to identify the specific memories that will be processed. These may embrace traumatic experiences, distressing thoughts, or painful emotions that proceed to have an effect on your every day life.

Each target memory is analyzed in terms of three parts:

The image that represents the worst part of the memory

The negative belief about your self related to that occasion

The physical sensations or emotions you feel when recalling it

You’ll additionally create a positive perception to replace the negative one—corresponding to transforming “I am energyless” into “I’m in control now.”

3. Desensitization: The Eye Movement Process

This is the core of EMDR therapy. Throughout desensitization, the therapist asks you to give attention to the chosen memory while simultaneously guiding your eye movements from side to side. This is usually executed by following the therapist’s fingers, a moving light, or rhythmic sounds.

These bilateral stimulations are thought to assist the brain reprocess the memory, reducing its emotional intensity. As the session continues, you might discover the memory becoming less vivid or distressing. Some clients expertise new insights or connections as their brain integrates the expertise in a healthier way.

4. Set up of Positive Beliefs

Once the misery around the target memory decreases, the therapist helps you strengthen the positive belief you created earlier. You’ll focus on that perception—resembling “I’m safe now” or “I’m sturdy”—while continuing the eye movement stimulation.

This step helps reinforce a more adaptive way of thinking and builds emotional resilience. The goal is for the positive belief to feel true on each a cognitive and emotional level.

5. Body Scan

After the positive perception is put in, your therapist will guide you through a body scan. You’ll mentally check for any lingering physical stress or discomfort related to the memory. If you happen to still feel any unease, additional processing might take place until your body feels calm and relaxed.

This step ensures that the healing shouldn’t be just mental but additionally physical, serving to you achieve a sense of complete relief.

6. Closure and Reflection

Each EMDR session ends with a closure phase. Your therapist ensures you leave the session feeling stable and grounded, even if the processing isn’t fully complete. Chances are you’ll be asked to use the comfort methods discovered earlier if any residual distress arises.

You’ll also talk about what you observed through the session—reminiscent of emotions, images, or ideas that surfaced—and how you’re feeling afterward. It’s frequent for processing to proceed between sessions, so journaling or reflection will help track your progress.

7. Reevaluation

At the start of your next session, your therapist will check how you’re feeling and evaluate the progress made. If the target memory still causes misery, additional processing will occur. If not, you’ll move on to new targets. This ongoing analysis helps be certain that all points of trauma are effectively addressed over time.

EMDR therapy is a robust tool for healing emotional wounds and restoring mental balance. By following this structured, proof-based process, individuals typically discover relief from painful reminiscences and begin to rebuild their sense of safety, confidence, and well-being.

With a trained EMDR therapist, recovery becomes not just doable—however really transformative.