What to Expect in Your First EMDR Sessions
If you’re curious about EMDR but not sure what the first session looks like, you’re not alone. Many people come to me feeling both hopeful and nervous. They’ve heard EMDR can be powerful, but they wonder: What actually happens in a session?
From my perspective, EMDR has three parts. Each one is important, and together they help create a safe and effective healing process:
1. History Taking
We’ll start by getting to know your story — not just your adult life, but also important parts of your childhood history. This helps me understand the experiences that shaped you, where your symptoms may be coming from, and how EMDR can best help.
2. Building Resources and Coping Skills
Before we move into the deeper work, I’ll teach you strategies to help you feel grounded and safe. These could be calming techniques, imagery, or ways to handle strong emotions between sessions. Safety and stability always come first in EMDR — I never rush this part, because it’s the foundation for healing.
3. Reprocessing (the “classic” EMDR step)
When most people think of EMDR, they think of this stage: bringing up a disturbing memory (or part of one) while using bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping). The goal is to help your brain reprocess moments that have been stuck, so they no longer carry the same charge or disruption in your daily life.
How Soon Will I Start Reprocessing?
This depends on you. Some clients are able to begin reprocessing within a few weeks, especially if they choose intensive sessions. Others may need several months of stabilization before they’re ready. Occasionally (though less often), it can take longer.
My commitment is to move at your pace. My number one priority is that you feel safe, supported, and resourced before starting reprocessing. Based on your history and symptoms, I’ll share my best clinical sense of your timeline early on, so you know what to expect.
Common Questions
“Will I be talking during EMDR, or is it just eye movements?”
Before reprocessing, there’s always an element of checking in about your week, review symptoms, and talk about anything important that’s come up. Then, when we move into reprocessing, you’ll share brief snapshots of what you notice as your brain makes connections — but you won’t need to retell your whole trauma story. You actually don’t have to share any detail of your trauma for EMDR to work.
“What if I feel overwhelmed?”
That’s a very normal concern. I pace sessions carefully and check in with you often. If something feels too intense, we pause and use coping tools. You’ll never be “stuck” in a memory — before we close session, we will have already established ways to ground and bring you back to safety.
“How is this different from talk therapy?”
Talk therapy can be very helpful, especially for insight and coping; for some folks, it’s sufficient and just what they need. For others, EMDR goes a step further by helping your brain reprocess the memories themselves — so the triggers lose their power and symptoms start to resolve.
A Final Word
Starting something new, especially therapy, takes courage and vulnerability. My goal is to make your first EMDR session as safe, clear, and supportive as possible. If you’ve tried talk therapy and still feel stuck, EMDR may be the next step toward the healing you’ve been longing for.
If you’re curious whether EMDR is the right fit for you, I’d be honored to talk with you.
