How to Prepare for an EMDR Session

How to Prepare for an EMDR Session

Short Answer: Preparing for an EMDR session can be simple. In many cases, the main things to think about are minimizing distractions where possible, making sure you are not rushed, and having a general idea of what you may want to work on. You do not need to analyze your memories beforehand, rehearse what you are going to say, complete special mental exercises, or put yourself into a particular state of mind before you begin.

Key Takeaways

• Preparing for EMDR is usually practical and straightforward
• Minimize distractions or interruptions where possible
• Give yourself enough time so you do not feel rushed
• Having a general idea of what you want to work on can make it easier to get started
• You do not need to analyze the memory beforehand or prepare yourself emotionally

Practical Steps Before an EMDR Session

You do not need an elaborate routine before EMDR. For most people, preparation is mainly about making it easier to focus on the session and knowing roughly what they want to address.

Minimize Distractions Where Possible

Before an EMDR session, it can help to reduce distractions or interruptions where you have control over them.

If you are attending a session with a therapist, there may be very little you need to do beyond arriving ready to give the session your attention. If you are doing EMDR remotely or using a self-guided program, you may have more control over your surroundings and can choose a place where you are less likely to be interrupted.

The environment does not need to be perfect. The goal is simply to make it easier to focus during the session.

Give Yourself Enough Time

If you are attending EMDR with a therapist, your session time will usually already be scheduled. When possible, it may help to avoid planning something immediately afterward that would make you feel rushed.

With self-guided EMDR, you have more flexibility. You can choose a time when you do not feel pressured to finish by a particular minute and can move through the session at a comfortable pace. You can also pause or stop whenever you choose.

Have a General Idea of What You Want to Work On

Before starting, it can help to have a general idea of the memory, situation, thought, feeling, or concern you want to focus on.

You do not need to have everything figured out beforehand. You might already have a specific memory in mind, or you might simply know that you want to work on something connected with anxiety, stress, or another issue that has been bothering you.

You do not need to choose the “right” topic before you begin. If several things are on your mind, simply choosing one reasonable starting point can be enough. You can see where the session takes you rather than trying to plan the entire process in advance. The session itself can help you narrow your focus.

Know What to Expect From the Session

You do not need to understand every part of EMDR before your session, but having a basic idea of what will happen can make preparation simpler.

EMDR is different from simply talking through an experience from beginning to end. During EMDR, you typically focus on a memory, thought, feeling, body sensation, or related experience while bilateral stimulation is used.

That means you do not need to prepare a detailed story or rehearse what you are going to say beforehand.

If you are doing EMDR with a therapist, they will guide you through the process. If you are using a structured self-guided program, the program guides you through the steps instead.

Your main preparation is simply to begin with a general sense of what you may want to work on.

What You Don't Need to Do Before EMDR

Sometimes preparing for something important can make it seem as though there must be a long list of things you need to do first. With EMDR, there usually is not.

You Don't Need to Analyze the Memory in Advance

You do not need to create a detailed timeline, write down everything that happened, or try to remember every detail of an experience before beginning.

A general idea of what you want to work on is enough to get started.

You Don't Need to Feel Completely Calm

There is no particular emotional state you have to reach before beginning an EMDR session.

You might feel relaxed, nervous, distracted, curious, or somewhere in between. You do not have to make yourself feel a certain way before you start.

You Don't Need Special Mental Exercises

You do not need to complete a complicated preparation ritual before every EMDR session.

For most sessions, practical preparation is enough: reduce interruptions where possible, give the session your attention, and have a general idea of what you may want to work on.

What If You're Not Sure What to Work On?

You do not necessarily need to arrive with one perfectly defined memory.

Sometimes you may know exactly what you want to address. Other times, you may simply have a situation, feeling, belief, or recurring thought that has been bothering you.

Start with what you know. You can narrow the focus as you move through the session rather than trying to figure everything out beforehand.

You Don't Have to Start With Your Most Difficult Memory

Preparing for EMDR does not mean you need to identify the most difficult experience you have ever had and start there.

You may already know exactly what you want to work on, but your focus can also be something more specific, such as a particular situation, memory, thought, feeling, or belief that continues to bother you.

If you are working with a therapist, you can discuss what makes sense to focus on. With self-guided EMDR, you can choose what you want to address and change your focus if something else feels more appropriate.

The important thing is not finding the perfect memory before the session. Having a reasonable starting point is enough.

Do You Need to Bring Anything to an EMDR Session?

For an in-person EMDR session, you generally do not need to bring anything special unless your therapist has asked you to. Comfortable everyday clothing is fine, and there is no special equipment you need to bring.

If your session is online, make sure the device you are using is ready and that you can see and hear the session comfortably.

For self-guided EMDR, preparation is similarly simple. Have your device ready, reduce interruptions where possible, and choose a time when you can focus without feeling rushed.

Do You Need to Prepare Differently for Online EMDR?

Preparation can be slightly different depending on whether your EMDR session is in person, conducted remotely with a therapist, or self-guided.

For an in-person session with a therapist, much of the practical setup is already taken care of. Your appointment has a scheduled time and place, so there may be very little you need to arrange beforehand.

If you are meeting with a therapist by video, you have more control over the environment. Finding a reasonably private place, reducing interruptions where possible, and making sure your device and internet connection are ready can help you focus on the session.

With self-guided EMDR, you have even more flexibility over when and where you begin. You can choose a time and setting that work for you and start when you are ready.

None of these formats requires elaborate preparation. The practical details simply differ depending on how you are doing EMDR.

What If You Feel Nervous Before Your First EMDR Session?

If you feel a little nervous or uncertain before your first session, you do not need to eliminate that feeling before you begin.

Trying something unfamiliar can naturally come with questions about what the experience will be like. You do not need to reach a perfectly calm or relaxed state before starting EMDR.

It can be enough to understand the basic structure of the session. If you are working with a therapist, you can ask questions as needed. With self-guided EMDR, you can pause or stop whenever you choose.

A Simple EMDR Preparation Checklist

• Know when your session is taking place
• Minimize interruptions where that is within your control
• Have a general idea of what you might want to work on
• Do not worry about remembering every detail
• Do not try to force yourself into a particular emotional state

Conclusion

For therapist-led EMDR, much of the timing and setting may already be arranged for you. Your main preparation may simply be arriving ready to focus and having a general idea of what you want to work on.

For online or self-guided EMDR, you may have more control over practical details such as interruptions, timing, and your surroundings.

You do not need to analyze your memories beforehand, complete special exercises, or put yourself into a particular emotional state before you begin.

With Virtual EMDR, you can prepare and begin at your own pace and remain in control throughout the process.