Should You Do EMDR During a Major Crisis?

Should You Do EMDR During a Major Crisis?

Short Answer: It depends on what you mean by a “major crisis.” If you are going through a difficult life event—such as a breakup, job loss, family conflict, financial problem, or other major stress—you do not automatically need to stop Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). You may still choose to use EMDR if you have the time and attention for it. If you are dealing with an immediate emergency that requires your full attention, however, it usually makes sense to handle the immediate situation first and return to EMDR later.

Key Takeaways

• A major stressful life event does not automatically mean you need to stop EMDR.
• The word “crisis” can describe many different situations, so the circumstances matter.
• If something requires immediate practical action, that may simply not be the best time for an EMDR session.
• During a difficult period, you can shorten sessions, choose something more manageable to work on, or take a break.
• EMDR does not need to become another obligation during an already difficult time.
• With self-guided EMDR, you can decide when to start, pause, stop, or return.

What Do We Mean by a “Major Crisis”?

People use the word “crisis” in many different ways.

You might be going through:

• A breakup or divorce
• A job loss
• Serious financial stress
• A major family conflict
• An unexpected move
• A difficult situation at work
• A sudden change in your life
• Another event that is taking up much of your attention

These can be extremely stressful experiences.

But going through a difficult period does not automatically mean that EMDR is inappropriate.

There is also a difference between a major stressful life event and an immediate emergency.

If something is happening right now that requires your full attention—whether that means dealing with an urgent practical problem, getting yourself somewhere safe, or getting immediate help—then dealing with that situation comes first.

EMDR can wait.

You Do Not Need a Perfectly Calm Life to Use EMDR

EMDR is not something that can only be used when everything else in your life is going well.

Real life rarely works that way.

People experience relationship problems, work stress, financial pressure, family difficulties, grief, uncertainty, and unexpected changes.

You do not necessarily need to put EMDR on hold whenever life becomes difficult.

A more useful question may be:

“Do I want to do an EMDR session right now, and do I have enough time and attention for it?”

If the answer is yes, you may decide to continue.

If the answer is no, you can wait.

Sometimes the Immediate Problem Simply Comes First

Imagine that you have just lost your job and need to make several important calls.

Or you are in the middle of moving unexpectedly.

Or a family situation needs your attention right now.

You might technically have time to start an EMDR session, but that does not necessarily mean it is the best use of your attention at that moment.

Sometimes practical problems need practical action first.

You can deal with what needs to be handled and return to EMDR when you have more space for it.

That is a timing decision, not a sign that EMDR itself is a problem.

What If the Crisis Is What You Want to Work On?

Sometimes the difficult situation happening in your life is exactly what you want to address.

Perhaps a breakup has brought up an older painful memory.

Maybe a conflict has triggered a negative belief about yourself.

Or perhaps a current situation keeps bringing up an upsetting thought, feeling, or memory.

In that case, you may decide to make it the focus of your EMDR work.

You do not necessarily have to wait until an event is completely over before working with the thoughts, feelings, or memories connected to it.

The important point is that you decide whether it feels like something you want to work on at that time.

You Can Choose Something More Manageable

Going through a major life problem does not mean that every EMDR session needs to focus on the most difficult thing happening in your life.

You have choices.

You may prefer to work on:

• One particular part of the situation
• A specific memory connected with it
• A negative thought that keeps coming up
• A less difficult issue
• Something completely unrelated that you had already planned to address

You do not have to tackle everything at once.

Breaking something larger into a more manageable focus can make the session feel more practical.

You Can Also Do Less EMDR for a While

During some periods, you may want to continue EMDR but do less of it.

That might mean:

• Shorter sessions
• More time between sessions
• Choosing easier subjects
• Taking occasional breaks
• Waiting until you have more uninterrupted time

There is no need to make the decision all-or-nothing.

You do not have to choose between maintaining your usual EMDR schedule and stopping completely.

You can adjust.

Don't Make EMDR Another Crisis Task

When life becomes difficult, people can end up with a long mental list of things they believe they have to accomplish.

EMDR does not need to become another one.

If you catch yourself thinking:

“Everything is falling apart, but I still have to get my EMDR session done,”

you can remove that pressure.

You can do a session if you want to.

You can make it shorter.

You can wait.

You can come back when you have more time.

The purpose of EMDR is not to give you another deadline during an already demanding period.

What If You Start a Session and Change Your Mind?

You can stop.

Sometimes you may think you are ready for a session and then realize that your attention is somewhere else.

Maybe you keep thinking about something you need to do.

Maybe you are being interrupted.

Maybe you simply decide that today is not the right time.

That is enough reason to pause.

Starting an EMDR session does not obligate you to finish it.

With a self-guided approach, you can return when you want to.

A Major Crisis Does Not Automatically Mean EMDR Is Too Intense

It is important not to assume that going through a difficult period automatically makes EMDR unusually intense.

Your experience may vary.

You may find that an EMDR session feels much like your other sessions.

You may find that you have more emotion than usual.

Or you may simply have difficulty concentrating because your mind is occupied with everything else happening.

There is no single reaction you are supposed to have.

Your circumstances can help you decide what pace makes sense for you.

Using Virtual EMDR During a Difficult Period

Virtual EMDR is a structured, self-guided online EMDR program, which means you control when you use it and how you pace your sessions.

That flexibility can be useful when life is unpredictable.

If you have time and want to do a session, you can.

If something more urgent comes up, you can wait.

If you start a session and realize that you do not want to continue, you can pause or stop.

And if the issue you originally planned to work on feels like too much for that particular day, you can choose something different.

The goal is not to fit EMDR into a crisis at all costs. It is to have the flexibility to use it when it makes sense for you.

When Does It Make Sense to Wait?

Sometimes waiting is the obvious choice.

You may want to postpone a session if:

• You are dealing with an immediate emergency.
• Something requires your full attention right now.
• You do not have enough uninterrupted time.
• You are too distracted to follow the exercise.
• You simply do not want to work on something emotional today.

None of these means you have to stop EMDR permanently.

Sometimes the answer is simply:

“Not right now.”

You can return when the situation has settled enough that you want to focus on a session again.

Conclusion

Whether you want to use EMDR during a major crisis depends largely on what is happening and what needs your attention.

A difficult life event does not automatically mean you need to stop EMDR. You may decide to continue normally, shorten your sessions, choose something more manageable to work on, or take a temporary break.

If you are dealing with an immediate emergency, handle the immediate situation first. EMDR can wait.

With Virtual EMDR and other self-guided approaches, you have control over the timing. You can use EMDR when it fits, pause when something else needs your attention, and return when you are ready.