Should You Reschedule EMDR if You Are Sick?

Should You Reschedule EMDR if You Are Sick?

Short Answer: Not automatically. If you are sick before an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) session, the main question is whether you feel well enough to focus, stay present, and participate. Mild symptoms may not interfere much, while feeling very tired, uncomfortable, foggy, or unable to concentrate may make active processing less useful that day. For therapist-guided EMDR, tell your therapist how you are feeling and consider whether the session should continue as planned, shift toward preparation or discussion, move online if appropriate, or be rescheduled. With self-guided EMDR, you can make the same practical check before deciding whether to begin.

Key Takeaways

• Being sick does not automatically mean you need to cancel EMDR.
• The important question is whether your symptoms are interfering with concentration, comfort, or your ability to stay present.
• Tell your therapist if you are not feeling well before active processing begins.
• A session can sometimes focus on preparation, grounding, or planning instead of reprocessing.
• If you are too uncomfortable or mentally foggy to participate well, another time may be more useful.
• For an in-person appointment, follow the provider's illness and attendance policies.
• If therapist-guided online EMDR is available, it may sometimes provide another option.
• With self-guided EMDR, you can choose a time when you feel physically comfortable and focused enough to participate.

Does Being Sick Mean You Cannot Do EMDR?

No.

Feeling physically unwell does not automatically mean EMDR has to be cancelled.

People use the word sick to describe many different experiences.

You might have mild symptoms and otherwise feel completely alert.

Or you might feel:

• Exhausted
• Achy
• Uncomfortable
• Distracted
• Mentally foggy
• Unable to concentrate

Those situations are different.

The more useful question is not simply:

“Am I sick?”

It is:

“Can I participate effectively in this session right now?”

EMDR preparation includes considering a person's current needs, readiness, and ability to remain engaged with the process.

Check How You Are Functioning

Before deciding whether to continue, take a moment to notice how the illness is affecting you.

Ask yourself:

• Can I follow a conversation?
• Can I stay focused for more than a few moments?
• Can I notice my thoughts, emotions, and body sensations?
• Can I stay aware of the room around me?
• Can I communicate if I need to pause?
• Do I feel comfortable enough to sit through the session?
• Am I likely to spend most of the session thinking about how physically uncomfortable I feel?

These questions can give you more useful information than the diagnosis or label itself.

Mild Symptoms May Not Change the Session Much

Sometimes you may feel slightly under the weather but otherwise function normally.

You may still be able to:

• Focus
• Think clearly
• Stay present
• Follow the EMDR process
• Communicate normally
• Work with the planned target

In that case, being mildly sick may not require changing the session.

You do not need to feel physically perfect before every EMDR appointment.

The question is whether the illness is actually interfering with the kind of attention the session requires.

Tell Your Therapist Before Processing Starts

If you are doing therapist-guided EMDR, let the therapist know that you are not feeling well.

You might say:

“I am a little sick today, but I think I can still focus.”

or:

“I am not feeling well and my concentration is worse than usual.”

or:

“I would like to see how I feel before we decide whether to do processing.”

This gives the therapist useful information for deciding how to structure the appointment.

EMDR is collaborative, and preparation specifically includes discussing the person's current needs and adjusting the treatment plan as necessary.

If you are also experiencing anxiety about attending while unwell, share that concern with your therapist.

Illness Can Affect Attention More Than Emotion

When deciding whether to process, the most important issue may not be how emotional you feel.

It may simply be concentration.

EMDR asks you to pay attention to a target while also noticing thoughts, feelings, images, physical sensations, and bilateral stimulation.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs describes EMDR as focusing on an upsetting memory while also paying attention to alternating movement or sound.

If illness makes it very difficult to follow that process, the session may be less workable.

Physical Discomfort Can Be Distracting

A mild headache, stuffy nose, cough, body aches, or general discomfort may not prevent participation.

But if physical symptoms dominate your attention, you may find yourself thinking mostly about how uncomfortable you feel rather than the target.

You might notice:

“I can technically do the session, but I am mostly focused on feeling sick.”

That can be a practical reason to change the plan.

You do not have to force yourself through active processing simply because the appointment is already scheduled.

Mental Fog Can Matter Too

Some illnesses make concentration more difficult.

You may notice that you:

• Lose track of the conversation
• Forget what was just asked
• Have trouble following instructions
• Struggle to notice internal changes
• Feel mentally slowed down

If that is happening, it may make sense to wait until your attention is clearer before doing active reprocessing.

That is a question of timing and participation—not a statement that EMDR itself is unsafe.

The project's editorial standards specifically require that distinction.

You Do Not Have to Choose Between Processing and Cancelling

If you attend the appointment but do not feel up to reprocessing, the session may still be useful.

EMDR includes more than active memory processing.

You might spend the appointment on:

• Preparation
• Grounding
• Reviewing coping strategies
• Discussing recent changes
• Clarifying future targets
• Reevaluating previous work
• Talking about questions or concerns
• Planning the next processing session

The standard EMDR model includes preparation before reprocessing, and some people benefit from more preparation depending on their current needs.

A session does not have to include active processing to count as useful work.

What If You Start the Session and Then Feel Worse?

You can change the plan.

You might begin the appointment thinking you are well enough to process and then realize that concentrating is harder than expected.

You can say:

“I am having more trouble focusing than I thought.”

or:

“I think I would rather stop processing today.”

That information can guide what happens next.

You can pause, return to grounding, shift toward discussion or preparation, or finish the session without continuing the target.

Readiness is not something you decide once and then have to stick with no matter what.

What If You Feel Better Once the Session Starts?

That can happen too.

You may initially feel tired or uncomfortable, but after sitting down, getting settled, and focusing on the session, you may find that your concentration is fine.

That is why a practical readiness check can be more useful than automatically cancelling the moment you notice mild symptoms.

The question is how well you can engage once the session begins.

Should You Reschedule if You Have Very Little Energy?

Possibly.

If you feel so physically depleted that staying engaged is difficult, another time may be more productive.

For example, rescheduling may make sense if you cannot comfortably:

• Sit through the appointment
• Follow the conversation
• Stay awake
• Maintain attention
• Engage with the target

Again, this is not because EMDR becomes inherently unsafe when you are ill.

It is because focused psychological work generally works better when you can participate.

What About In-Person EMDR?

If you have an in-person appointment, there is another practical issue: the provider or clinic may have its own illness policy.

If you have symptoms that could affect other people in the office, contact the provider before arriving and follow their attendance guidance.

That decision is separate from whether you are personally capable of doing EMDR.

You may feel mentally focused enough for the session but still need to avoid an in-person appointment because of the clinic's policy.

In some cases, therapist-guided online EMDR may be an available alternative.

What About Therapist-Guided Online EMDR?

Online EMDR can remove some of the practical demands of travelling to an appointment when you are not feeling well.

But you should still ask whether you feel well enough to participate.

Consider:

• Can I focus?
• Can I sit comfortably?
• Can I stay present?
• Am I likely to need frequent breaks?
• Is my physical discomfort going to dominate my attention?

Online EMDR still requires adequate attention and engagement.

EMDRIA guidance for online work recommends assessing readiness before reprocessing and reviewing grounding and preparation.

Is It Okay to Rest Instead?

Yes.

Sometimes the most practical conclusion is:

“I could probably push through this, but resting would make more sense today.”

That does not represent failure or lack of commitment to EMDR.

Treatment planning can adapt to current circumstances.

A single rescheduled session does not determine the overall course of treatment.

What If You Have Been Sick for Several Days?

The same basic principle applies.

Ask how you are functioning now.

If you are recovering and can focus normally, the session may still be workable.

If you are still physically depleted or mentally foggy, you may prefer to delay active processing until concentration improves.

There is no need to create a universal rule such as:

“Never do EMDR while sick.”

Different illnesses and different days can affect people differently.

Does Illness Mean You Are No Longer “Ready” for EMDR?

Not necessarily.

Readiness is not a permanent label.

You may generally be ready for EMDR while having a particular day when processing is less workable.

EMDRIA members describe readiness using functional markers such as maintaining present orientation, using regulation strategies, and being able to participate actively.

So a more accurate conclusion might be:

“I am ready for EMDR overall, but today may not be the best day for active reprocessing.”

What About Self-Guided EMDR?

With Virtual EMDR, the timing decision is especially flexible because the program is self-guided.

Virtual EMDR users decide when to do a session, manage their own pacing and breaks, and adjust the available visual or audio bilateral stimulation settings.

If you are sick, you can check:

• Can I concentrate right now?
• Do I feel physically comfortable enough to sit through the process?
• Can I notice what comes up without repeatedly losing focus?
• Can I stay connected to the present?
• Do I have enough energy to participate?
• Would resting first make the session more workable?
• Would tomorrow be a better time?

If you are mildly unwell but focused, you may still decide to proceed.

If you feel too sick to concentrate, you can simply choose another time.

That is one of the practical differences of a self-guided format: you control the timing yourself.

Conclusion

Being sick does not automatically mean you should reschedule EMDR.

The more useful question is:

“Do I feel well enough to focus and participate?”

If you have mild symptoms and can think clearly, stay present, communicate, and engage with the target, the session may still be workable.

If illness leaves you exhausted, uncomfortable, mentally foggy, or unable to concentrate, you may get more from the session by changing the plan or choosing another time.

For therapist-guided EMDR, tell your therapist what is going on and follow any illness policies for in-person appointments.

For self-guided EMDR, you can choose the timing yourself.

The simplest rule is:

Do not reschedule automatically just because you are sick. Reschedule or adjust the session when the illness is making focused participation difficult.