What Happens at the End of an EMDR Session

What Happens at the End of an EMDR Session?

Short Answer: At the end of an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) session, you stop the active processing, notice how you are feeling, and bring the session to a clear stopping point. In the standard eight-phase EMDR process, this is called closure. If you finished processing the target, you may simply review where things stand and end the session. If the target still feels unfinished, that is okay too—you can stop and return to it another time. EMDR does not require every target to be completely processed in a single session.

Key Takeaways

• The end of an EMDR session is commonly called the closure phase.
• Closure is Phase 7 of the standard eight-phase EMDR process.
• You do not have to completely finish processing a target before ending a session.
• You may briefly notice your current thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations before finishing.
• If useful, you can use a settling or grounding technique you learned earlier in the EMDR process.
• An unfinished target can be continued during another session.
• In self-guided EMDR, you control when the session ends and can return to the target later.

Where Does Closure Fit Into EMDR?

EMDR is commonly described as an eight-phase process:

1. History Taking and Treatment Planning
2. Preparation
3. Assessment
4. Desensitization
5. Installation
6. Body Scan
7. Closure
8. Reevaluation

Closure is Phase 7.

It provides a clear ending to the work you have done during that session.

The next phase, reevaluation, involves checking the target again later to see how it feels and deciding what, if anything, you want to work on next.

Do You Have to Finish Processing the Memory Before the Session Ends?

No.

One of the most useful things to understand about EMDR is that a target does not necessarily have to be completed in one session.

Sometimes you may reach a point where the target feels much less distressing, a positive belief feels stronger, and the body scan does not bring up anything significant.

At other times, you may simply reach the point where you want or need to stop for the day.

In that case, you can end the session and return to the target later.

Stopping does not erase the work you have already done.

What If the Target Has Been Fully Processed?

If the target has reached a natural stopping point, the end of the session may be fairly straightforward.

You may have already moved through desensitization, installation, and the body scan.

You can then briefly notice how the target feels now compared with how it felt earlier in the session.

The memory itself does not disappear. Instead, you may notice that thinking about it feels different or that the beliefs, emotions, or physical sensations connected with it have changed.

You can then move into closure and finish the session.

What If the Target Still Feels Unfinished?

That can happen.

EMDR processing does not always fit neatly into the amount of time available for a particular session.

You might still have thoughts, emotions, memories, or physical sensations that you want to work with further.

You do not need to keep going simply because the target is unfinished.

Instead, you can note where you are in the process, bring the session to a close, and return to the target another time.

This is especially relevant with self-guided EMDR, where you decide how long you want your session to be.

What Happens During Closure?

Closure can vary depending on where you are in the EMDR process when the session ends.

Generally, you stop the active bilateral stimulation and shift your attention away from processing the target.

You may then:

• Notice how you feel now
• Bring your attention back to your present surroundings
• Take a moment to settle before finishing
• Use a technique from the preparation phase if you find it helpful
• Make a brief note of anything you want to remember for your next session

Closure does not need to be complicated.

The basic purpose is simply to transition from active EMDR processing to the end of the session.

Do You Need to Feel Completely Calm Before Ending?

No.

You do not have to reach a perfect emotional state before an EMDR session can end.

You may feel calm or relaxed.

You may feel thoughtful.

You may still notice some emotion connected with what you were working on.

Or you may simply feel fairly normal.

There is no single way you are supposed to feel when a session ends.

Closure is about ending the session in a deliberate way, not achieving a particular feeling before you are allowed to stop.

Can You Use a Calm-Place or Grounding Exercise?

Yes, if you find one helpful.

During the preparation phase of EMDR, you may learn techniques for settling your attention or shifting your focus back to the present.

For example, you might:

• Notice your surroundings
• Take a few slow, comfortable breaths
• Focus on a calm or comfortable image
• Notice your feet on the floor or your body in the chair
• Shift your attention to something neutral in the room

These techniques are options, not requirements.

You do not need to perform a particular exercise every time you finish EMDR if you do not find it useful.

What Should You Notice Before Finishing?

A brief check-in can help you recognize where you are at the end of the session.

You might notice:

• How the original target feels now
• What emotion is most noticeable
• Whether any particular thought is standing out
• How your body feels
• Whether another memory or issue came up that you may want to work on later

You do not have to analyze all of these things.

A simple check-in is enough.

Can New Thoughts or Memories Come Up Near the End?

They can.

EMDR processing can sometimes bring related thoughts, memories, or ideas to mind.

If something new appears near the end of the session, you do not necessarily have to start processing it immediately.

You can simply notice it.

If it continues to seem important, you may choose to make it a focus in another session.

This can be particularly useful when one memory appears to connect with several other experiences.

Should You Write Down What Came Up?

You can, but you do not have to.

Some people find it useful to make a short note after an EMDR session, especially if another memory, thought, or possible future target came up.

The note can be very simple.

For example:

• “Work memory came up.”
• “Still want to work on the argument.”
• “Target feels different now.”
• “Another memory from school came to mind.”

You do not need to write a detailed account of the entire session.

The purpose is simply to remember anything you want to return to later.

How Might You Feel After an EMDR Session?

There is no single post-session reaction.

You might feel:

• About the same as before
• More relaxed
• Thoughtful
• Tired
• Emotionally lighter
• A little more aware of the memory you were working on

Some people notice very little after a session.

Others may continue thinking about something that came up during processing.

Neither response tells you by itself how effective the session was.

People respond differently, and your experience can also vary from one session to another.

People working through stress may also notice that their emotional or physical reactions vary from one session to another.

Can Processing Continue After the Session?

You may continue to notice thoughts, memories, dreams, emotions, or new perspectives related to what you worked on after the session has ended.

You do not need to deliberately keep processing the target.

If something seems worth remembering, you can make a note of it and decide whether you want to return to it in another session.

You may also notice nothing in particular between sessions.

There is no requirement for additional experiences to occur after EMDR.

What Happens at the Beginning of the Next Session?

The next time you return to EMDR, you can check how the previous target feels now.

This is part of Phase 8: Reevaluation.

You may notice that the target still feels about the same as it did at the end of the previous session.

It may feel less noticeable.

Or you may realize there is another part of the experience you want to work on.

That check-in helps determine whether you want to continue with the same target or move to something else.

Ending a Therapist-Guided EMDR Session

In therapist-guided EMDR, the therapist helps bring the session to a close.

If processing is complete, the therapist may review where the target stands and finish the session.

If the target is unfinished, the therapist may guide you through the closure process and make note of where to continue later.

The therapist may also ask what you noticed during the session or discuss anything you may want to remember before the next appointment.

Ending a Self-Guided EMDR Session

In self-guided EMDR, you manage the ending yourself.

You decide when you want to stop processing, complete the program's closing steps, and notice how you are feeling before finishing.

If the target is unfinished, you can return to it in another session.

Because you control the pacing, you do not need to continue simply to reach a particular point in the processing.

The session can end when you decide you have done enough for that time.

How Session Closure Works With Virtual EMDR

Virtual EMDR is a structured, self-guided online EMDR program.

At the end of a Virtual EMDR session, the program guides you through the closing portion of the process rather than having a therapist do so in real time.

You can notice where you are with the target and bring the session to an end.

If you want to continue working on the same target later, you can return to it in another session.

This preserves one of the important features of self-guided EMDR: you manage your own pacing and decide when to pause or finish.

Conclusion

The end of an EMDR session is a transition from active processing back to your regular activities.

You stop the processing, briefly notice where you are with the target, and bring the session to a clear stopping point. You may use a settling technique if you find one helpful, but you do not need to achieve a particular emotional state before finishing.

Most importantly, you do not have to completely process a target in one session.

Whether EMDR is therapist-guided or done through a structured self-guided program such as Virtual EMDR, you can stop at an appropriate point and return to unfinished work another time.