What Should You Tell Your Therapist After an EMDR Session?

What Should You Tell Your Therapist After an EMDR Session?

Short Answer: Tell your therapist what you noticed during and after the EMDR session. This can include whether the memory feels different, whether your emotions or body sensations changed, whether new thoughts or memories came up, and whether anything stood out between sessions. You can also tell them if nothing changed, if you are unsure what happened, or if there is something you want to revisit next time. You do not need to remember every detail or interpret the experience before talking about it.

The most useful update is usually simple. Describe what changed, what stayed the same, and anything that feels relevant to the work you are doing together.

Key Takeaways

• Tell your therapist what you noticed rather than trying to decide what your experience was supposed to mean.
• Changes in a memory, emotion, belief, or body sensation can all be useful to mention.
• You can share thoughts, memories, dreams, questions, or observations that came up between sessions if they seem relevant.
• It is also useful to say when nothing in particular stood out or when you are unsure what changed.
• You do not need to remember or explain every detail of the session.

What Is Most Useful to Share After EMDR?

The most useful information is usually what you actually noticed during the session and afterward. You do not need to explain why it happened or decide whether it was important before you mention it.

For example, you might tell your therapist that a memory feels less vivid, an emotion feels different, a particular thought kept coming up, or a belief about yourself shifted. You might also notice that the target feels mostly the same. All of these observations give your therapist information about where the work stands.

Try to describe your experience in your own words. A simple description is often more useful than trying to give the answer you think your therapist expects.

Should You Tell Your Therapist How the Target Feels Now?

Yes. If you notice a change in the memory or issue you were working on, that is useful to share. You might notice that the memory feels farther away, less vivid, less emotionally charged, or simply different from how it felt at the beginning of the session.

You can also say if the target still feels much the same. EMDR does not require every target to feel completely resolved at the end of one session. Knowing what still feels relevant can help your therapist understand where you may want to continue next time.

You do not need to search for a change just so you have something to report. If your clearest answer is “I am not sure yet,” that is useful information too.

Should You Mention New Thoughts or Memories?

If a new thought, memory, image, or connection stood out during the session, you can mention it. EMDR can sometimes bring different parts of an experience to mind as you work with a target.

You do not have to report every passing thought. Focus on what seemed meaningful, repeated, surprising, or connected to the issue you were working on. If you are unsure whether something matters, you can simply tell your therapist what you noticed and let the conversation develop from there.

The same applies to things you notice between sessions. If a related memory comes to mind later or you see the situation differently, you can bring that up at your next session.

Should You Talk About Emotions or Body Sensations?

Yes, when they were part of what you noticed. You might tell your therapist that an emotion became stronger, softer, or changed into something else. You can also mention a body sensation that shifted or remained noticeable during the work.

There is no need to make these observations sound more precise than they are. Saying “I felt less tense by the end” or “I still noticed that tight feeling” can be enough. Your therapist can ask follow-up questions if more detail would be useful.

If you did not notice much emotionally or physically, you do not need to come up with a reaction. EMDR sessions can feel different from one another, and not every session brings the same kind of noticeable change.

Should You Tell Your Therapist What Happened Between Sessions?

If something related to the EMDR work stood out between sessions, it can be useful to mention it. This might include a thought that kept returning, a memory that came to mind, a dream you found relevant, or a change in how you reacted to a familiar reminder.

You do not need to monitor yourself constantly or keep a detailed record of everything that happens. Ordinary observations are enough. If something seems connected to the target or changes how you think about the next session, you can bring it up.

A brief note can help if you want to remember something, but detailed tracking is not required unless you and your therapist have chosen to use it for a particular reason.

What If Nothing Stood Out After the Session?

You can simply say that. You do not need to arrive at your next session with a new insight or a major change to report.

Sometimes the clearest observation is that the week felt ordinary or that you did not notice much difference. Your therapist can still check in on the original target and see how it feels when you return to it.

Saying that nothing stood out is more useful than trying to find something to report because you think there should have been a noticeable reaction.

What If You Are Not Sure How to Describe What Happened?

You do not need special EMDR language to explain your experience. Start with whatever you know. You might say that something felt different but you cannot quite describe how, that one part of the session stayed with you, or that you are unsure whether the target changed.

Your therapist can ask questions that help you describe the experience more clearly. You are not responsible for interpreting every reaction before you talk about it.

It is also fine to correct yourself as you talk. Sometimes an experience becomes easier to describe once you begin putting it into words.

Should You Tell Your Therapist If You Want to Change the Focus?

Yes. If the session changed what you want to work on, you can say so. You may decide that the same target still feels important, that a related memory now seems more relevant, or that you want to discuss something before continuing with EMDR.

Your feedback can help shape the next therapist-led session. You do not need to continue with a particular target simply because it was the focus of the previous session. You and your therapist can use what you noticed to decide what makes sense to work on next.

Should You Mention Something That Felt Confusing?

Yes. If part of the session confused you, did not make sense, or left you with a question, you can mention that too.

You do not need to understand every part of the process while it is happening. Sometimes you may wonder why a particular memory came up, why the focus shifted, or what you were supposed to notice during part of the session.

You can simply describe what confused you. Your therapist can explain the process or help you decide whether the question matters for the next target.

Do You Need to Wait Until the Next Session to Say Something?

Most observations can simply be brought to your next scheduled session. If you and your therapist have already agreed on another way to communicate between sessions, you can follow that plan when you have something you want to share.

You do not need to send a running account of every thought or reaction after EMDR. Keeping the follow-up simple can make it easier to notice what genuinely stands out rather than treating every ordinary change as something that needs to be reported.

Keep Your Update Simple

EMDR can be therapist-led in an office, therapist-guided online, or self-guided through a program such as Virtual EMDR. When a therapist is involved, whether in person or online, you can simply describe what stood out, what changed, what did not change, and anything you want to revisit. A useful update after therapist-led EMDR does not have to be long.

If you have a question about the process or the next target, you can include that too. You do not need to remember every detail from the session or explain what each reaction means. Your therapist already has the context of the work you have been doing and can ask for more information when needed.

The goal is not to give a perfect account of the session. It is to share enough of your experience to help the next conversation reflect what you actually noticed.

Conclusion

After a therapist-led EMDR session, tell your therapist what genuinely stood out to you. That can include changes in the target memory, thoughts, emotions, body sensations, beliefs, or observations that came up later.

You can also say when nothing particular happened, when you are unsure what changed, or when you want to revisit part of the session. You do not need to interpret everything before you talk about it.

When you are working with a therapist, a simple and accurate description of what you noticed is usually enough to help guide the next conversation.