Can You Do EMDR Every Day?

Can You Do EMDR Every Day?

Short Answer: For most people, doing EMDR every day isn't necessary, and spacing sessions out is more typical.

Doing a session daily is possible for some people, but it's usually the exception rather than the norm.

Key Takeaways

• Most people don't do EMDR every day. Spacing sessions out is more typical.
• Doing daily sessions is possible for some people, but it's an exception, not the norm.
• Doing EMDR more often doesn't necessarily mean faster progress.

What's Typical

Many people space EMDR sessions a few days apart rather than doing one every day. Taking breaks between sessions gives you time to settle before continuing, whether that means waiting a day or several days.

Some people do choose to do EMDR every day for a period, but this is generally the exception rather than the usual approach.

Is There a Rule Against Doing EMDR Every Day?

There is no universal rule that says EMDR sessions can never be done on consecutive days. The amount of time between sessions can vary, and a schedule that works for one person does not automatically need to become the schedule for someone else.

That does not mean daily sessions are necessary. Being able to do another session the next day is different from needing to do one.

If you are deciding how frequently to do EMDR, it can be more useful to think about whether the schedule works for you than to treat daily sessions as a goal.

A daily schedule is also only one possible way of arranging sessions. Sessions can be separated by a day, several days, a week, or longer depending on the circumstances.

There is no requirement that the gap always be the same.

Does Doing It Every Day Help You Progress Faster?

Not necessarily. Doing EMDR more often doesn't automatically lead to faster progress.

The number of sessions completed within a short period does not translate directly into a certain amount of progress. Two people may complete sessions at different frequencies without the person doing more sessions necessarily progressing faster.

For that reason, increasing session frequency simply to complete more EMDR in less time is not a useful goal by itself.

How often you do EMDR is only one part of the overall process.

Do EMDR Sessions Need to Follow the Same Schedule Every Week?

No. Your EMDR schedule does not have to remain exactly the same from week to week.

You might do sessions closer together during one period and leave longer gaps at another time. Work, travel, family responsibilities, available time, and personal preference can all affect when you choose to do another session.

Changing your schedule does not automatically mean you are being inconsistent.

A schedule can be adjusted as circumstances change rather than becoming a rule you have to follow indefinitely.

What If You Want to Do EMDR Several Days in a Row?

Doing sessions on consecutive days for a short period is different from deciding that EMDR needs to become an everyday routine.

You might occasionally choose sessions on two or more consecutive days and then leave a longer gap before returning.

A short period of closely spaced sessions does not mean that you need to continue doing EMDR every day afterward.

Likewise, deciding not to continue the next day does not mean you have interrupted your progress.

You can return when you next want to do a session rather than treating consecutive days as a streak that needs to be maintained.

Does Missing a Day Matter?

No. If you have been doing EMDR frequently and then skip a day, there is no need to think of that day as something you have to make up.

EMDR is not based on maintaining a daily streak. Missing a planned session does not mean you need to complete additional sessions later to compensate.

This distinction can be useful if you find yourself thinking about EMDR in terms of completing a certain number of sessions each week.

Session frequency by itself is not a measure of progress, and an extra day between sessions does not automatically put you behind.

Is There an Ideal Number of EMDR Sessions Per Week?

There is no single number of EMDR sessions per week that is right for everyone.

A person's schedule may vary depending on available time, the setting, and other circumstances. For that reason, a schedule that works for one person should not automatically become a target for someone else.

Rather than trying to identify a perfect weekly number, it can be more useful to consider whether your current schedule gives you enough time and attention for each session.

The number can also change from one week to another.

Can You Take a Longer Break After Doing EMDR Frequently?

Yes. Doing EMDR frequently for a period does not mean you need to maintain that frequency indefinitely.

You may decide to leave several days or longer before your next session. A longer break does not automatically mean that previous sessions no longer count or that you need to start over.

Your schedule can change over time. A period of frequent sessions can be followed by a period with more space between sessions without either schedule necessarily becoming a permanent routine.

Is Daily EMDR the Same as an EMDR Intensive?

Not necessarily. EMDR intensives are structured treatment formats in which sessions may be scheduled more closely together or for longer periods than in a conventional weekly schedule.

The existence of intensive EMDR does not mean that simply adding more sessions to your own schedule will produce the same experience or results.

A structured EMDR intensive follows a planned treatment format, so it should not be assumed to be equivalent to simply scheduling EMDR sessions every day.

This is another reason not to assume that daily EMDR is automatically better simply because closely spaced sessions are used in some treatment settings.

What If Daily Sessions Fit Your Schedule?

Having enough time available for EMDR every day does not mean you have to use that time for a session every day.

You can choose to do a session when it fits your schedule and still decide to leave more time before the next one.

Availability and frequency are separate questions: having the opportunity to do another session does not create a requirement to do it.

If your schedule later changes, the spacing between sessions can change with it. There is no need to preserve a daily routine simply because it was convenient for a particular period.

How Do You Decide Whether to Do Another Session Tomorrow?

There does not have to be a complicated formula.

You can consider whether you want to do another session, whether you have enough time and attention for it, whether you're experiencing stress that may affect your ability to focus, and whether tomorrow works well with the rest of your schedule.

If you decide to wait, you do not need to interpret the extra time as a setback.

If you decide to continue, doing sessions on consecutive days does not mean you have committed yourself to a daily schedule.

The decision can simply apply to the next session rather than becoming a rule about how often you need to do EMDR in the future.

What If You Have Been Doing EMDR Daily and Want to Space It Out?

If you have been doing EMDR every day, you do not have to keep the same schedule indefinitely.

You may decide that you would rather leave more time before your next session and adjust your schedule accordingly.

For example, you might move from daily sessions to sessions every few days, or simply wait until you next want to return.

There is no requirement to preserve the frequency you started with.

A change in spacing also does not mean that the earlier daily schedule was wasted. It simply means that the schedule that works for you can change over time.

Should You Do EMDR Every Day Just Because You Can?

No. The ability to do a session every day is not, by itself, a reason to make EMDR a daily activity.

This is particularly relevant when you have a flexible schedule. Having an open hour tomorrow may make another session possible, but it does not mean that the hour needs to be used for EMDR.

It can be useful to separate the question of whether another session is available from whether you actually want to do one.

That distinction helps keep frequency from becoming a target in itself.

Can Anxiety Affect How Often You Want to Do EMDR?

If you're experiencing anxiety, that may be another practical factor to consider when deciding whether you want to do another session the next day.

This does not mean anxiety automatically determines how often you should do EMDR. It is simply one part of how you are feeling when deciding whether another session fits comfortably into your schedule.

Can Your Schedule Change Over Time?

Yes. How often you choose to do EMDR now does not have to determine how often you do it later.

You may have periods when sessions are closer together and other periods when you leave more time between them.

A change in frequency does not automatically mean that one schedule was right and the other was wrong.

Thinking of the schedule as adjustable can also make it easier to avoid turning daily sessions into an obligation.

You can decide about each future session based on the circumstances at that time.

Conclusion

Doing EMDR every day is possible for some people, but it is not necessary for most people and should not be treated as a requirement for making progress.

Sessions can be closer together at some times and farther apart at others, and your schedule does not have to remain the same from week to week.

Doing more sessions in a shorter period also does not automatically mean faster progress.

The goal is to find a pace that works for you rather than making daily EMDR a target in itself.