How to Prepare for an EMDR Intensive Session:
A Comprehensive Guide
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful therapeutic approach that has helped countless individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences. Studies have shown that while powerful, greater benefits are seen with more frequent sessions in a shorter period.
Intensive sessions can be scheduled over the course of multiple hours (2 -6 hours) over the course of multiple days and/or weeks. By utilizing the intensive model, you have the capacity to heal in a shorter period of time.
If you’re about to start EMDR therapy, you may have some questions about what to expect and how to prepare for your sessions. I will walk you through some practical steps you can take to get ready for an EMDR Intensive session, helping you make the most of your therapy experience.
Understanding EMDR
Before diving into the tips, it's important to have a basic understanding of what EMDR entails.
EMDR theory is based on the idea that when trauma occurs, if not properly processed, will be improperly stored in the body. Along with the improper storage of a distressing event in the body, the brain will make meaning of the event in which the individual feels unsafe, unloved, or uncared for. Â By using bilateral stimulation, which often includes guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones, the distressing memories can be desensitized and reprocessed.
This process helps desensitize the emotional impact of traumatic memories and reprocess them in a way that reduces their negative influence on your life.
EMDR is structured in eight phases, starting with history-taking and preparation, moving through the desensitization of traumatic memories, and ending with reevaluation and closure. Each session builds on the previous one, making it crucial to come prepared and fully engaged.
Why Preparation for EMDR Intensive Sessions Matters
Preparing for EMDR sessions is essential for a few reasons:
Emotional Readiness: EMDR can bring up intense emotions as you process traumatic memories. Being mentally and emotionally prepared can help you navigate these experiences more effectively.
Maximizing Effectiveness: When you come to a session prepared, you’re more likely to fully engage in the process, which can lead to more significant therapeutic outcomes.
Reducing Anxiety: Knowing what to expect and having a plan can help reduce any anxiety or apprehension you might feel about starting EMDR.
Tips for Preparing for an EMDR Intensive Session
1. Understand the Process
Knowledge is power. The more you understand about EMDR, the less intimidating it will be. Ask your therapist to explain the phases of EMDR therapy and what each session might involve. Understanding how EMDR works and what you can expect can help you feel more comfortable and prepared. Ask lots of questions and identify your fears about the process.
Many people fear that if something has been buried, that buried event may surface. This is possible, and this is why much work is done in the beginning to help you learn how to regulate your emotions and desensitize your potential reactions to traumatic events.
History taking can take a long time (multiple sessions or multiple hours) to help the therapist identify patterns and current coping mechanisms. By spending time, engaging in discussion about your existing functioning, you develop a greater capacity to bring awareness to your current dysfunctional behaviors.
Open communication with your therapist is also key to successful EMDR therapy. Don’t hesitate to share your concerns, ask questions, or discuss anything that’s on your mind. If you’re feeling particularly anxious or uncertain about the process, express that.
2. Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal can be a valuable tool before, during, and after EMDR therapy. Before your sessions, use your journal to write down thoughts, feelings, or memories that come up in relation to the trauma you’re addressing.
Also use the journal to track your behaviors, your moods, your triggers, and negative self-talk that exists. By observing your own behaviors and thoughts, you are in a better position to explore your reactions and the attitudes you’d like to see changed.
Keeping a journal can also help you organize your thoughts and provide material to discuss in session. After each session, journaling can also help you process any emotions or insights that arise, and track your progress over time.
3. Identify Your Goals
Before starting EMDR, it’s helpful to identify what you want to achieve through therapy. Are there specific memories or events that are particularly distressing for you?
Do you have certain symptoms, like anxiety or intrusive thoughts, that you hope to reduce?
Discussing these goals is important so the sessions can be tailored to meet your needs.
Having clear goals can also give you a sense of direction and purpose in your therapy.
4. Have Open Minded Expectations
While it’s important to have goals for what you want to achieve through therapy, it’s important to realize that healing occurs at its own pace. Healing also comes in ways that no one can ever expect.
I always tell clients that our brains and our bodies are smarter than us. So whatever expectation or plan you may have prepared for, may or may not happen or may happen in ways that we do not expect.
EMDR can be highly effective, but it’s not a quick fix. Healing from trauma is a process that takes time and effort. Some sessions may be emotionally challenging, and progress may sometimes feel slow. Trust in the process, and remember that each step, no matter how small, is a move toward healing.
5. Practice Relaxation Techniques
EMDR can be emotionally intense, so it’s important to have relaxation techniques at your disposal to help you manage any distressing emotions that arise during or after a session.
Techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation are used during the preparation phase and are extremely helpful in and out of the session.
Practicing these techniques regularly before starting EMDR can help you learn to regulate your emotions once the work on traumatic events can be more effectively navigated. You can easily use them if you feel overwhelmed during a session.
6. Develop a gratitude practice
Dealing with years-long traumas can be overwhelming and disorienting. You may need to acknowledge hurtful behaviors and events that you have engaged in and experienced. Shame and guilt may present itself and avoidance of those feelings is to be expected.
By engaging in a gratitude practice prior to doing EMDR, you have the opportunity to see what is positive and enjoyable about your life currently.
Gratitude allows you to be present in the current while having to revisit painful parts of the past. Gratitude allows you to get grounded in your current life, and see the potential for a positive future. Gratitude can also provide a greater capacity to heal as you focus on what is and not what was.
7. Ensure You Have a Support System
Processing trauma through EMDR can bring up a lot of emotions, and it’s important to have a support system in place.
Trauma is often defined as a loss of connection during a negative event, therefore having positive connections can help to mitigate the potential for getting stuck.
Positive connections could include friends, family members, or a support group that you can talk to if you need emotional support outside of your therapy sessions.
Letting someone in your support system know that you’re undergoing EMDR can also help them understand what you might be going through and how they can support you.
8. Take Care of Your Physical Health
Your physical health can have a significant impact on your mental and emotional well-being. Ensure that you’re eating well, getting enough sleep, and staying physically active.
Being physically healthy can help you feel more resilient and better able to handle the emotional work of EMDR. Additionally, avoid consuming alcohol or drugs before a session, as they can interfere with your ability to fully engage in the therapeutic process.
9. Create a Post-Session Plan
EMDR sessions can leave you feeling emotionally drained, so it’s important to have a plan for what you’ll do afterward.
Consider scheduling some time to relax and decompress after your session. This could involve doing something calming, like taking a walk, journaling, or engaging in a creative activity.
Make sure you have some downtime to process the emotions that may come up during your session. I recommend that you have at least 24 hours to sleep, process and integrate your new insights.
In addition to downtime, I also recommend that clients identify positive cognitions that can be recorded and repeated over and over again to help the brain form new cognitions about past events. Â
10. Be Kind with Yourself
Lastly, be patient and compassionate with yourself. Healing from trauma is a journey, and it’s okay to have ups and downs along the way. You’re doing important and challenging work, and it’s normal to have a range of emotions throughout the process.
Give yourself permission to feel whatever comes up, and remind yourself that it’s okay to take things one step at a time.
Conclusion
Preparing for an EMDR session involves more than just showing up; it’s about getting into the right mental, emotional, and physical state to engage fully in the therapeutic process.
By understanding the EMDR process, setting clear goals, practicing relaxation techniques, and taking care of your overall well-being, you can maximize the benefits of your EMDR therapy. Remember that your therapist is there to support you every step of the way, so don’t hesitate to communicate openly and ask for what you need.
With the right preparation, you can approach your EMDR sessions with confidence and readiness to heal.
When you are ready to proceed and schedule an intensive session, book a consult call today.
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