What to Expect After EMDR: The Good, The Bad, and the Absolutely Amazing
If you’re currently in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy or even if you’re just wondering what it would be like to experience this type of trauma healing, you’re probably wondering what you can expect after your EMDR sessions. I hear this from people considering EMDR all the time - what’s going to happen afterwards?
While no two EMDR experiences are the same, there are a number of things that many EMDR patients experience directly after, in the days following, and long-term after EMDR therapy.
From the physical sensations that may arise to the cognitive and emotional shifts that come along with trauma healing, EMDR certainly has a deep impact on many patients in many areas of their lives. Whether you’re feeling nervous for your upcoming session or simply curious about how this therapy impacts patients, this blog post aims to help you understand the immediate and long-term effects of EMDR therapy.
So if you’re wondering what to expect after EMDR, read on!
What to Expect After EMDR: The Immediate After-Effects
Directly after an EMDR therapy session, you can expect to feel a bit different than you would before your EMDR session. Many people feel completely fine after an EMDR session, but others may notice that they are experiencing some symptoms that may be uncomfortable. A good EMDR therapist will always help you to prepare for after session symptoms and help you to create a self-care plan to address any of these that you may experience.
Physical Sensations
The first category of symptoms that you may expect after EMDR are changes to your physical sensations or how your body feels.
It’s common for people to feel tired and drained after an EMDR session. This is because even if you are sitting still during the session, EMDR requires a lot of mental and emotional energy. You may be exhausted, drained, or simply more tired than usual. This is incredibly normal, and should be covered by your EMDR therapist during the preparation phase of treatment.
I always recommend planning time to rest and recharge after an EMDR session - your body and brain will thank you!
Emotional Responses
It’s also incredibly common to expect emotional responses directly after your EMDR therapy session. This could include feelings of relief, freedom, and joy! It could also mean experiencing emotions like sadness, frustration, or worry. All of the above are absolutely normal and can be a healthy part of the trauma healing process.
EMDR works by helping you to experience the process of somatic, emotional, and psychological healing. Healing from trauma is not like flipping an on/off switch. Instead, EMDR assists your brain and body with moving through the emotions that were a part of your traumatic experience. That means that it’s really normal and even healthy to feel big emotions after your EMDR session.
Give yourself space to feel these - it may be helpful to plan on journaling or doing creative work that helps you to feel your feelings after the session in order to help regulate your emotions. You may also choose to share your emotions of relief, joy, or peace with your loved ones and support system.
Cognitive Changes
One of the coolest parts of EMDR therapy is how it helps you to change the way you think about yourself, others, and the world. You can expect to have changes to your thoughts after an EMDR session.
This might look like a new sense of clarity - “Oh that’s what really happened!” This may be accompanied by new information about what has occurred in the past.
You may also have new perspectives, ideas, or insights into your past experiences and how they are impacting your present situation. You will likely notice that you are thinking about what happened in a new and different way.
What to Expect after EMDR: Short-Term Changes
EMDR can lead to significant changes in how you process and think about your memories and emotions. The days following your EMDR session are often a time of transition and adjustment. In addition to changes to your thoughts, feelings and sensations directly after an EMDR session, you will also likely notice that you experience changes in the days following your session as your body and brain start to adjust to these new perspectives and emotions.
Emotional Shifts After EMDR Therapy
In the days after your EMDR therapy session, you may experience big shifts in your emotions. This might look like an increase in sensitivity, mood fluctuations, or a sense of relief. These are incredibly normal responses to EMDR therapy and are a healthy part of the healing process. Make space to feel these changing emotions by engaging in emotional processing work outside of your therapy session - journaling, creating artwork, or talking with safe loved ones are all good options to support your emotional processing after EMDR.
The Emergence of New Memories and Feelings after EMDR
The days following your EMDR session may also lead to the emergence of new memories or new emotions about your trauma experiences. While EMDR does not always lead to the discovery of new memories, it is a possibility that you will uncover new material during or after your EMDR session. You might notice dreams or thoughts about your memories that feel heightened or contain new facets of the experience.
Remember to be kind to yourself and your body if this is something you experience. It can feel scary and maybe overwhelming to discover new memories but this is a normal part of treatment for many folks in EMDR therapy. Be sure to let your therapist know about any new material that may have come up in between sessions. Remember that patience is a helpful resource to connect with as you go through trauma work.
Physical Sensations After EMDR Therapy - The Importance of Self-Care
Just like you can feel exhausted directly after your EMDR session, you may also experience more fatigue or restlessness in the days following. Because you are directly addressing traumatic memories, it is common to experience some dysregulation of your nervous system which may lead to difficulty sleeping or feeling very tired.
It’s important to prioritize physical self-care during this time, making sure to stay hydrated, move your body in ways that work for you, and resting as much as you can. All of these strategies will help to care for your body and brain as they do the hard work of trauma reprocessing.
Leaning on your support system is especially important during this time as they can help you to understand what you are experiencing and offer support. Do not hesitate to reach out to them and maybe give them a heads up that you are doing trauma healing work and will need some additional support during the process.
What to Expect After EMDR: Long-Term Healing
The long term healing phase post-EMDR involves deeper and sometimes more gradual changes over time. This is when you will really start to notice sustained healing and personal growth, especially if you are taking the steps to nurture and sustain your healing in between sessions.
Psychological and Emotional Growth after EMDR Therap
EMDR can lead to long-term improvements in your emotional regulation and psychological resilience. Because EMDR therapy helps your brain to correctly store past traumatic memories as long term memories, most people who do EMDR will notice a change in how they react to psychological and emotional triggers. Instead of feeling aggravated or shut down by things that used to have a strong impact on you, you are more likely to feel calm, peaceful or accepting of things that may have triggered you in the past.
This can lead to a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety overall as you build a stronger connection to inner peace and stability in your life.
Changes to Your Identity and Self-Perception After EMDR Therapy
Using EMDR to help you resolve past traumas can often lead to a more positive self-image. Instead of carrying beliefs like “I am broken,” “I am not good enough,” or “I am worthless,” you will instead feel a strong connection to more adaptive positive beliefs like “I am okay as I am,” “I am good enough,” or “I am loved.” These changing beliefs are a hallmark of EMDR therapy and will greatly change the way that you perceive yourself.
You may also have a stronger sense of self and identity after EMDR therapy, as you are able to more clearly understand who you are and what you care about outside of your trauma responses. You will likely rediscover some of your personal strengths (like resilience, compassion, patience, or courage) and develop a stronger connection to the version of you who is healed from trauma.
Changes to Relationships after EMDR Therapy
Healing from past traumas is hard work that leads to many positive changes in your life. However, one of the areas of life that can feel most affected by trauma healing using EMDR is your relationships with others.
It is common for EMDR patients to notice that it is easier for them to communicate in healthy ways, to set boundaries that help them meet their needs in relationships, and even choose healthier partners and friends. All of this is a result of less reactivity to triggers and a stronger sense of self combined with a connection to your positive qualities.
For some people, working through past traumas using EMDR therapy can also lead to changes to current relationships. If you are currently in unhealthy or toxic relationships (whether family, romantic or friendships) it is common to notice that there is more distance between you and these relationships then there was before EMDR therapy. This is likely because you are better able to communicate and set boundaries, which can actually lead to less contact in unhealthy relationships. While this may be a painful experience, it is important to remember that healing yourself means that your standard for relationships improves which can lead to changes in who you spend time with.
New Coping Skills After EMDR Therapy
It’s common for individuals to develop better coping strategies and problem-solving skills after EMDR therapy. You may connect to memories of coping well with difficult events or discover new parts of yourself that are able to cope adaptively with life’s challenges.
Additionally, you may find that you are less likely to experience retraumatization after undergoing trauma therapy. This is because you are better able to recognize cues for danger than you may have been while your trauma was still very active. This means that not only will you find yourself better able to cope with stress, you will also be less likely to re-experience the same traumas you went through before.
—
In summary, the journey through EMDR therapy is transformative and leads to significant changes in physical sensations, emotional responses, and the way you think about yourself, others, and the world. Immediately after your sessions, it’s normal to feel a range of emotions (from joy to sadness to relief) as well as physical fatigue as your body and brain continue the reprocessing that started during your session.
In the days following your session, you may notice shifts in your emotions and thoughts or even the emergence of new memories. Leaning on your support system and prioritizing your self-care are especially important during this time.
In the long term, EMDR often leads to profound psychological and emotional change and growth. Your sense of identity and self may evolve and you will likely discover new ways to manage stress and the pain points of life through your therapy sessions.
Remember that EMDR therapy should always be done with a qualified and experienced therapist. When done right, it can be absolutely transformative.
Ready to start EMDR yourself?
If you're ready to take the first step towards your own EMDR therapy journey, you’re in the right place. I help survivors of trauma to heal from the past, connect the present, and build hope for the future using EMDR therapy.
Schedule a free 20 minute consultation by clicking the button below. I can’t wait to hear from you!