What Can You Expect After Your First EMDR Session
So you decided to go to therapy for the first time or try a new therapy approach from what you've previously been doing. You’ve heard of EMDR therapy before, and you want to try it out for yourself.
Whether you make this huge first step or you’ve been attending therapy for a while and wanted to try out a new approach, you should be extremely proud of yourself for taking this step.
You’ve done your research on what EMDR therapy is as well as its benefits. But now that your first session is quickly approaching, the excitement and nerves are setting in.
Let’s learn more about what you can expect after your first EMDR session.
Knowing what to expect after EMDR can help you care well for yourself during and after EMDR treatment. Contact us to work with a Certified EMDR Therapist in Ohio.
Emotional Response May Run High.
There are three common emotional responses that are common when it comes to EMDR. Some may experience high emotions. Others may appear to be calm, relaxed, and at ease. And some individuals may feel numb.
A majority of people feel a sense of a heightened emotional state. During an EMDR session, your brain and nervous system are responding to the past trauma or issue that you were focusing on. This can bring all of the emotions that you pushed deep down inside of yourself back to the surface again. Feeling emotions is actually a really good sign that your session was successful.
Feeling like you're at peace after an EMDR session can also be a measure of successful treatment. Individuals who feel calm or relaxed following an EMDR session may have worked with their therapist at the end of their session to work on healthy and positive coping techniques like breathing exercises. If you feel like you worked through a good chunk of the issue you were intending to work on, you also may feel more at ease following a session.
Feeling numb after a session isn't a bad thing either. Sometimes it can take your body and brain a little bit more time than anticipated to adjust to the emotions, thoughts, and feelings that you worked through during a session. This is a normal part of the process. Allow your body and mind time to adjust and process all of the information.
Exhaustion May Set In.
A lot of people who have gone through EMDR sessions will feel exhausted or fatigued immediately following a session. In fact, exhaustion or fatigue is one of the most commonly reported feelings after an EMDR session. If you think about it, this makes complete sense. The body and brain are working hard to process a lot of different emotions. You have a huge mind-body connection. Your emotions are intertwined with your body. It's expected and completely normal to feel tired after an EMDR session. Don't fight this feeling. Allow your body to rest, take a nap, or go to bed early that night.
Dreams Could Be Very Vivid.
A side effect of EMDR therapy is that you may experience vivid dreams following a session. Your brain doesn’t know that the session has ended. Dreams are your brain’s way of continuing the reprocessing work from your EMDR session. Although it's a side effect, vivid dreams are actually a good thing. Vivid dreams mean that your body and brain are now able and capable of processing the memories that you're holding onto. A benefit of vivid dreams is that they can actually replace any flashbacks or nightmares that you may have experienced prior to your EMDR treatment.
Next Steps
EMDR therapy can be a big step toward working through your past trauma. It's normal to want to know what to expect, especially after your first session. We hope that this helps ease your mind before diving into your first treatment session. If you don't have a session booked yet and are interested in EMDR therapy, reach out to learn more and set up an initial consultation for EMDR therapy.
Whether you’re carrying the weight of trauma, navigating pain and shame around intimacy, or feeling buried under the mental load of daily life, you don't have to keep doing it alone. Profound healing is possible, intimacy is worth fighting for, and the right support can change everything.
Welcome to Sea Glass. Here, the work is short-term, focused, and designed to help you step out of survival mode and into a life that actually feels good. Choose from Intensive EMDR therapy, sex therapy for Christians, or Fair Play coaching - all effective techniques grounded in the neurobiology of healing, connection, and lasting change. Virtual therapy services are available to adults located in Ohio. Fair Play coaching is open to couples anywhere in the USA.
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