How to Prepare for Your EMDR Therapy Session: A Guide to Feeling Grounded, Safe, and Ready to Heal
If you're starting EMDR therapy in Oklahoma City or Dallas soon, you may be feeling a mix of emotions—hope, curiosity, maybe even a little nervousness. That’s completely normal.
Whether this is your first session or you're continuing deeper work, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is different from traditional talk therapy in many ways. It’s active, structured, and transformative. EMDR doesn’t require you to talk through every detail of your trauma. It helps your brain process unresolved emotional material so it no longer feels as overwhelming.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through simple ways to prepare—mentally, emotionally, and physically, so you can feel more grounded, supported, and ready for your EMDR sessions.
1. Understand What EMDR Is (and What It Isn’t)
Preparation begins with knowing what to expect. EMDR therapy is an evidence-based approach that helps your brain process painful memories and beliefs that feel stuck. Using bilateral stimulation like eye movements, tapping, or sounds, EMDR helps your nervous system let go of the distress and move toward healing.
But EMDR isn’t hypnosis. You’ll be awake, aware, and in control the entire time. You don’t need to retell every detail of the traumatic memory. Instead, we target the memory using a structured framework that helps your brain do the healing work internally.
If you're new to EMDR, you may want to read about how EMDR works in the brain or ask your therapist questions before the first session. A good understanding can ease uncertainty and increase your confidence in the process.
2. Get Familiar with Your Therapist's Process
Every EMDR therapist works a little differently. Before your first reprocessing session, you’ll usually go through several preparation phases, including:
History-taking and treatment planning
Learning coping skills and calming strategies
Identifying target memories or current triggers
Don’t worry, I will guide you through each step. But it can help to clarify in advance:
What kind of bilateral stimulation will be used (eye movements, tapping, tones)?
Will sessions run 45 minutes, 60 minutes, or longer?
What happens if you get emotionally overwhelmed?
How do we decide what memory or trigger to work on first?
If you’re working with me, I’ll guide you through a personalized plan so you know exactly what to expect. Along the way, I’ll teach you grounding tools to help you feel steady and supported both during our sessions and in everyday life.
3. Bring a Grounding Object or Image
During EMDR reprocessing, you may experience waves of emotions, anxiety, physical sensations, or images. This is part of your brain’s natural healing process. To help you stay connected to the present moment, it’s helpful to bring something grounding to your session.
Some examples:
A small object that brings comfort (stress ball, squishy toy, stuffed animal)
A mental image of a safe place
A calming word, phrase, or mantra
Essential oil roller – with calming scents like lavender or eucalyptus
Small photo – of a loved one, pet, or a peaceful place
A plant or flowers
Pocket cross, crystal, or charm – based on spiritual or personal beliefs
During the preparation phase, I’ll guide you in creating a “calm place” visualization—an image that evokes peace, safety, and grounding. Practicing this ahead of time makes it easier to return to during sessions when you need to feel steady and supported.
I’ll also teach you how to use a “container”—a mental imagery technique that helps you temporarily set aside distressing thoughts, emotions, or memories that feel too overwhelming in the moment. Both tools are designed to support your sense of safety and control throughout the EMDR process.
4. Prioritize Self-Care Before and After the Session
Think of an EMDR session as a workout for your nervous system. Rest and gentle care are important before and after.
Before your session:
Avoid back-to-back stressful meetings or events
Eat something nourishing and stay hydrated
Allow yourself a few minutes of quiet or grounding before arriving
After your session:
Set aside time to decompress—take a walk, write in a journal, or listen to calming music
Avoid overstimulation or emotionally heavy conversations
Be gentle with yourself; you may feel tired, reflective, or lighter than usual
Sometimes emotions or memories continue processing after the session. That’s normal. Keeping a journal of what comes up can help you reflect and share anything important in your next session.
5. Trust What Comes Up, Even If It Doesn’t Make Sense
During EMDR, you might notice emotions, images, body sensations, or thoughts that feel random or unexpected. That’s completely okay. Your brain is doing what it needs to heal, even if it doesn’t always make sense in the moment.
EMDR works with the part of your brain that holds emotions, memories, and gut feelings, so the process doesn’t always follow a straight line. You might feel sad one moment, then relieved or even angry the next, all in one set of eye movements. Sometimes, a forgotten memory might come up, or you might suddenly see something in a new way. That’s your brain doing the work it needs to heal.
The best thing you can do is allow the process to unfold. Trust your brain. It knows what needs healing, even if it doesn’t feel logical at first.
6. Let Your Therapist Know How You’re Feeling
If you’re anxious, unsure, or have questions about what’s coming up, that’s important information. EMDR isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. I can slow down, pause, shift the focus, or return to resourcing strategies if needed.
Your experience matters. If you're working with me, you'll never be rushed. I’ll check in with you often, and we'll go at a pace that feels safe and effective for your nervous system. You’re always in control.
7. Consider What You’re Hoping to Change or Feel Differently About
You don’t need to come in with a perfectly defined goal, but having a sense of what you’d like to shift can be helpful. These goals often become part of your EMDR treatment plan and can guide what we work on together. For example:
“I want to stop blaming myself for something that happened years ago.”
“I want to stop shutting down every time I feel criticized.”
“I want to be able to sleep through the night without anxiety keeping me up.”
“I want to stop replaying that one conversation over and over in my head.”
“I want to feel safe when I’m alone.”
These kinds of statements give us clues about the past memories, current triggers, or future fears we may target in EMDR. They also help you recognize your growth and progress over time.
8. Know That It’s Okay to Feel Nervous
It’s completely natural to feel nervous before your first EMDR reprocessing session even if you’re hopeful about the healing it can bring. You’re choosing to care for yourself in a profound way: facing painful memories, releasing emotions that have been stuck for a long time, and giving your nervous system the chance to finally heal.
This kind of inner work isn’t always comfortable, but it can be life-changing.
Over time, many clients share reflections like:
“I feel lighter, like a weight has been lifted.”
“That memory doesn’t hold power over me anymore.”
“I can finally think about it without shutting down.”
“I feel differently now, calmer and more in control.”
These moments of relief and clarity often come after working through the hard parts.
Looking Ahead: Your Healing Journey Starts Here
If you're preparing for EMDR therapy, take a deep breath, you don’t need to have it all figured out. What matters most is your willingness to begin. EMDR is a powerful, research-backed therapy that can help you process the past, stay steady in the present, and approach the future with confidence and clarity.
Ready to Begin EMDR Therapy in Oklahoma or Texas?
If you're searching for EMDR therapy in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Dallas, Austin, or anywhere across Oklahoma or Texas, I offer both weekly sessions and EMDR intensives to meet your needs. Whether you're healing from childhood trauma, betrayal, anxiety, or chronic stress, we can create a personalized plan that supports deep, lasting change.
💻 Online therapy available across OK and TX
📆 Schedule your free consultation here