What Happens During an EMDR Processing Session?
If you are considering EMDR therapy or preparing for your first EMDR session, you may be wondering: What actually happens during an EMDR session? What am I supposed to do? Will I have to talk about everything that happened? What if I get overwhelmed?
These are all common questions. While every EMDR session is unique and tailored to each person, understanding what to expect during EMDR can help the process feel much less mysterious.
This blog focuses specifically on an EMDR processing session, which is one part of the larger 8-phase EMDR therapy approach. Before processing begins, EMDR includes important preparation work where we build safety, learn coping tools, assess for dissociation, identify goals, and make sure you feel ready to begin. Processing is not something we jump into immediately. We move at a pace that respects your nervous system and your individual needs.
If you are new to EMDR and want to learn more about the therapy approach itself, you can read more about what EMDR is, how it works, and what makes it different from traditional talk therapy in this blog post.
Once you are ready for processing, the goal isn’t to relive difficult experiences. Instead, EMDR helps your brain revisit experiences that still feel emotionally “stuck” so they can be processed and stored in a healthier way.
The Train Metaphor: Observing From a Place of Safety
One helpful way to understand EMDR processing and what EMDR feels like is to imagine you are on a train.
Imagine you are sitting comfortably inside a train carriage. The train represents your present moment: where you are today, where you are safe, and where you have more resources and perspective. As the train moves along the tracks, you may notice different experiences. Sometimes this may involve looking at a past trauma memory that still feels distressing. Other times, it may involve a current trigger, a fear that continues to show up in your life, or a future situation your brain is expecting will go badly.
You may notice memories, emotions, thoughts, body sensations, or images of what you fear could happen.
Sometimes the train may pass through a dark tunnel. This represents a memory or experience that feels difficult, painful, or intense.
The important thing is this: you are not getting off the train and reliving the experience. You are observing it from the safety of your train carriage, while remaining connected to the present moment.
Throughout processing, you will gently move back and forth between noticing what is happening outside the train window (the memory, feeling, fear, or experience we are working with) and noticing your surroundings inside the train carriage (your present-day safety and awareness).
You are always in control of the journey. You can slow down, pause, take a break, or let me know if something feels too intense. Throughout the session, we check in together about what you are noticing outside the train window, what you are experiencing internally, and how your nervous system is responding. The goal is not to force your way through the journey, but to support your brain in processing at a pace that feels manageable and safe.
Beginning the Journey: What Happens During an EMDR Processing Session
The train metaphor helps illustrate the overall experience of EMDR processing: staying grounded in the present while allowing your brain to process what feels stuck. But what does that journey actually look like during a session?
While every EMDR session is different, the following steps provide a general overview of what you can expect.
1. Check-In and Grounding
Before processing begins, we make sure your “train carriage” feels safe and ready for the journey.
We will check in about:
How your nervous system feels today
Any emotions or concerns coming up about processing
Whether any parts of you feel hesitant, unsure, or protective
What resources or grounding strategies may help you feel supported
If needed, we may use grounding exercises or resourcing techniques before beginning. The goal is not to push through discomfort, but to create enough space that your brain can begin processing.
2. Choosing the Target Memory or Experience
Next, we identify what we will focus on during the session. In EMDR, we call this the target.
A target is the specific experience, memory, fear, or situation that we want your brain to process differently.
Depending on what brings you to therapy, a target may be:
A distressing memory that continues to affect you
A current trigger that causes anxiety or distress
A fear or anticipated future event (such as imagining something terrible happening)
A belief about yourself that feels stuck, such as, “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t handle this.”
Then, we may identify additional information about the target, such as:
The image, thought, or situation connected to the target
The negative belief attached to it
The emotions that come up
Where you notice it in your body
How distressing it feels
A more helpful belief you would like to strengthen
3. Traveling Through the Memory With Bilateral Stimulation (BLS)
Once we have identified the target, we begin the processing portion of EMDR.
During this part of the session, you will focus on the target while using bilateral stimulation (BLS). BLS is a left-right pattern of stimulation that may include:
Side-to-side eye movements
Alternating taps on your hands or knees
Alternating sounds through headphones
BLS is just one part of EMDR that is used to support your brain’s natural processing system. While we do not fully understand every aspect of why BLS is effective, research suggests it may help your brain make new connections, reduce the emotional intensity of distressing experiences, and support the way memories are stored and integrated.
During this part of the session, you do not need to explain every detail of what you notice or try to force anything to happen. Your role is simply to notice and allow your brain to make connections.
4. Noticing What Comes Up
As we continue processing, you will gently move between noticing the target experience and staying connected to the present moment.
You can think of this like watching the scenery out of the train window while remaining aware that you are sitting safely inside the train carriage. You may notice what appears outside the window, while also staying connected to your surroundings, your body, and the present moment.
During this process, different experiences may arise, including:
Images
Emotions
Body sensations
Thoughts
Memories
New perspectives or insights
For some people, processing involves revisiting something that happened in the past. For others, especially those struggling with anxiety, panic, or phobias, processing may involve working with fears about what could happen in the future.
You may also notice that your brain brings up something that seems unrelated at first. This is normal. The brain often connects experiences that share similar emotions, beliefs, or body responses.
There is no “right” way to do EMDR. Some people experience vivid images or strong emotions. Others notice subtle shifts, body sensations, thoughts, or changes that happen over time. Some people do not notice much at first.
Your brain leads the process.
During BLS, I will pause periodically and ask what you are noticing. This is not a test, and there is no correct answer. These check-ins simply help us follow the path your brain is naturally taking.
If anything ever feels too overwhelming, we can pause the train, return to the present moment, and reconnect with safety before continuing.
5. Strengthening Positive Beliefs
As the target becomes less emotionally intense, we begin strengthening a more helpful belief.
This may include beliefs such as:
“I survived.”
“I am safe now.”
“I am worthy.”
“I can handle it.”
“I have choices.”
The goal is not to erase what happened. The goal is for your brain to recognize that the experience is in the past and that you have more strength, safety, and perspective in the present.
6. Body Scan
After processing, we check in with your body.
EMDR works with more than just thoughts. Sometimes the body continues to hold tension or sensations connected to difficult experiences.
During the body scan, we notice whether anything remains and determine if additional processing or grounding is needed.
7. Closure
At the end of the session, we bring the train safely back into the station. We make sure you feel grounded, present, and supported before leaving.
It is normal after EMDR to feel:
Tired
Reflective
Emotional
Calm or lighter
Like you are continuing to process things internally
Your brain may continue making connections after the session, much like it continues processing information while you sleep. Taking care of yourself afterward with rest, hydration, movement, or calming activities can be helpful.
8. Re-Evaluation
After an EMDR session and at the beginning of the next session, we check in on what has changed. We may explore:
How the memory feels now
Any new thoughts or insights
Changes in emotions or body sensations
What still feels unresolved
Over time, the goal is for the brain to recognize the difference between past danger and present safety.
What If I Get Overwhelmed During EMDR?
You are never alone during EMDR, and you are always in control of the process.
Throughout the process, part of my role as your therapist is to be with you in the train carriage. I am not just watching from the platform. I am alongside you, helping you notice what is happening, checking in with your nervous system, and making sure we stay within a window of tolerance where processing feels manageable, even if it’s challenging.
EMDR can bring up difficult emotions, sensations, or memories, and there may be moments where the journey feels uncomfortable. That does not mean something is going wrong. Processing difficult experiences often involves moving toward things that have felt painful or stuck, but you do not have to do that without support.
We will continue checking in throughout the session and make adjustments as needed. If something feels too intense, we can always slow down, pause, return to grounding, or reconnect with resources that help you feel safe.
The goal is not to push yourself through distress. The goal is to support your brain in processing experiences while staying connected to safety, choice, and the present moment.
Remember:
You are observing the memory, not reliving it.
You are always in control of the process.
There is no right or wrong way to experience EMDR.
Bilateral stimulation supports your brain’s natural processing system.
Anything that comes up (images, emotions, sensations, thoughts, or memories) is a normal part of the process.
With each EMDR processing session, your brain has the opportunity to organize experiences in a new way. Memories, fears, or triggers that once felt overwhelming can begin to feel more distant, allowing you to experience more freedom, calm, and choice in your present life.
Taking the Next Step
If you are curious whether EMDR may be the right approach for you, you can schedule a consultation to learn more and discuss your goals. I also offer EMDR therapy intensives in Colorado Springs and across Colorado for those looking for a more focused, accelerated approach to processing specific concerns.
Michaela Zoppa is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She supports women navigating anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, and burnout. She uses evidence-based, trauma-informed modalities, including EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.
