What Is EMDR Therapy and What Actually Happens in a Session?
Updated: Sep 19
Written by: Sarah Yosra Azzam, Registered Psychotherapist
If you have heard about EMDR, there is a good chance you have also heard something about following fingers back and forth with your eyes.
And you may have thought: How is that therapy?
That is a very reasonable question.
Eye movements can be one part of EMDR, but they are definitely not the whole thing.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured therapy approach that may be considered when difficult experiences from the past continue to affect how you feel or respond in the present.
What Is EMDR Actually Like?
Sometimes something happened years ago, but certain parts of the experience still feel surprisingly close.
You may know logically: That is over.
But a reminder, conversation, place, sensation, or situation brings up a reaction that feels immediate.
EMDR is one approach that may be used to work with experiences like this.
It is not simply talking about the memory over and over, and it is not about trying to erase what happened.
The goal is also not to make you forget.
Instead, we are paying attention to how the experience is still affecting you now.
What is Bilateral Stimulation?
Bilateral stimulation simply means alternating stimulation from one side to the other.
In EMDR, that might involve:
Eye movements
Alternating sounds
Tapping
Do We Start Processing Trauma Right Away?
No. This is one of the things I most want people to understand about EMDR.
You do not walk into the first session, tell me the worst thing that ever happened to you, and immediately start trauma processing.
EMDR has several phases, and preparation is part of the process.
Before processing, we spend time understanding what is bringing you to therapy, what is happening in your life now, and whether EMDR makes sense for what you are experiencing.
We also talk about what to expect and what may help if something feels intense. Some people are ready to move forward relatively quickly. Others need more time.
There is no need to rush toward processing simply because that is the part of EMDR people tend to hear about most.
Do I Have to Tell You Every Detail?
Not necessarily. Some people worry that trauma therapy means having to describe everything that happened in detail.
With EMDR, we need enough information to understand what you are working with and make thoughtful decisions about therapy, but you may not need to verbally describe every part of an experience.
You can also tell me:
"I don't want to go into that part."
"I'm not ready for that."
"Can we slow down?"
Those are important parts of therapy too.
What Might I Notice During Processing?
People describe different experiences:
A memory may bring up thoughts, emotions, images, or physical sensations.
You may notice something unexpected.
You may notice a shift.
There is no one reaction you are supposed to have.
Is EMDR Only for PTSD?
EMDR is particularly associated with trauma and PTSD.
There may also be situations where a therapist considers whether a difficult past experience is connected with a current fear, belief, emotional reaction, or relationship pattern.
That does not mean EMDR is automatically the right approach whenever someone has experienced something difficult.
We still need to understand the person, what is happening now, and what we are trying to work on.
Can EMDR Be Done Virtually?
Yes. EMDR can be adapted to virtual therapy.
Depending on what we are doing, bilateral stimulation might involve eye movements on screen, alternating sounds, or forms of self-tapping.
As with in-person work, we would first discuss whether EMDR feels appropriate and make sure there has been enough preparation before processing.
What if I'm Interested in EMDR but I'm Not Sure I want to Do It?
You do not have to decide before starting therapy.
You can ask questions. We can talk about why you are considering EMDR and what you hope therapy might help with.
And if another approach seems more useful, we can talk about that too.
At Nova Therapy, I may also draw from Deep Brain Reorienting, Ego State Therapy, CBT, ACT, DBT-informed strategies, or Person-Centred Therapy depending on what you need.
You are not committing to a particular therapy model simply because you asked about it.
Learn More About:
Curious About EMDR?
If something from the past seems to still be affecting you, you are welcome to reach out. We do not have to begin by talking about everything that happened.
Written by Sarah Yosra Azzam, Registered Psychotherapist
Last reviewed: September 2026
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