How to Handle Difficult Emotions During and After EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a major step towards an individual dealing with—and eventually healing from—their trauma. It is an approach designed to help individuals process distressing or triggering memories to remove the negative emotional response they stir up. However, during the session, it is common for individuals to experience a challenging wave of emotions both during and afterwards. In this blog post, we’ll aim to understand these emotional responses so that one can better equip themselves to cope with them.

Why EMDR Triggers Strong Emotions

If you’re unaware, let’s get a quick understanding of EMDR therapy. It is an eight-phase process that aims to help individuals process traumatic memories. Unlike traditional forms of therapy, wherein one must talk about their experiences, EMDR’s main component is bilateral stimulation, which is often done via guided eye movements. The point of it is to diminish the emotional intensity of such memories and ultimately transform them into resolved memories—ones an individual is at peace with—thereby reducing their psychological impact. Some clients describe it as “reliving” the trauma briefly, but in a controlled way.

During sessions, you might notice the following responses—both physical and psychological:

• Body sensations (tight chest, nausea, shaking) – trauma often lives in the body. 
• Vivid images or flashbacks – your brain replaying fragments of the memory. 
• Sudden emotional shifts – like bursting into tears or feeling numb. 

After sessions, it’s common to feel:

• Drained – reprocessing takes mental energy. 
• Heightened sensitivity – small triggers might feel sharper. 
• Delayed reactions – emotions surfacing hours or days later. 

Coping Strategies During EMDR Therapy

Every individual is different. From emotional challenges to how one deals with them, variation is the norm, so there isn’t a universally “best” coping strategy. However, if you are facing emotional challenges during EMDR therapy, consider trying the following:

• Use grounding techniques. If you’re unsure what they are, these refer to activities that anchor you to the present moment when you find yourself drifting. These vary from person to person, but common examples include deep breathing or focusing on physical sensations. 
• Maintain an honest dialogue with your therapist. Your therapist is there to support you. Talk openly about your experiences and feelings—this transparency lets them personalise the therapy and help more effectively. 
• Develop internal resources. Work with your therapist to build mental tools—like visualising a safe place or nurturing figure—to draw upon when facing distressing emotions. 

What About After the Session?

Even after your session at an EMDR trauma therapy center ends, the process of coping doesn’t just disappear into thin air. Some people may feel lighter, but others might experience emotional whiplash and feel disoriented. So, what do you do when you’re away from the watchful and caring eyes of your therapist and left to your own devices?

• If possible, do not schedule anything emotionally demanding after the session. Permit yourself to rest and, as they say, lay low. 
• Physical exercise is always good for regulating mood. Go for a walk, a run, or hit the gym—whichever feels most natural to you—to help settle your nerves. 
• Writing or speaking out loud can support the coping process. It helps you understand your emotions better and gives your therapist useful insights for future sessions. 
• When your mind is exhausted, nourish it with food and water. Avoid indulging in unhealthy foods, as they may worsen your mood and create negative associations. 

When You’re Not Sure What You’re Feeling

There may be times when you’re feeling lost, irritable, or even physically tired and unable to make sense of your emotions. This is part of what’s known as Adaptive Information Processing (AIP)—the model upon which EMDR is based.

In short, your brain is reorganising things in the background, which can take up a lot of emotional and cognitive bandwidth. If that happens, be kind to yourself. You’re not “regressing.” You’re healing.

Know When to Reach Out

If the methods above don’t help and the emotions become too intense, or you’ve been struggling in a way that doesn’t settle after a couple of days, bring it up in the next session, if not sooner. EMDR isn’t a one-size-fits-all protocol, and therapists can adjust things to make you feel safer and more in control.

In rare cases, unresolved trauma can cause temporary destabilization. This is why it’s essential to work with a trained EMDR trauma therapist in a supportive environment. Reputable EMDR therapy centers focus not just on the method, but on the human being sitting across from them.

Conclusion

EMDR therapy isn’t a smooth sail, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Difficult emotions are part of the path your brain takes when it’s trying to make sense of suppressed emotional pain. Stick with it, give yourself time, and with the help of a skilled EMDR therapist, you can move through these moments and come out with your emotions processed healthily.