What to expect in your first EMDR therapy session

Starting EMDR therapy can feel a little uncertain, and that’s completely normal. Many people are curious, nervous, or unsure about how it works, especially if you’ve never tried it before. When I first trained in EMDR over seven years ago, I felt the same way: sceptical, curious, and intrigued all at once.

If you’ve read about EMDR, heard someone talk about it, or even seen a celebrity mention it, you might know it’s often used for trauma, anxiety, or past difficult experiences. But beyond that, it can feel confusing. The good news? You don’t need to know all the details before your first session. At my practice in Leeds, or online, my job in our first session is to guide you step by step and explain everything in a way that makes sense for you. To help take away some of the uncertainty, I’ll outline a few of the key things here that we will go over in our first session in more detail.

What is EMDR?

Put simply, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a type of therapy that helps your brain process and make sense of difficult experiences. Sometimes, memories can feel “stuck” and continue to cause distress long after the event has passed. EMDR uses gentle, guided techniques to help your brain reprocess those memories, so they feel less overwhelming and more like something that happened in the past, rather than something you’re still reliving.

What happens in your first EMDR session with me?

A common worry is that EMDR will immediately involve processing traumatic memories. This isn’t the case; you won’t be diving into painful memories on your first visit. Instead, the first session is very similar to any other type of therapy.

It’s about building trust and safety, making sure you feel comfortable, understood, and prepared for the work ahead. We’ll move at a pace that feels right for you, focusing on your comfort and readiness rather than the trauma itself.

Sharing your story at a safe pace

During your first session, I’ll ask you to share what’s brought you to EMDR. You don’t need to provide every detail, and you won’t be pushed to revisit anything that feels overwhelming. It’s a process.

If you feel triggered or unsure, I’ll listen, and we respect the pace. I can begin to understand your experiences, even with limited information, or even no information at all! Yes, you can have EMDR for memories that are preverbal. The goal is simply to help you feel heard and safe, while we work together to set the pace for future sessions that is right for you.

A simple explanation of how EMDR works

I’ll also give a brief, clear explanation of how EMDR works, and how I work with it. This overview should be enough for you to make an informed decision about continuing, without being overwhelmed. But pace and safety are always the priority when working with trauma.

If you choose to proceed, we’ll revisit the explanation in more detail later. EMDR is a gradual process, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to review, clarify, and deepen your understanding as we progress. In fact, learning more about EMDR is an integral part of the 8-phase protocol that we follow.

A question I often get asked in the first appointment – "How long does EMDR take?"

I completely understand this, especially if you have tried other therapies.

The honest answer is that I can’t provide a precise timeline because everyone’s experiences, needs, and goals are different. I can tell you that some people notice changes after a few sessions, while others need more time.

That said, I will try to estimate what your EMDR journey might look like based on the information you share with me. This gives you a starting point and a sense of what to expect, without setting unrealistic promises.

By the end of our first EMDR session.

You should leave with a clearer understanding of what EMDR is, and what it isn’t. You’ll have a sense of how I work, what the process might look like for you, and what the next steps could be.

You’ll also know that you don’t need to have everything figured out before we begin. There’s no pressure to have all the answers or to be “ready” in a particular way.

Most importantly, my hope is that you leave feeling reassured, that you are supported, that we will move at a pace that feels right for you, and that you don’t have to navigate this process alone.