Feeling Tired or Emotional After EMDR: What Can Help?

Bandai Choi
Clinical Psychologist | Board-approved supervisor
Breathe-n-Smile Psychology, Essendon North, Footscray and telehealth across Australia

What you might notice after a session

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is one trauma-focused treatment used for post-traumatic stress disorder. Therapy involves more than memory processing: assessment, preparation, closure and reviewing your response also matter. The US National Center for PTSD explains that discussing difficult memories can bring temporary discomfort and that preparation includes coping skills. [3]

Royal Devon’s patient information notes that some people feel emotionally or physically tired and may notice memories, images or dreams between sessions. [1] You may experience some of these reactions, none of them, or something you are unsure how to describe. Tell your therapist rather than trying to fit your experience to a standard story.

Feeling upset does not prove that a memory is being successfully processed. Feeling calm does not prove that nothing happened. A dream or image also does not, by itself, establish the historical accuracy of an event. Keep the observation separate from what you think it means.

For the preparation stage, see getting ready for EMDR. This article focuses on the period after an appointment.

Plan support before you leave

Ask for a few minutes to discuss the rest of your day. You might have work, travel, caring responsibilities or a quiet evening ahead. Let the therapist know what is realistic, so the plan reflects your actual circumstances rather than an assumption that you can rest indefinitely.

NICE recommends that EMDR includes self-calming techniques and ways to manage flashbacks, for use during and between sessions. [2] Use strategies you have practised together and found manageable. This could mean an agreed grounding exercise or another way of orienting to the present. If a strategy increases distress, tell the therapist so it can be reviewed.

A practical plan might include a familiar meal, fewer optional tasks and a trusted support person, if that suits you. These are ways to make the evening easier, not instructions to continue trauma processing alone. You do not need to revisit memories repeatedly or perform your own bilateral stimulation to make a session count.

Our guide to grounding that increases overwhelm explains why a commonly suggested exercise may need adapting. Agree on alternatives during therapy rather than assuming you must persist with it.

When to contact your therapist sooner

Raise reactions that are getting stronger, are hard to manage or are interfering with sleep, work, caring or everyday routines. You do not need to wait until the next booked session if you are struggling. The therapist may need to review pacing, preparation, the treatment focus or additional support.

Keep a brief note of what you noticed, roughly when it occurred and its effect on your day. For example: ‘I slept poorly after the session and could not concentrate at work the next morning.’ You can describe the impact without writing a detailed account of the trauma or analysing every thought.

Before the next appointment, ask how to contact the therapist between sessions, when a reply can be expected and what to do outside those hours. A clinic email or contact form may not be monitored promptly. If you cannot keep yourself safe, seek urgent help. In Australia, call 000 for immediate danger or Lifeline on 13 11 14 for crisis support. [4]

For routine appointment and service questions, see EMDR therapy at Breathe-n-Smile. Use the secure clinical contact arrangements agreed with your therapist for sensitive details.

You can keep a between-session message simple: ‘I have noticed a change since our appointment and would like advice about the plan before we meet again.’ Follow the contact arrangements already agreed, including the alternative route if you need a faster response.