What to Expect During EMDR Processing

What to Expect During Processing

Introduction

Processing emotional material with EmEase can be a unique experience. This guide will help you understand what might happen during and after your sessions, preparing you for the journey ahead. Everyone’s experience is different, but knowing the common patterns can help you navigate your healing path with greater confidence.

The Basics of Processing

When you begin a session with EmEase, you’re engaging your brain’s natural healing abilities. The bilateral stimulation (the moving ball or alternating sounds) helps your brain process emotional material in ways similar to what happens during REM sleep.

During processing, you might notice changes in your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and even the way you perceive memories. These shifts are signs that your brain is working to integrate difficult experiences into your broader life narrative.

Common Experiences During Sessions

Changing Focus

One of the most common experiences during processing is how your attention naturally shifts. You might start focusing on a specific memory, then find your mind wandering to:

  • Related memories from different time periods
  • Similar emotional experiences
  • Seemingly unconnected thoughts or images
  • Different aspects of the same memory

This mental wandering is normal and beneficial. Your brain is following natural associative networks, connecting related material. Allow your mind to move where it needs to go without forcing it to stay on one specific thought.

Emotional Waves

Emotions often emerge in waves during processing sessions. You might experience:

  • Sudden surges of emotion that peak and then naturally subside
  • Unexpected emotions that seem unrelated to your target
  • Brief periods of intense feeling followed by calm
  • Emotional release through tears, sighs, or even laughter
  • Shifts between different emotions within a single session

These emotional waves are your brain processing stored feelings. They typically move through you naturally if you allow them to be present without judgment. Remember that emotions themselves can’t hurt you, even when they feel intense.

Physical Sensations

Your body is an important part of processing. Many people notice physical sensations such as:

  • Tingling or warmth moving through different body areas
  • Muscle tension that builds and then releases
  • Changes in breathing patterns
  • Heaviness or lightness in specific body parts
  • Spontaneous muscle twitches or movements
  • Yawning, sighing, or stomach gurgling

These physical responses often represent emotional energy moving through your body. They typically resolve on their own during processing. Notice these sensations with curiosity rather than concern.

Memory Changes

How you experience memories may change during processing. You might notice:

  • Details becoming clearer or sometimes fading
  • Seeing the memory from a different perspective
  • The memory feeling more distant or “further away”
  • New aspects of the memory emerging
  • The memory feeling less emotionally charged

These changes reflect your brain reorganizing how the memory is stored. Processing doesn’t erase memories but often changes your relationship to them.

New Insights and Connections

Many people experience moments of clarity during processing:

  • Suddenly understanding why you reacted certain ways
  • Recognizing patterns across different life experiences
  • Connecting current reactions to past events
  • Seeing situations from new perspectives
  • Understanding other people’s behavior differently

These insights happen naturally as your brain makes new connections. You don’t need to force them—they often emerge spontaneously during or after processing.

The Processing Timeline

Understanding the typical timeline of processing can help you know what to expect.

During the Session

Within a single session, processing often follows a non-linear path:

  • Initial activation as you connect with the target material
  • Periods of emotional or physical intensity
  • Natural ebbs and flows in your distress level
  • Moments of clarity or insight
  • Gradual reduction in emotional charge

Not every session follows this exact pattern. Some sessions might feel primarily emotional, while others might involve more cognitive processing or physical sensations.

Between Sessions

Processing doesn’t stop when your session ends. Many people notice:

  • New thoughts or insights emerging hours after a session
  • Dreams related to the processing material
  • Spontaneous memories surfacing
  • Continued emotional processing
  • Physical sensations that come and go

This between-session processing is normal and shows that your brain continues the work you started. Many people find keeping a simple journal helpful for tracking these experiences.

Across Multiple Sessions

Over a series of sessions working on the same target, you might notice:

  • Gradual decreases in distress levels
  • Processing different aspects or layers of the same issue
  • Earlier memories connected to the target emerging
  • Your negative beliefs becoming less convincing
  • Positive beliefs feeling increasingly true

Progress isn’t always linear. You might experience significant shifts in one session, then seem to plateau before another breakthrough. This pattern is normal and part of the healing journey.

Common Challenges During Processing

While processing is natural, you might encounter some challenges:

Nothing Seems to Happen

Sometimes you might feel like “nothing is happening” during a session. This experience is actually quite common and can mean:

  • Processing is happening subtly, below conscious awareness
  • Your brain is preparing for deeper work in future sessions
  • You might be intellectualizing rather than connecting emotionally
  • The target might need to be defined more specifically

If several sessions feel unproductive, try adjusting your approach. Focus more on body sensations, work with a more specific aspect of the target, or try different bilateral stimulation settings.

Feeling Overwhelmed

Occasionally, processing might feel overwhelming. Signs include:

  • Feeling flooded by emotion
  • Experiencing anxiety about continuing
  • Noticing strong dissociative feelings
  • Having trouble staying present

If this happens, use the pause button immediately. Take several deep breaths and use one of the grounding techniques in the app. You can either continue with a less intense aspect of the target or end the session early and practice self-care.

Processing Activation

Sometimes distress temporarily increases during or after a session. This “processing activation” happens when emotional material has been activated but not fully processed. If this occurs:

  • Remember this response is normal and typically resolves within 24-72 hours
  • Use grounding techniques from the app
  • Practice gentle self-care activities
  • Consider shorter sessions next time
  • Focus on a less activating aspect of the target

If activation persists beyond three days or feels unmanageable, consider consulting a mental health professional.

Signs of Effective Processing

How do you know if processing is working? Look for these signs:

Emotional Shifts

  • Decreased emotional reactivity to triggers
  • Greater emotional flexibility
  • Feeling less controlled by the target material
  • More balanced emotional responses

Cognitive Changes

  • More realistic and balanced thoughts about the experience
  • Decreased belief in negative self-assessments
  • Increased confidence in positive beliefs about yourself
  • New perspectives on past events

Physical Changes

  • Reduced physical tension related to the target
  • Decreased somatic symptoms
  • More awareness of body sensations
  • Improved sleep or energy levels

Behavioral Changes

  • Responding differently in triggering situations
  • Decreased avoidance behaviors
  • More effective communication
  • New choices that better support your wellbeing

When a Target is Resolved

A target is generally considered processed when:

  • Your distress level has decreased significantly (typically to 0-2 on the 0-10 scale)
  • The positive belief feels true (5-7 on the 1-7 scale)
  • You can think about the target without significant emotional disturbance
  • Your body remains relaxed when recalling the target
  • You have a sense of resolution or peace about the issue

Complete processing doesn’t mean forgetting or never feeling anything about the experience. Rather, it means the memory or issue has been adaptively integrated into your life story.

Tracking Your Experience

Keeping track of your processing journey helps you recognize patterns and progress:

  • Use the notes section after each session to record key experiences
  • Notice changes in your distress levels over time
  • Pay attention to how your daily life might be changing
  • Observe shifts in your relationships or communication
  • Be aware of changes in how you think about yourself

The EmEase app automatically tracks your distress levels, but your personal observations add valuable context to these measurements.

Conclusion

Processing with EmEase is a personal journey that unfolds at your own pace. The experiences described here are common, but your path will be unique to you. Trust your brain’s natural healing ability while practicing good self-care.

Remember that processing is rarely a straight line. There may be challenging moments alongside powerful breakthroughs. With patience and persistence, many people find that difficult memories and emotions gradually lose their power, making room for greater peace and resilience.

If at any point you feel stuck or overwhelmed by what emerges during processing, consider reaching out to a mental health professional. EmEase works well as a complement to therapy, and many therapists support clients using tools like ours between sessions.

Your courage in addressing difficult emotions is commendable. We’re honored to be part of your healing journey.