[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||121px|||” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_heading title=”What Happens In EMDR Therapy?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”20px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]
If you’ve been reading about EMDR therapy, you might be wondering what actually happens in a session.
Do you have to talk about everything that happened to you?
Will it feel overwhelming?
How long does the process take?
These are some of the most common questions women ask before starting EMDR therapy.
The good news is that EMDR therapy is both structured and collaborative. You won’t be pushed into anything before you’re ready, and your therapist will guide the process step by step.
Let’s walk through what EMDR therapy typically looks like so you can feel more confident about what to expect.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”Step 1: Getting to Know Your Story” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Like most therapy, EMDR begins with an intake and assessment phase.
During your early sessions, your therapist will take time to understand:
• what brings you to therapy
• your personal history
• important relationships or experiences that shaped you
• the challenges you’re currently facing
This stage helps your therapist see the bigger picture of your life and identify experiences that may still be influencing how you feel today.
It also gives you time to build trust and feel comfortable with your therapist before any deeper work begins. This is about creating a custom experience for you.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=35250953″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”HOW EMDR THERAPY HELPS HEAL RELATIONSHIP TRAUMA” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”postButton” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#35736F” button_border_radius=”21px” custom_margin=”20px||30px||false|false” button_text_size_tablet=”14px” button_text_size_phone=”8px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_image src=”https://guidedwellnesscounselingut.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/EMDR-Therapy-In-St.-George-UT-1-scaled.jpg” alt=”woman holding a mug” title_text=”EMDR Therapy In St. George UT 1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_heading title=”Step 2: Learning Tools to Stay Grounded” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Before processing difficult memories, EMDR therapy focuses on building coping and grounding skills.
These tools help your nervous system stay calm and regulated during therapy.
Examples may include:
• breathing exercises
• visualization techniques
• grounding strategies
• ways to reconnect with your body when emotions feel intense
Many clients find these skills helpful not just in therapy, but in everyday life as well. In fact, your therapist will encourage you to practice these skills between sessions.
This preparation phase ensures you have the resources needed to feel steady and supported throughout the healing process. Plus, having skills on hand will help reduce old patterns of stuffing emotions, ‘checking out’, or believing you need to grin-and-bear the process.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”Step 3: Identifying What You Want to Heal ” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Once you feel ready, you and your therapist will identify specific memories, experiences, or emotional triggers to work on.
In EMDR therapy, these are sometimes called targets.
Targets might include experiences such as:
• a painful relationship
• a moment where you felt rejected or abandoned
• a traumatic event
• repeated experiences that shaped negative beliefs about yourself
You and your therapist will explore how that experience connects to your current thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.
This helps create a clear focus for the healing work ahead.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://guidedwellnesscounselingut.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/EMDR-Therapy-In-St.-George-UT-2-scaled.jpg” alt=”woman holding a mug” title_text=”EMDR Therapy In St. George UT 2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_heading title=”Step 4: Processing the Memory” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]
This is the part of EMDR therapy people are often most curious about.
During processing, your therapist will guide you through bilateral stimulation, which usually involves gentle side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds.
While this happens, you briefly focus on the memory or feeling you want to process.
Your brain begins making new connections between thoughts, emotions, and body sensations.
Over time, the memory becomes less emotionally intense.
You still remember what happened—but it no longer carries the same level of distress.
Many people describe this shift as feeling like the experience has finally moved into the past.
After making this shift our clients often report, “It feels like old news now…” and “It’s like, those are the facts. I feel bored of it now.”
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://guidedwellnesscounselingut.com/is-emdr-therapy-safe-what-woman-should-know/” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”IS EMDR THERAPY SAFE?” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”postButton” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#35736F” button_border_radius=”21px” custom_margin=”20px||30px||false|false” button_text_size_tablet=”14px” button_text_size_phone=”8px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_heading title=”Step 5: Strengthening Healthier Beliefs ” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]
As difficult memories lose their emotional charge, many clients naturally begin to experience new beliefs about themselves.
For example, someone who once believed: “It was my fault.”
May begin to feel:
“I did the best I could.”
Or someone who believed: “I can’t trust anyone.”
May begin to feel:
“I can trust myself again.”
These shifts are not forced positive thinking. They often arise naturally as the brain processes the experience fully.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”How Long Does EMDR Therapy Take?” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]
EMDR therapy is different for every person.
Some people notice meaningful changes within a few sessions. Others spend more time preparing and working through multiple experiences.
Many EMDR treatment plans involve approximately 8–12 sessions focused on one or two key issues, though this can vary depending on your goals and history.
Your therapist will help create a pace that feels both effective and manageable.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”What EMDR Therapy Feels Like for Many Clients ” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Clients often describe EMDR therapy as different from traditional talk therapy.
Rather than analyzing the same experience repeatedly, EMDR allows your brain to process the experience in a way that feels more natural and less exhausting.
Many people report feeling:
• lighter emotionally
• less reactive to past memories
• more confident in their decisions
• calmer in situations that once triggered anxiety
The goal of EMDR therapy is not to erase your past.
It’s to help your mind and body understand that the experience is over—and that you are safe now.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”Starting EMDR Therapy in St. George, Utah ” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]
If you’ve been considering therapy and wondering whether EMDR might help, the next step is simply learning more.
At Guided Wellness Counseling, we offer a complimentary 15-minute consultation so you can explore whether EMDR therapy feels like the right fit.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=35250953″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION NOW” button_alignment=”center” module_class=”postButton” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#35736F” button_border_radius=”21px” custom_margin=”20px||30px||false|false” button_text_size_tablet=”14px” button_text_size_phone=”8px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]
During this call we’ll: Schedule Your Consultation Now
• talk about what’s been weighing on you
• answer your questions about EMDR therapy
• help match you with the therapist best suited to your needs
You don’t have to have everything figured out before reaching out.
Sometimes the first step toward healing is simply starting the conversation.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”|700|||||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”40px” ol_item_indent=”20px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]
If painful experiences still affect how you see yourself or your relationships, you’re not alone—and you’re not beyond healing.
EMDR therapy helps many people finally process experiences that have been weighing on them for years.
And when those experiences are no longer stuck in your nervous system, something powerful can happen:
You begin to feel like yourself again.
If you’re ready to explore whether EMDR therapy could support your healing, you can schedule your complimentary consultation today.
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