What to Expect in a Somatic EMDR Session
If you’ve been in therapy before, you may be familiar with talking through your experiences, gaining insight, and learning new tools to cope. These can all be incredibly useful on our healing journey and we can take it deeper to access places where we still may feel stuck.
That’s where Somatic EMDR can help.
As a certified Somatic EMDR practitioner, I want to offer a glimpse into what this work is like so that you can better understand how it supports healing from trauma, stress, and nervous system dysregulation.
What is Somatic EMDR?
Somatic EMDR combines two powerful therapeutic approaches:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which helps the brain reprocess distressing memories in a way that reduces their emotional charge and impact as well as shifts our cognitions and beliefs about ourselves.
Somatic therapy, which brings attention to physical sensations, posture, breath, and body awareness to support deeper emotional regulation and healing.
Together, these two create a gentle yet effective pathway for healing trauma that is certed around our own deep abiding wisdom and capacities.
What Happens in a Session?
Each Somatic EMDR session is unique to you, but here’s a general idea of what you can expect:
1. The Client Sets The Pace.
Before we begin on the healing journey we talk about pacing. For many of us who are survivors of trauma, we may not have felt a sense of being in control, and that is the place where we begin. We move at a pace that feels true to you. And that means that we honor when you feel like stopping or slowing. As a clinician, I do not have an agenda for your healing journey. I trust and honor your inner wisdom (and you have a lot of wisdom! Trust me! Let’s go to it!)
I see myself as a guide along the way and I respect your dignity and the process of your healing journey.
2. We Begin by Building Safety and You Always
In order to heal, we must first feel safe. For many survivors of trauma, safety may never have been a part of the felt sense and brings up its own healing work. Following pacing discussion, we spend time creating a sense of safety and trust, helping you build resources for emotional regulation including grounding techniques, breathwork, and visualization. This phase is essential for your nervous system to feel supported.
3. Working with the Body
As we enter into the somatic realm, I may ask questions like:
What do you notice in your body? You might feel tightness, warmth, numbness, or movement. (There’s no right or wrong—it’s just about practicing with our felt sensations) What images are coming to you?
4. EMDR Processing with a Somatic Lens
We will follow EMDR protocols including bilateral stimulation, checking in with core beliefs and emotions that are arising. And in addition to EMDR work that includes body scan and noticing, we take this a step further throughout our session together including attunement to the body responses throughout. We might slow down, pause to notice sensations, use grounding tools if things feel overwhelming, and add some physical mobilization to add to moving energy out of the body.
5. Closing of session
At the end of a session, we allow time for your system to settle. We’ll help your nervous system integrate the work so you leave feeling grounded and supported. I honor and acknowledge that our work may happen in the middle of your day and we get you set up to head back out into the remainder of your day.
We discuss what you might notice over the coming days or resources you may between sessions.
Is Somatic EMDR Right for Me?
This approach is especially helpful if:
You feel stuck in talk therapy
You experience trauma-related symptoms in your body (tightness, shutdown, numbness, pain, etc.)
You struggle with anxiety, overwhelm, or chronic pain
You want a therapy that honors both your mind and body
You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone
Starting something new—especially something as personal as therapy—can feel vulnerable. My role is to support you at your pace, with compassion and care. If you're curious about Somatic EMDR or wonder if it might be a good fit, I’d be happy to talk with you.
You don’t have to heal through words alone. Sometimes the body knows what the mind can’t yet say. And together, we can listen.
Author: Polly Sackett, LPC, SAC - Somatic EMDR Practitioner
Polly is an associate clinician with Firefly Counseling. She offers therapy to individuals and couples navigating trauma and grief. She is a certified somatic EMDR professional, she is Gottman trained for couples work, and is certified in grief. She has a special interest in supporting individuals who have a loved one struggling with substance abuse.
