EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) has become a groundbreaking approach to healing trauma and addressing mental health challenges. From therapists to clients, this innovative mode of therapy has transformed how we process and release painful memories. However, the benefits of EMDR can be amplified when supplemented with additional tools and resources. These resources not only support the therapy process but help clients take charge of their emotional well-being outside of sessions.
This blog explores nine practical tools and resources that enhance the EMDR therapy experience. Whether you’re a therapist, a mental health professional considering integrating these into your practice, or a therapy client looking for ways to deepen your healing, these insights will pave the way for a more holistic approach.
Why Supplement EMDR Therapy with Additional Resources?
While EMDR therapy offers extraordinary benefits, healing is often most profound when clients are equipped with supportive resources outside of sessions. These self-care tools help clients regulate emotions, increase self-awareness, and maintain resilience during therapy breakthroughs. For EMDR therapists, incorporating complementary tools offers clients the opportunity to work on themselves between sessions, reinforcing the progress made in therapy.
The following sections will highlight tools categorized into stress reduction, emotional regulation, and self-awareness to fit perfectly alongside your EMDR therapy sessions. One of the primary goals in EMDR therapy is creating a safe and calm environment for clients before exploring distressing memories. Stress reduction tools help individuals feel grounded and reduce anxiety both during and outside therapy sessions.
1. Meditation Apps
Meditation apps like Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer have emerged as highly effective tools for cultivating mindfulness and supporting emotional well-being. These platforms are especially useful for individuals new to meditation and mindfulness, offering accessible and guided resources to help them develop consistent practices. With user-friendly interfaces, these apps provide a variety of meditation sessions tailored to different needs, ranging from quick 5-minute breathing exercises to comprehensive multi-week courses.
For clients undergoing EMDR therapy, meditation apps serve as a portable and convenient way to practice grounding techniques, which are essential for managing heightened emotional states. Grounding meditations can help clients reconnect with their body and the present moment, reducing feelings of fear or overwhelm that may arise before or after therapy sessions. Many apps feature grounding exercises specifically designed for trauma survivors, such as body scans or mindfulness practices that gently guide users to focus on the sensations around them, like the feeling of their feet on the floor or the rhythm of their breath.
Beyond emotional regulation, meditation apps offer stress reduction tools that can improve focus and promote a sense of peace. Features like sleep meditations and calming soundscapes can help clients struggling with insomnia or intrusive thoughts, offering a soothing way to unwind and relax. Some apps also allow users to track their progress, giving them a sense of accomplishment and motivation to maintain their practice.
The wide variety of meditation styles, voices, and themes available in these apps ensures that clients can find options that resonate personally with them. Whether someone prefers nature sounds, affirmations, or traditional mindfulness practices, there is something for everyone. For individuals undergoing EMDR therapy, the integration of meditation apps into their routine can complement therapeutic goals, empowering them with valuable tools to enhance their healing process.
2. Guided Imagery Resources
Guided imagery is a powerful therapeutic tool that leverages the mind’s ability to create mental visuals to foster relaxation, reduce stress, and encourage emotional healing. This technique often involves listening to carefully crafted scripts or guided sessions that direct the individual to imagine calming, safe, or empowering scenarios. For those engaged in EMDR therapy, guided imagery can be particularly useful during the preparation phase, as it helps establish a foundation of safety and emotional control before processing traumatic memories.
Therapists often recommend specific resources to aid clients in accessing guided imagery. One such resource is Health Journeys, which offers a wide selection of professionally created audio programs designed to address a range of needs, including anxiety reduction, sleep assistance, and emotional grounding. These programs are developed by experts in the field and are rooted in evidence-based practices, ensuring that the content is both effective and supportive.
Additionally, YouTube serves as an accessible platform for guided imagery resources. Many creators and channels specialize in providing free guided imagery scripts tailored to relaxation, stress reduction, and emotional well-being. These sessions often incorporate soothing background music or nature sounds to enhance the experience and create a more immersive environment. Channels specializing in mental health or mindfulness practices frequently include content specifically designed to help individuals mentally envision places of safety, such as serene beaches, tranquil forests, or peaceful gardens.
Using these tools during EMDR therapy preparation can significantly improve a client’s ability to cope with emotional distress. By establishing a “safe place” visualization through guided imagery, individuals create an internal resource they can return to whenever they feel overwhelmed during or outside of their therapy sessions. This practice empowers clients with a sense of control and reduces feelings of vulnerability, contributing to a more positive and productive therapeutic process.
Guided imagery’s versatility and accessibility make it an essential addition to any therapeutic toolkit. Whether through vetted platforms like Health Journeys or the wealth of free content on YouTube, clients have a variety of options to explore and incorporate into their healing journeys. For therapists, recommending these resources provides clients with practical tools that complement in-session work, fostering a greater sense of security and emotional resilience.
3. Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises are a simple yet profoundly effective way to alleviate physical and emotional stress. By focusing on deliberate and controlled breathing, individuals can activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the fight-or-flight response and promotes a sense of relaxation. Popular tools such as the Breathwrk app or time-tested techniques like 4-7-8 breathing can guide users through intentional practices designed to slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and ground the mind. For individuals undergoing stress or trauma processing, these techniques provide an accessible and immediate means of regaining control over their emotional state.
For clients working with an EMDR therapist, breathing exercises can play a powerful supplementary role in the therapeutic process. The calming effects of controlled breathing can help prepare the mind and body for the often intense emotions explored during EMDR sessions. Techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing or box breathing create a foundation of emotional stability, enabling clients to approach the session with a sense of readiness and resilience.
Practicing these techniques consistently has benefits both inside and outside of therapy. When faced with external triggers in day-to-day life, clients can return to their breathing exercises as an anchor, fostering emotional regulation and clarity in challenging moments.
Encourage clients to utilize relaxation tools, such as breathing practices, shortly before sessions to help them enter a calm and receptive state. This can be particularly beneficial for clients with trauma backgrounds, as it reduces the potential for session-start anxiety and enhances their ability to engage productively in EMDR therapy. A calmer client is more likely to respond positively to bilateral stimulation and experience the integrative healing that EMDR provides.
By endorsing these exercises, EMDR therapists can empower their clients with a lifelong tool for emotional well-being.
4. Journaling Prompts
Journaling provides a safe, introspective space for clients to explore and organize their emotions, making it a valuable tool both inside and outside of the therapeutic process. For EMDR clients specifically, journaling can play a vital role in documenting progress, recognizing patterns, and gaining insights into their emotional healing journeys. The act of putting thoughts to paper, whether in a physical journal or using an app like Journey, allows clients to process their experiences in a structured yet personal way, offering clarity and self-awareness.
Journaling can be especially beneficial before or after EMDR sessions. Prior to a session, writing can help clients identify points of focus, bring awareness to their current emotions, and center on specific memories or challenges they wish to address. After a session, journaling offers a reflective outlet to capture feelings, note breakthroughs, or manage any lingering emotions that might arise. It creates an ongoing narrative of healing, helping clients recognize growth over time and providing a tangible record of their progress.
When journaling, prompts can serve as valuable guides, especially for those who may feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to begin. For EMDR clients, prompts tailored to their therapeutic experiences encourage deeper exploration and connection to the process. Below are some example prompts designed to support emotional reflection and understanding:
- “How did I feel during today’s session?”
This prompt allows clients to connect with their emotional responses immediately after a session, helping them recognize any patterns or shifts. By examining their feelings in detail, they may uncover important insights about their healing process.
- “What emotions felt strong, and where did I feel them in my body?”
Encouraging clients to tie emotions to physical sensations can enhance their mind-body awareness. This is particularly relevant in EMDR, where physical responses to certain stimuli can hold critical information about unresolved trauma.
- “What is one positive thing I learned about myself today?”
This prompt fosters self-compassion and encourages clients to focus on personal growth and empowerment. Recognizing positive aspects of their progress helps build confidence and reinforces the impact of the therapeutic experience.
Beyond these prompts, clients can personalize their journaling practice to suit their unique needs and emotional stages. Some may choose to include gratitude lists, affirmations, or freewriting to express unstructured thoughts. Whether elaborating on vivid memories recalled during a session or channeling difficult emotions into words, journaling serves as both a practical tool and a creative expression, facilitating a deeper connection to healing through EMDR therapy.
5. Emotion Tracking Apps
Emotion tracking apps such as Moodpath or Daylio provide a modern and convenient way for clients to actively participate in their emotional monitoring and mental health management. These apps encourage users to log their emotions on a regular basis, creating a structured way to document feelings and thoughts throughout the day. By using these tools, clients can gain valuable insights into their emotional patterns, identifying trends that may otherwise go unnoticed in their busy daily lives.
For instance, through consistent use, clients may begin to notice recurring triggers that lead to specific emotional states, whether it’s anxiety during work hours or sadness in social situations. These observations serve as powerful starting points for discussions in EMDR therapy sessions, allowing therapists and clients to collaboratively explore underlying issues that contribute to distress. Additionally, some apps provide prompts or guided exercises that encourage mindfulness, grounding techniques, or self-reflection, complementing the therapeutic work being done during EMDR.
The visual representation of emotions, often displayed in charts or graphs, can also empower clients by making their progress tangible. Noticing gradual improvement over weeks or months can reinforce a sense of achievement and motivation to continue therapy. EMDR therapists benefit as well, as emotion tracking data offers an ongoing and honest glimpse into the client’s emotional life between sessions. With this detailed information, therapists can tailor their interventions more effectively, focusing on the areas of greatest concern or recurring challenges.
Overall, emotion tracking apps act as a bridge between therapy sessions, fostering accountability, self-awareness, and personal growth. When used in conjunction with EMDR therapy, they provide a deeper understanding of emotional patterns, making it easier to address specific symptoms and work towards long-term healing.
6. Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness practice focuses on cultivating a state of awareness in the present moment without judgment, offering a powerful tool for emotional regulation. This aligns closely with EMDR’s grounding techniques, which aim to help clients remain centered and connected during moments of distress. Mindfulness can be integrated seamlessly into virtual therapy sessions, making it accessible and impactful even in remote settings. Virtual therapy platforms often encourage mindfulness exercises to complement therapeutic work, ensuring clients stay grounded while exploring challenging emotions.
Apps like MyLife or guided mindfulness videos provide diverse resources to teach clients the art of staying present. For instance, body scan exercises help individuals tune in to physical sensations, gently redirecting focus to areas of tension or relaxation. Mindful observation, another popular technique, invites clients to engage their senses by noticing details in their surroundings—colors, sounds, or textures—thus fostering a sense of calm and stability. This is especially critical during intense emotional moments, as such grounding practices prevent overwhelm and maintain a sense of control that is key for effective therapy.
Virtual therapy sessions add another layer of convenience by enabling clients to practice mindfulness in the comfort of their own environments, reinforcing the habit without additional stress or barriers. Pro Tip for Clients: Consider keeping a journal or an emotion-tracking app handy to reflect on your experiences after trying new mindfulness or emotion regulation techniques. Documenting reflections allows clients to identify patterns, recognize what methods work best, and discuss these insights with their therapist for deeper personalization of therapeutic approaches.
By combining mindfulness with EMDR methods, clients equip themselves with a toolkit that not only enhances their therapy sessions but also promotes long-term emotional resilience.
7. Personality Assessments
Understanding personality traits can provide profound insights into the underlying motivations, behaviors, and reactions of an individual. By incorporating tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the Enneagram Test into therapy, clients can develop a clearer sense of self-awareness regarding their preferences, strengths, and potential challenges. For example, the MBTI categorizes individuals into 16 distinct personality types based on four key dimensions of personality, including how they focus their energy, process information, make decisions, and approach the world. This framework can help clients understand why they interact with others or respond to situations in certain ways and reveal areas for growth or adaptation.
Similarly, the Enneagram Test identifies nine personality types, emphasizing the core motivations, fears, and desires driving each type’s behaviors. This tool can uncover deeper emotional patterns that may be influencing how a client processes trauma or approaches conflict resolution in their lives. Sharing results from these assessments with a therapist creates opportunities for collaborative discussions about how personality traits may shape relational dynamics, coping mechanisms, or the way a client perceives and manages challenges. Additionally, these assessments provide a language and framework for understanding themselves within a broader context, promoting self-compassion and acceptance.
By integrating personality assessments into therapy, clients can identify and capitalize on their inherent strengths while devising personalized strategies to address areas of growth. This process not only enriches individual insight but also enables therapists to tailor their approaches in alignment with the client’s unique personality structure—creating a therapy experience that feels authentic and empowering.
8. Gratitude Practices
Gratitude practices serve as a powerful tool to foster mental well-being, resilience, and a more positive outlook on life, especially for clients navigating the emotional demands of therapy. Encouraging clients to adopt gratitude journaling can be a simple yet profoundly impactful exercise. By dedicating a few moments at the end of each day to reflect on three things they are grateful for, individuals redirect their focus from stress or negativity to appreciation and positivity. This practice doesn’t have to be complex—clients can use apps like Grateful or a basic notebook, making it adaptable to any lifestyle.
The science behind gratitude journaling demonstrates its ability to shift the brain’s focus toward the positive, helping clients build emotional resilience over time. Regularly engaging in this practice enhances mood, reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, and increases overall life satisfaction. For clients engaged in trauma work, gratitude can serve as a counterbalancing force, offering moments of lightness and stability amidst the heavier emotional processing often involved in therapy.
Additionally, gratitude practices encourage mindfulness by bringing attention to moments, people, or experiences that might have otherwise gone unnoticed throughout the day. This intentional reflection can cultivate a deeper appreciation for the present moment and strengthen interpersonal relationships, as individuals begin to feel more connected to the sources of their gratitude. Therapists can support clients by exploring themes that emerge from their gratitude lists and encouraging them to weave gratitude into other aspects of their daily routines.
By integrating gratitude journaling into therapy, clients gain an accessible and sustainable tool for fostering positivity and emotional strength, ensuring that their therapeutic work is both grounding and transformative.
9. Self-Compassion Exercises
Healing trauma often involves a pivotal and deeply personal step: learning to be kinder to oneself. The practice of self-compassion is integral to developing a nurturing relationship with oneself, promoting emotional resilience and empowerment. Pioneering work in this field, such as Dr. Kristin Neff’s book Self-Compassion, provides invaluable insights into fostering this mindset. Neff outlines the key components of self-compassion—self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness—which form a foundation for individuals to approach themselves with understanding amidst their struggles.
Additionally, tools like guided meditations available on apps like Insight Timer complement these teachings by offering accessible, real-time methods to practice self-compassion. These exercises help individuals pivot away from self-criticism, encouraging a more balanced, kind, and forgiving mindset.
Self-compassion exercises are a natural complement to deeper therapeutic work, such as EMDR therapy. While EMDR focuses on reprocessing traumatic memories, self-compassion offers a supportive framework to address negative self-beliefs that may emerge during this process. Over time, this dual approach encourages clients to replace feelings of shame or inadequacy with acceptance and care, amplifying the impact of their healing journey. Exercises that emphasize being present with one’s emotions, such as writing a compassionate letter to oneself or practicing affirmations, provide valuable self-healing lessons that help clients move beyond trauma with greater ease.
Empower your clients by incorporating self-healing lessons and exercises rooted in self-compassion into their routines. Encourage them to set aside time daily or weekly to engage in these activities, which reinforces their ability to process emotions and builds their sense of agency between sessions. Simple practices, like journaling about moments of self-kindness or reflecting on shared human experiences, can elevate their therapeutic progress and fortify their inner strength. By prioritizing self-compassion, clients unlock an essential pathway toward self-healing and long-term emotional well-being.
Why Supplementing EMDR Therapy Can Transform Healing
EMDR therapy is a powerful modality for addressing trauma and emotional distress, but its benefits only grow when paired with complementary tools for stress reduction, emotional regulation, and self-awareness. By adding these resources, clients can take a proactive role in their healing process while therapists can foster deeper and more comprehensive transformations.
If you resonate with the idea of enhancing your EMDR experience, try incorporating one or more of the tools shared here. Small actions—like meditating for five minutes, tracking your mood, or starting a gratitude journal—can lead to profound growth. Here’s to building healing habits, one step at a time.
