When Preparation Needs More Time in EMDR
One of the most common questions clinicians have during EMDR therapy is whether preparation is taking longer than it should. After several sessions devoted to stabilization, grounding, resource development, or psychoeducation, it is natural to wonder whether trauma processing should have started already.
The length of Phase 2 varies considerably from one client to another. Some clients are ready to begin reprocessing after only a few preparation sessions, while others benefit from additional work developing emotional regulation, dual attention, distress tolerance, grounding, or stabilization before moving forward. The more useful question is whether the client has developed the capacities needed to engage trauma processing safely and effectively.
What I want to do here is discuss why preparation sometimes takes longer than expected, what that may indicate clinically, and how clinicians can determine whether additional preparation is likely to benefit the client before beginning reprocessing.
When Does EMDR Preparation Need More Time?
If preparation seems to be taking longer than expected, the next step often depends on which areas still need development.
• If emotional regulation remains inconsistent → additional regulation and resource development may be beneficial.
• If the client struggles to remain present while discussing distressing material → strengthening dual attention and grounding skills may be helpful.
• If dissociation repeatedly interferes with treatment → additional stabilization and pacing are often indicated.
• If distress continues between sessions without adequate coping strategies → preparation may focus on strengthening between-session stability.
• If acute safety concerns or significant instability remain present → addressing those concerns typically becomes the priority before trauma processing begins.
Evaluating EMDR Preparation Across Key Capacities
One of the most common misconceptions about EMDR preparation is that clients should complete Phase 2 within a certain number of sessions. In practice, clinicians are evaluating whether clients have developed the skills and capacities needed to tolerate trauma processing safely. Because those capacities develop at different rates, the length of preparation naturally varies from one client to another.
The purpose of Phase 2 is to help clients develop the internal resources needed to tolerate activation of traumatic memory networks while remaining sufficiently grounded and connected to the present. Different clients develop these capacities at different rates, depending on factors such as trauma history, current stressors, dissociation, attachment experiences, medical concerns, and available support systems.
For some clients, preparation develops quickly. Others require additional time strengthening specific capacities before trauma processing becomes clinically appropriate. This reflects individualized treatment planning based on the client's current needs.
Different Preparation Capacities May Develop at Different Rates
Clients can show readiness in some areas while still needing support in others. For example, a client may consistently use grounding skills during sessions and recover well after moderate activation, yet become overwhelmed when approaching a particular memory. Another client may remain emotionally regulated throughout treatment but experience enough dissociation that maintaining dual attention becomes difficult as distress increases.
Other clients remain present and engaged during sessions but struggle with significant activation between appointments. Some understand the EMDR process well yet continue experiencing dissociation that interferes with staying connected to the present.
Looking at preparation across multiple domains helps clinicians identify which capacities have already developed and which areas may benefit from additional attention. This creates opportunities for more targeted intervention because preparation strategies can be matched to the specific capacities that still need strengthening.
At this point, many clinicians recognize that preparation may require additional time but would benefit from a more structured way to evaluate which preparation capacities have already developed and which still need strengthening. The EMDR Preparation Capacity Assessment & Stabilization Planning Tool helps clinicians evaluate emotional regulation, distress tolerance, dual attention, dissociation, between-session stability, trauma understanding, and overall clinical stability while linking areas needing development to targeted Phase 2 interventions.
→ EMDR Preparation Capacity Assessment & Stabilization Planning Tool
Preparation Capacity and Readiness Are Not the Same
As clinicians evaluate preparation, it is helpful to distinguish between preparation capacity and readiness for trauma processing. Preparation capacity focuses on the specific skills and abilities that support successful reprocessing. Readiness considers the broader clinical picture, including safety, stability, informed consent, treatment understanding, motivation, and completion of the foundational phases of EMDR therapy.
Preparation capacity helps clinicians identify what may still need strengthening. Readiness helps determine whether the client is prepared to begin trauma processing. Looking at both provides a more complete picture when making treatment decisions.
The free EMDR Client Readiness Checklist provides a quick review of key readiness considerations, including safety and stability, coping skills, dissociation, informed consent, treatment understanding, completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2, and whether a target sequencing plan has been established. It can serve as a practical final review before transitioning from preparation into reprocessing.
→ EMDR Client Readiness Checklist
Preparation Is Part of the Treatment
It can be easy to think of preparation as something clinicians complete before "the real work" begins. In practice, the skills developed during Phase 2 continue supporting clients throughout reprocessing and beyond. Emotional regulation, grounding, dual attention, and stabilization remain valuable throughout treatment as new memories are processed and new challenges arise.
When clients need more time in preparation, those sessions can strengthen the skills and supports that help them tolerate trauma processing, recover more effectively between sessions, and navigate future targets with greater confidence.
If you'd like a more comprehensive framework for understanding Phase 2 preparation, stabilization, readiness, and common preparation challenges, the EMDR Preparation CE is a self-paced continuing education course that explores preparation planning, resource development, readiness assessment, and clinical decision-making before trauma processing begins.
This article focuses on one aspect of EMDR preparation. If you'd like to see how preparation fits within the larger EMDR process, including assessment, target selection, sequencing, and trauma processing, explore the complete EMDR Preparation Hub.
Conclusion
There is no ideal number of sessions that EMDR preparation should require. The more useful question is whether clients have developed the capacities needed to engage trauma processing safely and effectively.
When preparation takes longer than expected, it often provides valuable clinical information about the areas that may benefit from additional support. By evaluating preparation across multiple capacities, assessing readiness thoughtfully, and individualizing stabilization efforts, clinicians can make more informed decisions about when clients are ready to move forward with reprocessing.
Research References
Bernstein, E. M., & Putnam, F. W. (1986). Development, reliability, and validity of a dissociation scale. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 174(12), 727–735. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005053-198612000-00004
International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. (2020). Trauma-related dissociation: An introduction (Fact Sheet III). https://www.isst-d.org/public-resources/trauma-dissociation-public-fact-sheets-support-sheets/
Leeds, A. (2016). A guide to the standard EMDR therapy protocols for clinicians, supervisors, and consultants. Springer Publishing.
Leeds, A. M., Madere, J. A., & Coy, D. M. (2022). Beyond the DES-II: Screening for dissociative disorders in EMDR therapy. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 16(1), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.1891/EMDR-D-21-00019
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
