What to Expect in Your First EMDR Therapy Phoenix Session: A Step-by-Step Guide in What I Do as a Certified EMDR Therapist
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A safe, grounded start to EMDR Therapy Phoenix.
Taking the first step to address your trauma and begin your healing journey can feel overwhelming — and honestly, pretty nerve-wracking. You may be fully ready to take the next step and still feel scared about what the first session will be like. If you’re considering EMDR therapy in Phoenix or Tempe, you might wonder:
“What will we do in the first session?”
“Are we diving right into the darkest moments of my life?”
“What if I get overwhelmed?”
Take a deep breath. Let’s walk through what actually happens in your first EMDR therapy session with me — as a Certified EMDR Therapist serving Phoenix, Tempe, and all of Arizona (as well as Florida).
Spoiler: We are not jumping into reprocessing trauma on day one.
As a trauma therapist offering, I take creating in creating a safe, compassionate environment to support your healing very seriously. Here’s how we set the foundation in that very first session.
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1. Building a Foundation: Sharing Your Story
Your first session is all about connection, understanding, and setting the stage for healing — not reliving trauma. Think of it as a gentle beginning rather than a heavy deep dive.
We’ll explore:
Your Personal History At Your Pace
You’ll share what you feel comfortable sharing about your past and what has shaped your current experiences. Some people like to “cannon-ball into the pool” with a lot of detail, while others prefer to dip a toe in slowly.
You are in control here. There is no pressure to share the darkest chapters of your story on day one.
Current Challenges
We’ll talk through the symptoms, triggers, and patterns that feel heavy or overwhelming right now.
Things like:
feeling stuck in anxiety or perfectionism
flashbacks or intrusive memories
emotional reactivity
shutdown or numbness
This helps us create a roadmap for your healing, one that fits you, not a one-size-fits-all EMDR template.
If you want to explore more about why your nervous system reacts the way it does, you may also like ➡️ When Trauma Triggers Take Over: Understanding Your Nervous System & How EMDR Therapy Helps You Heal
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2. Addressing Fears About Reprocessing
One of the most common fears people bring into the first session is:
“Are we going straight into the trauma?”
No. Absolutely not.
Your first session focuses on psychoeducation and pacing, not reliving painful memories.
Understanding How EMDR Works
Through our conversation, I’ll walk you through the EMDR process, how the brain stores trauma, why bilateral stimulation helps, and what reprocessing looks and doesn’t look like. If you want a more detailed breakdown, you can explore:
➡️ EMDR Therapy Phoenix 101: Why EMDR Shouldn’t Be Self- or AI-Administered
➡️ How EMDR Therapy Phoenix Works & Why It Goes Beyond Talk Therapy
Setting the Pace Together
I often use the analogy of EMDR being like having a GPS (that’s me!) and you being the driver:
You choose the speed.
You decide when we pull over.
You decide if we need quiet or more support.
You choose when it’s time to continue.
This helps your body and brain stay inside your window of tolerance so the work is meaningful, safe, and effective.
If you want to understand more about the 8 phases of EMDR and how reprocessing fits into the larger picture, you may like: ➡️ Top 5 Truths About EMDR Therapy Phoenix
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Photo Description: A close-up shot of a construction worker wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and black shorts. The focus is on their tool belt, which holds various tools like screwdrivers, a measuring tape, and a leather pouch. Just as a construction worker needs tools to build a stable foundation, individuals undergoing EMDR Therapy in Phoenix and EMDR Therapy in Tempe develop the tools needed to process trauma, regulate emotions, and create a stronger sense of self.
3. Developing Tools for Today’s Triggers
Trauma symptoms don’t wait until session three to show up. That’s why your first session includes (time allowing) practical, real-life tools that help you feel more regulated in the days between sessions.
These may include:
Grounding + Nervous System Regulation - Simple, trauma-informed tools that help bring your body back into the present moment when you feel overwhelmed.
Breathwork - Gentle, accessible options (no long breath holds or overwhelm) to help shift your nervous system toward calm.
Visualization Practices - There are a couple we can explore based off of time and need, but the most popular with most clients are a Secure Place visualization you can turn to when you feel overwhelmed, a mental space Container in which you can “store” things that are not serving you at the moment or a visualization practice that can help with more somatic based issues, known as the Spiral Technique or Healing Stream of Light.
Many of these tools are also available on my resources page if you want guided audio versions:
➡️ EMDR Therapy Resources
These tools aren’t one-size-fits-all. Together, we’ll discover what works best for you and create a toolkit you can carry with you outside of sessions.
4. Creating a Partnership in Healing
Your first EMDR session is where the collaboration begins.
This isn’t me telling you what to do. This is us building a relationship based on safety, trust, and transparency.
By the end of the first session, my goal is that you leave with:
A clear understanding of what EMDR therapy looks like
A sense of safety and control
A roadmap for next steps
1–2 tools you can use immediately to regulate between sessions
If you like understanding the “why” behind EMDR, you may also want to read:
➡️ Is EMDR Therapy in Phoenix Right for Me? Common Questions Answered
Taking the Next Step
Healing from trauma takes courage, and stepping into your first EMDR session can bring up a mix of hope and fear. You don’t have to navigate that alone. Your first session is intentionally slow, steady, and grounded — helping your mind, body, and nervous system feel safe as you begin this work.
Instead of diving into the hardest memories, we start by getting to know your story, building stability, and creating tools you can use right away. This is where the foundation for deep, meaningful change begins.
I offer EMDR therapy in Phoenix and Tempe, both in-person and online throughout Arizona and Florida, as well as EMDR Intensives in Arizona —a condensed format that allows for deeper, uninterrupted work within a safe and supportive space.
About Kandace Ledergerber, LPC/LMHC
EMDR Therapy Phoenix EMDR Therapy Tempe - Kandace Ledergerber (she/her). Picture description: White female with short curly hair smiling at the viewer in a field with greenery, wearing a navy blue tank top with sunflowers
Kandace Ledergerber (she/her) is a trauma therapist and Certified EMDR Therapist serving Phoenix, Tempe, and all of Arizona. She specializes in helping adults heal from childhood trauma, relationship wounds, anxiety, and nervous system dysregulation through EMDR therapy, trauma-informed care, and compassionate, collaborative treatment. Kandace offers weekly EMDR therapy as well as EMDR Intensives for clients seeking more focused support. 🌻 Take the Next Step
If you’re ready to start healing in a way that works with your brain and body, I’d love to support you. Book a Free 15-Minute Consultation and see if EMDR therapy in Phoenix is the right fit for your healing journey.
TL;DR
Starting EMDR therapy can feel overwhelming, but your first session is all about building a strong foundation—not diving straight into trauma.
🔹 You share your story at your own pace. No pressure. No forced details.
🔹 We talk through how EMDR works and clear up fears about reprocessing.
🔹 You’ll learn real tools (grounding, breathwork, visualizations) to support you immediately.
🔹 We begin a collaborative partnership, building trust and stability for deeper work later.
My Specialties Include EMDR Therapy Tempe, EMDR Therapy Phoenix EMDR Therapy Intensives, Anxiety, Sexual Abuse, and Cycles of Family Trauma.
If you found this article helpful, check out EMDR Therapy in Phoenix & Tempe - How Trauma Triggers Sneak Up & What to Do About It and these guided visual meditations that I use as EMDR Therapy Resources in my clinical work!
