EMDR WITH DANI AND ALLY

Assessing Client Readiness For Safe, Effective EMDR

• Dani & Ally • Episode 11

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How Do You Know When A Client Is Ready For EMDR?

How do you know when a client is “ready enough” for EMDR without over-preparing and losing momentum? We unpack a practical, compassionate framework for readiness that balances safety, capacity, and timing—especially with complex trauma, dissociation, and real-life stress tugging at the edges of therapy.

We start with the window of tolerance and what presence actually looks like in the room: not perfect calm, but the ability to notice emotions, track body sensations, and return from dissociation with support. From there, we look beyond the session. Do coping tools hold up between appointments? Are grounding, containment, and bilateral strategies helping clients recover after difficult moments? We explain how Resource Development and Installation can separate social ties from true emotional anchors, helping clients identify people, symbols, and practices that reliably support reprocessing.

For clients with attachment wounds and dissociation, readiness is measured in collaborative behaviors: naming needs, asking to slow down, and trusting that their therapist will respond contingently. We outline red flags that call for more preparation—active suicidal ideation without a plan, active substance use, frequent uncontrolled dissociation, volatile homes, major life transitions, or unstable medications—and show how to keep momentum by deepening Phase 1 and 2 instead of forcing Phase 4. Throughout, we emphasize ongoing informed consent and goal check-ins so clients feel empowered, not blocked. The heart of our message: EMDR is an eight-phase journey, and progress begins on day one with resourcing, education, and connection.

If this conversation helps you refine your own readiness checklist, share it with a colleague, subscribe for future episodes, and leave a quick review telling us your top green or red flag for EMDR readiness.

To learn more about EMDR WITH DANI AND ALLY visit:
https://www.DaniandAlly.com
EMDR WITH DANI AND ALLY
254-230-4994

SPEAKER_03:

Hey there, I'm Danny from Ontario, Canada. And I'm Allie from Texas.

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to EMDR with Danny and Allie, your go-to space for collaborative consultation that connects and grows one clinician at a time. I'm your voice guide, not Danny, not Allie, here to introduce your hosts, Danny in Ontario, Canada, and Allie in Texas. Together they train clinicians around the globe and offer EMDR therapy that's as supportive as a great pair of walking shoes. Steady, reliable, and just what you need to walk alongside your clients. Whether you're a seasoned therapist or just starting your EMDR journey, you're in the right place to connect, learn, and grow without having to log thousands of miles. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01:

Before EMDR begins, clinicians look for key indicators that a client has the stability, insight, and internal resources needed for safe and effective reprocessing. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Chelsea Earlywine, co-host and producer, back in the studio with the hosts of EMDR with Danny and Allie. Hi, Danny and Allie. How are you?

unknown:

Great.

SPEAKER_01:

Good, good. All right, you two. Well, let's dive in. Today's question is how do you know when a client is ready for EMDR?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. So we talk a lot about window of tolerance with clients when we're sort of in that preparation or phase two part of EMDR work. And what we're looking for in this space is can clients feel their emotions? Are they comfortable enough with feeling emotions that they're not going to sort of shut down or try and disconnect from their emotions? Or can they at least notice when that's happening and sort of bring themselves back? Can they stay present with us in the room without dissociating? Can they just stay with us in the room? Or again, can they notice what their dissociative experience is like and collaborate with us around, okay, this is what I need to stay in the room? And can they tolerate some level of discomfort psychologically? So are they willing to accept that EMDR is uncomfortable and can they sit with that uncomfortability?

SPEAKER_01:

So, Ali, how do you assess whether a client has adequate effect tolerance and grounding skills for EMDR?

SPEAKER_04:

Well, whether or not they have been able to utilize during the week when they're not in session with us is a really big piece to that. As well as the relationships. Are they developing healthy, supportive relationships that are also going to walk side by side with them through the process? Or is the clinician the only person in their wheelhouse at that time? If so, we know we need to do more phase two work to help them have more support in that moving forward with EMDR.

SPEAKER_01:

And Danny, what does it look like? What does readiness look like for clients with complex trauma or disassociation?

SPEAKER_02:

I I would say that a client, we want a client to be ready enough. We're not trying to sort of, you know, make them sort of resolve everything within phase two before they're before they're going into phase four. Otherwise, sort of what's the point of what we're doing in phase four? But we want them to be able to notice when things aren't going well and to be able to collaborate with us effectively around what I need. Sometimes for clients with attachment wounds, they need to be able to tell us and express what are my needs and and to believe that we will contingently meet those needs as therapists. And so there's a whole bunch of pieces to this, but um, you know, do we notice that they're sort of expressive of emotions during sessions? Can they name and identify emotions? Are we noticing a lot of disconnect happening during sessions? Can they notice what's happening in their body and name what's happening in their body? That's also a really, a really big one. Or do we need to do some embodiment to sort of try and reconnect or build safety in the body? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And Ali, you had mentioned external resources and support. So how do clinicians determine whether a client support system or external environment is going to be stable enough for EMDR?

SPEAKER_04:

Well, I think there's no black or white answer for that. But I think that we utilize things like the RDI, which is a protocol that we use after we've done some others like container and safe place that are really good coping strategies for them. Um, the RDI and some others are really helpful for them to be able to identify symbols, maybe scriptures, maybe words, may um other people that it really helps to weed out who they may have thought were their support system. But when it pertains to EMDR specifically, are they going to be there for me emotionally versus who I go to the movies or go happy hour or something like that? You know, it really helps kind of weed that out for them as the clients where they can see, okay, that is maybe a better friendship that I do this with, but this is these are my people that I'm able to really share with about this EMDR process.

SPEAKER_01:

That's so important to have that support system. Danny, what are some red flags that signal a client needs more preparation before moving into phase four?

SPEAKER_02:

I would say um one of one of the ones that sort of come, I mean, suicidal thoughts, ideation, those sorts of pieces, we have to work with those to make sure the client is feeling safe enough. Um that's that's one that happens from time to time. Addiction, active addiction. So actively using between sessions or showing up under the influence. Those are those are those are more red flags. But um dissociation from emotions, body, experiences, that's really the piece where we're trying to support clients and just being able to connect with themselves and what they experienced so that they're not getting flooded when they're sort of talking about something before they can go into processing.

SPEAKER_04:

I would also say, too, when um for sure with the association, like if they're if that is happening so frequently, um, we would need to build up some more resources for them. But also if they are not utilizing any of their coping skills throughout the week. Um, and then if they also are not in a safe environment at home. That would be um, or if there's uh like a giant job change that's happening right now, or they are moving right now, or just a ton of changes going on, it's gonna be better when they're at a more stable place in their life to be able to do EMDR. Um, yeah, those would be another additional, yeah. And then just assessing also their medications and where they are in that journey, if they're if they're at a pretty good place, stable place with medicine, um, or if they're really just up and down, still trying to get that regulated for them. I would say that would be another one.

SPEAKER_01:

That's a it's a lot to factor in. And I'm wondering what that conversation feels like with the client. So before we we close this session out, how do you communicate the concept of readiness to a client in a way that feels very collaborative versus limiting?

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. So I usually will talk to the client about, you know, what they feel that they need in order to kind of get to the place that we want to go. And so we, you know, informed consent is ongoing. So it's sort of like, what are our goals? And we re-evaluate and we check in about those goals all the time. And so if we're talking about addiction, for example, I will always talk to a client about, you know, where do we need to get with your addiction before we can sort of move into this, this sort of earlier stuff that you really you recognize is underneath. Um, and it's gonna, but we need to kind of get you to a place where you're able to manage these pieces in the moment to get to that earlier stuff. And so it's sort of like, you know, reminding them of what the process is and how it looks, and constantly asking for their engagement and permission.

SPEAKER_04:

And encouraging them that they are doing EMDR the whole time. Yeah, because they're in different phases, right? So that reminding them that EMDR is more than phase four, it's more than the reprocessing phase, right? There's there, it's eight phases, and so we're get providing that psychoeducation initially to see if that's something that they want to be a part of. And if so, then reminding them that we're in the EMDR journey or EMDR process from day one. It's just an ongoing process. Whether we're in phase one or we're in phase two, we've we've done some target work, but we're coming back to phase two to ramp up some more resources. Um, but just reminding them that it's a process.

SPEAKER_01:

It is indeed. Well, thank you both so much for sharing your expertise. That was incredibly helpful, and we will see you next time.

SPEAKER_03:

Hey there, I'm Danny from Ontario, Canada. And I'm Allie from Texas.

SPEAKER_00:

That wraps up another insightful episode of EMDR with Danny and Ally, where our slogan, collaborative consultation that connects and grows, one clinician at a time, isn't just catchy. It's our mission. Want more tools, training, or just need to ask Danny or Allie a question? Visit DannyandAlly.com or call or text 254 230 4994. Thanks for tuning in. And remember, the best healing starts with connection.