How should I sit for an online EMDR session?

When you’re preparing for an online EMDR session, you might think about finding a private place, making sure your internet connection is reliable, and having your computer ready. One surprisingly easy thing to overlook is how you are actually going to sit.

As a therapist, I’ve noticed that many people arrive for online therapy sitting upright in an office chair, often with a laptop on a desk in front of them. That might be perfectly comfortable for an ordinary video call. However, during a longer EMDR processing session, perhaps 90 minutes or several hours during condensed or intensive EMDR therapy, you may find yourself gradually hunching towards the screen or becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

If you are doing several hours of EMDR in a day, or several longer sessions across a week, your physical comfort becomes especially important. There is no requirement to sit in a particular way for EMDR. So, before your session, it is worth spending a little time figuring out what is comfortable for you and discussing your setup with your therapist.

Start with the position of your screen

If you are using eye movements as bilateral stimulation, one of the main practical considerations is where your screen is positioned. Ideally, place the screen roughly at eye level so you can comfortably see and follow the eye movements without holding your head in an awkward position.

This may mean putting your laptop or tablet on some books, using a laptop stand, or placing it on a higher table. It can initially feel slightly odd to have your screen this high, particularly if you are used to having a laptop on your lap or looking down towards it.

Try experimenting before your session. Sit where you plan to sit, put your screen at about eye level, and see how your neck, shoulders, and back feel after a little while. Look for a position you can maintain comfortably without leaning forward toward the screen.

As well as being comfortable, your setup needs to allow your therapist to see you clearly enough to monitor what is happening and support you during the session. If you are using eye movements, for example, your therapist needs to see that you continue to follow them, as people sometimes stop without necessarily noticing.

Whatever form of bilateral stimulation you use, they need to monitor what you are doing and be able to see your facial expressions and other responses. For example, when a memory pulls on attention, people often stop making eye movements, and the therapist needs to see that to gently remind them to keep going.

With remote EMDR, this means thinking about things such as your camera position and having enough light so you're clearly visible. Getting these practical details right helps your therapist track how you are doing, check in with you, and notice when you might need additional support.

You don't have to sit in an office chair

An office chair may work perfectly well, particularly if it is comfortable and supports your lower back, neck, and head. If you have an ergonomic office chair that you already know you can sit in comfortably for a long period, that may be a straightforward option.

However, EMDR doesn't have to be done sitting upright in an office chair. You could sit in an armchair or even a recliner if that is more comfortable for you. Why not have a footrest available, in case you feel like putting your feet up?

The main challenge with a recliner is usually getting the screen into the right place while also making sure that you remain clearly visible to your therapist. If you lean far back, you don't want the camera pointing at the top of your head or positioned so your face and eyes can no longer be seen clearly. You may need to experiment with this together.

If you have an adjustable monitor arm, getting the screen into the right position might be relatively easy. With a laptop or tablet, you may need to be more inventive. A higher table positioned in front of your chair might work, particularly if there is enough space underneath for your legs. A console table or another relatively high, narrow table might be useful.

You could also use a small tray or large book on your lap as a platform for a mouse or keyboard. The important thing isn't that there is one correct arrangement, but that you experiment and find one that works for your body, the equipment you have available, and the work you are doing with your therapist.

You can move during EMDR

You don't necessarily have to stay in exactly the same position throughout a session either. If you'll be doing EMDR for a longer period, you might want the option to change positions. This can be particularly useful during condensed or intensive EMDR, when you may be spending considerably more time processing than you would in a standard therapy session.

Planning in advance for how you might sit, stand, stretch or move around during breaks can make it easier to stay physically comfortable across a longer session or several sessions.

For example, you could set things up so you can move your screen between different heights. You might sit for part of the session, stand for a while and then sit down again. If you have an adjustable desk or monitor, that may be particularly easy. Otherwise, you might be able to identify two places where you can position your laptop or tablet.

EMDR doesn't require you to stay seated. For example, you could stand and use foot tapping as bilateral stimulation. The main practical issue with changing position during online EMDR is making sure that you and your therapist can still see one another and that your therapist can continue to monitor the bilateral stimulation. If you are using eye movements on the screen, the screen also needs to remain at a suitable height.

If you think you might want to move around, it is worth planning for this before the session rather than trying to rearrange furniture or equipment halfway through processing. You can also let your therapist know you would like the option to move between positions so you can work out together how that might work.

What about lying down?

Lying completely flat is probably less useful for most online EMDR sessions. It can make it harder to position a screen comfortably, maintain visual contact with your therapist, and use some forms of bilateral stimulation. It may also make it harder for your therapist to see your face, eyes and other responses clearly enough to monitor what is happening.

Physical and emotional state needed for EMDR

It helps to distinguish between being comfortable and completely disconnecting. EMDR processing involves noticing what is happening internally while remaining engaged with the processing and with your therapist. For many people, a supported sitting or slightly reclining position may provide a useful balance between being physically relaxed and remaining engaged in the session.

That doesn't mean you need to sit rigidly upright, with your feet planted on the floor. Leaning back, supporting your head, putting your feet up or changing position may all be completely reasonable. However, be aware that your therapist will want to help you be in the right physical and emotional state for EMDR and is likely to suggest changes during the session.

For example, if you are reclining with your feet up and are becoming so relaxed that you are disconnecting, the therapist would likely suggest sitting up or even moving a bit to increase alertness.

Experiment before your session

Perhaps the most useful thing you can do is test your setup in advance.

Think about where your screen needs to be, where your head and neck will be, whether your back is supported and what happens to your posture after you have been sitting there for a while. Consider whether you want somewhere to put your feet, whether you might want to change position, and whether you can easily reach anything you need during the session.

You don't need an elaborate home-office setup. Books can raise a laptop. A table can be moved. A tray can hold a mouse. A cushion can provide additional support. What matters is finding something that works for you.

Work it out with your therapist

You don't need to set yourself up for EMDR entirely on your own. I would expect an EMDR therapist to help you with this as part of preparing for the work. EMDR therapists are trained to consider how they will deliver and monitor bilateral stimulation, how you and your therapist will communicate during processing, and what they need to observe to support you.

It can therefore be worth taking a little time at the beginning of a session to check the setup together. Can your therapist see your face and eyes clearly? Can they see enough of you to monitor the bilateral stimulation you are using? Can you see the screen comfortably without straining your neck or leaning forward? If you are planning to move between sitting and standing, or between different chairs, does the setup still work when you change position?

You can make adjustments together until you are both happy that the setup lets your therapist monitor and support you appropriately while keeping you physically comfortable. And if something becomes uncomfortable during the session, you can say so. You don't have to remain in an uncomfortable position simply because that is how you started the session.

Make yourself comfortable

Before your next online EMDR session, take a few minutes to look at where you'll be sitting. Move things around. Try different chairs. Raise your screen. Lean back. See what feels comfortable, and then work with your therapist to make sure that the setup works for both of you.

There isn't one correct way to sit for EMDR. The aim is to find a position in which you can be physically comfortable while still being able to engage fully with the process and allowing your therapist to see, monitor and support you throughout the session.