EMDR Phase 7 Explained: Closure and Why Every Single EMDR Session Must End Here

Jun 23

This blog is adapted from one of our recent podcast episodes. You can take a listen at the button above.

Every EMDR session ends in Phase 7. Not most sessions. Every session.

That's what makes the Closure phase unique among all eight phases of EMDR. It doesn't matter whether processing was completed or not. It doesn't matter whether a stuck point was hit or new material emerged. Before a client walks out the door, Phase 7 has to happen.

In this blog post, I break down what closure actually involves, why preparation and closure are more tightly connected than most clinicians realize, and what it means for a client to leave a session feeling tired but not out of control.

Key Takeaways

In this blog post, you'll learn:

Why Phase 7 is the only EMDR phase that must appear in every single session
What stable and grounded mean and how clinicians assess for both
The difference between a complete and an incomplete EMDR session
Why preparation and closure are two sides of the same coin
The most common closure mistake clinicians make and how to avoid it
What clients should expect to feel when they leave an EMDR session
How to help clients manage what comes up between sessions

Phase 7 Is the Only Phase That Shows Up Every Time

No other phase in EMDR has this requirement. Phase 7 (Closure) ends every session, regardless of what happened during it. Whether a memory was fully processed or the session was cut short by a stuck point, the client needs to be brought to a stable, grounded place before they leave.

This makes Phase 7 uniquely important in a different way than the other phases. It's not about the target. It's about the person walking out the door.

Phase 6 was the last active work on the specific target. Phase 7 is about the session as a whole. Phase 8 (which comes next) will loop back to check whether the changes held. But Phase 7 is the bridge between the session and the rest of the client's day.

What Closure Actually Means: Stable and Grounded

Two words define the goal of Phase 7: stable and grounded. They sound similar but mean different things.

Stable means the client's emotional distress is not elevated to the point where they can't function. A client leaving at an eight out of ten on the distress scale is not stable. Tired is okay. Drained is okay. Eight out of ten is not.

Grounded means the client is oriented, present in the here and now, aware of who they are, where they are, what time it is, and why they're there. In clinical terms, this is called being oriented times four. I don't run every client through this checklist at the end of every session, but if there are any signs of dissociation (someone not making eye contact, seeming disconnected from the present moment), I do.

The goal of closure is simple: the client can function for the rest of the day. They should leave feeling tired, possibly with a lot on their mind. They should not leave feeling out of control.

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Preparation and Closure Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

One of the most important insights: preparation and closure are deeply connected phases, and they should be planned together.

In Phase 2 (Preparation), clinicians build resources, establish grounding tools, and set up the client for what processing will require. What often isn't made explicit is that part of that preparation work is preparing for closure.

Specific questions that should be addressed in the preparation phase with closure in mind:

How long does this client typically need to settle after an emotionally activating experience?
What grounding tools work best for them?
If they leave at an eight out of ten, what's the plan?
Are one-hour sessions even sufficient for this client, given their closure needs?

That last question matters more than it might seem. For some clients, closure alone might take 45 minutes. For those clients, 60-minute sessions will never be enough for EMDR. They need 90 minutes minimum. This isn't a preference; it's a clinical necessity. And it should be established before processing ever begins.

Complete vs. Incomplete Sessions

Not every EMDR session ends with a fully processed memory. Understanding the difference between a complete and an incomplete session shapes how closure unfolds.

A complete session means the memory has been fully processed - SUD at zero, positive cognition fully endorsed, clear body scan. When this happens, closure tends to move quickly and smoothly. The client is already in a relatively settled place because the processing reached a natural resolution.

An incomplete session means something interrupted or slowed the processing like time ran out, a stuck point emerged, or significant new material surfaced. In these cases, more closure work is needed, not less. The client is walking away from an open process, and that requires more careful, intentional support before they leave.

The most common mistake I see in this phase: clinicians hit a stuck point, keep working through it, and run out of time for closure. The intention is good - nobody wants to leave a client mid-processing, but the result is a client who leaves dysregulated, and that's worse than ending an incomplete session properly.

The Stuck Point Rule: Add Time, Don't Borrow It

I’m sharing a personal system I use to manage the time blind spot that can emerge mid-session.

Every time I use an out-of-the-ordinary intervention because a stuck point has been hit, I look at the clock and mentally add five minutes to my planned closure time. My standard closure is ten minutes. One stuck point: now it's fifteen. Depending on the client, I may add two to five minutes per stuck point.

I describe it as visualizing the minute hand on the clock moving backward - identifying the point of no return where I absolutely have to stop and begin closure, regardless of where processing is.

The rule is simple: when you hit a bump, increase closure time. Don't decrease it.

Every stuck point reduces the likelihood of a complete session. Clinicians who borrow from closure time to chase resolution are setting clients up to walk out the door in a worse state than if they'd stopped sooner and closed well.

What Clinicians Do During Closure

Phase 7 draws directly on the tools built in Phase 2. This is another reason preparation and closure are so connected - the resources installed in preparation are the ones deployed in closure.

Tools used in closure include:

Containment — using the Container resource from Phase 2 to put away anything that came up and isn't resolved, so the client isn't carrying it unmanaged into the rest of their day.

Safe Place — returning to the grounding resource established in preparation, particularly for clients who are elevated.

Grounding techniques — sensory, somatic, or cognitive grounding to bring the client back to the present moment.

Cognitive framing — a brief piece of psychoeducation reminding the client that if things are stirring, that's the process working. The brain keeps processing after the session ends. That's expected, not alarming.

Between-session reminders — reminding the client that vivid dreams may occur, that memories may surface, that keeping a log is an option, and that their resources are available to them.

One practical tool I use as clients are leaving: I ask them to identify whether the time after the session is a let whatever comes up, come up time or a contained time. A client driving into a work meeting needs containment. A client going home to a quiet evening might have space to let things surface. The client gets to decide, and having a frame for that decision is itself grounding.

If a client can make that distinction and manage it effectively between sessions, I say they're in good shape.

What Clients Should Expect After an EMDR Session

If you're an EMDR client or considering becoming one, here's what I want you to know about leaving a session:

Expect to feel tired. Almost every time. Processing is work, and the body and brain know it.

Expect to have a lot on your mind. The brain doesn't stop when the session ends. Things may surface, connections may emerge, dreams may be more vivid. This is normal.

Don't expect to feel out of control. If you're regularly leaving EMDR sessions feeling raw, destabilized, or unable to function, that's a signal. Tell your therapist. You may need more closure time, longer sessions, or a different approach to how sessions are structured.

Clients sometimes come to me after working with other EMDR providers describing sessions that left them feeling out of control. That's not what EMDR is supposed to feel like. It's a sign that closure wasn't given the time and attention it required.

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Before the Client Walks Out: The Final Check

My end-of-session checklist before a client leaves:

Are they grounded and present?
Can they function for the rest of the day?
Do they have a plan for self-care?
Do they know who to reach out to if symptoms increase?
Are there any signs of dissociation that need to be addressed?

That last point, dissociation, is worth naming. Signs include lack of eye contact, seeming disconnected, difficulty identifying where they are or what's happening. If those signs are present, the session doesn't end until they're resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Phase 7

What is EMDR Phase 7 Closure?

Phase 7 is the closing phase of every EMDR session. Its goal is to ensure the client leaves in a stable, grounded state, regardless of whether the session's processing was complete or not. Closure involves containment, grounding, cognitive framing, and reminders about what to expect between sessions.

Why does every EMDR session end in Phase 7?

Unlike other EMDR phases, which are tied to specific targets and progress through the protocol, Phase 7 is about the person, not the target. Every session involves a human being who needs to drive home, go back to work, or care for their family. They need to leave in a functioning state, which is what Phase 7 ensures.

What is the difference between a complete and incomplete EMDR session?

A complete session means the target memory was fully processed - SUD at zero, positive cognition fully endorsed at seven on the VOC scale, and a clear body scan. An incomplete session means processing was interrupted by time constraints, a stuck point, or new material emerging. Both sessions end with Phase 7, but incomplete sessions require more closure work.

What should I expect to feel after an EMDR session?

Expect to feel tired. Expect to have a lot on your mind. The brain continues processing after the session ends, which may show up as vivid dreams, surfacing memories, or unexpected emotional responses. What you should not expect is to feel out of control or destabilized. If that's happening regularly, talk to your therapist, you may need more closure time or longer sessions.

How are preparation and closure connected in EMDR?

Preparation (Phase 2) builds the resources and grounding tools that closure (Phase 7) draws on. They're also connected logistically - how long a client needs to settle after an activating session, what their emotional volatility looks like, and what tools work best for them should all be established in preparation with closure in mind. I now make this connection explicit when onboarding new clients.

What happens if a clinician runs out of time for closure?

Skipping or shortening closure is one of the most consequential mistakes in EMDR. Clients who leave without adequate closure time can feel raw, dysregulated, or out of control - not just uncomfortable, but genuinely destabilized. When stuck points emerge mid-session, the correct response is to increase planned closure time, not decrease it.

Related Resources

Hello. Hello. Hello, friends, welcome to the podcast where we simplify everything about mental health. Just kidding. But here's what we are gonna do. We're gonna sit down together a licensed mental health professional, that's me and a regular old Joe as my husband Garth would describe himself. We're gonna talk about the nitty gritty of EMDR, some nervous system mapping, how couples can help each other heal. What's healthy parenting actually look like? Maybe a little bit of good old banter mixed in. All with the goal of making mental health a little bit simpler for you. Quick note, because my lawyer says that I have to, I'm a therapist, but not your therapist. Unless I am. Even if I am. This is still just a podcast. Okay, now have a good listen. Hello, friends. Thank you again for joining us. And I say us, today I'm actually doing my first solo episode in a long time. We are navigating a new nap schedule here as our babe turns one, and Garth has shifted some meetings and things around to accommodate that. And so hopefully he... Not hopefully, he will be back with us soon but it'll take a minute to get there. So we are still in our series, what are the eight phases of EMDR? We are on phase seven, and we're going to kind of work on the fly today since it's just me. We're going to see how quickly I can get through phase seven. We may also cover phase eight today. We'll see how long the episode is because there won't be as much back and forth between Garth and I. So phase seven is the closure phase. We had talked in the last episode, in phase six, that it's really the last place where we are working to like working actively in the target itself. And then phase seven is about wrapping up for that specific session, and then phase eight goes into circling back to make sure that the changes that we made to this target are sustained. So in phase seven, as we're working on closure every session ends, and whether you finished processing or not, you need to end in phase seven. So we will not necessarily hit any other phase in a session where we're doing EMDR. You should come to phase seven and end there. So phase seven, no one phase is any more important than the others, but phase seven should be showing up in every session that you're doing EMDR. That is not true for any other phase. Okay? All right. Let's walk through it. But first, Garth gave me a slip of paper with bant. So let me get to that. Okay. Okay. What are items in the back of my car, and what are they for? Items in the back of my car Okay, in the back of my car... It says name three. I will try to name three. In the back of my car, I have jumper cables because, yeah. I have donations. That's like I have a bin in the back of my car, and the whole family knows just, like, drop donations. When it gets full, mom goes through and does donations. I think currently if I-- I don't know if any other parents do this. If I see that my kids aren't playing with something I will... I don't do this to my older kids but my younger kids, if I see that they're not playing with something, I will take it and put it in the donation bin, and generally, if it sits there for two weeks without question, it gets donated. So right now, I have a Bluey house that initially was loved for, like, two months. It was loved. It was loved hard, and then it has not been played with. And like, I'm just... I'm fine with, like, let's let it go and make space for something new. So yeah, I currently have a Bluey house and some clothes in my donation bin. So I've got my donation bin. I've got my jumper cables, and I have a freezer bag in case we're, like, out and grabbing groceries and wanna throw something in there. I also have a blanket. I always carry a blanket with me. I think that's it. I think that's all that's back there. That's a pretty good BAM for somebody that couldn't be here. So thanks, Garth, for the BAM. Okay. EMDR phase seven closure. We are ending every EMDR session with phase seven. We are ensuring that the client leaves stable and grounded. Stable, meaning their emotional distress is not at, like, an eight. And then grounded meaning that they're oriented times four. They're alert, they know who they are, where they are, what time it is, and what the situation is. So they can very clearly tell me you know, their name, their age, that they're at my office that they, again, age, that they're thirty-two years old or that, you know, it's two thousand and twenty-six and that they're here for therapy. Now, do I ask everyone to run through that with me at the end of a session? No. But if I had any dissociation concerns, so if I was concerned that they were not grounded with me in the present moment, I certainly would. So closure is about again, making sure that our emotional distress is not like sitting in an eight as we're walking out the door and then also that we, we are grounded. Now, if it is important for-- and this is something that should be done in resourcing. I'm sorry, done in the preparation phase. I had said in the preparation phase that I use resourcing and preparation interchangeably, which is not technically correct. But in the preparation phase we should be thinking about if someone has significant emotional volatility, not only what are the things that we are installing in EMDR, but like what are the logistical things that are going to help the client and the clinician when emotions are all over the place or when emotions are really heightened. And so we should know ahead of time when I get to closure and they are sitting at an eight out of ten, what am I gonna do? What interventions am I going to utilize in order to get them to a good spot? Also, how long should my closure be? So that's one of the things that we're assessing for and that if you're a client listening, you should be talking to your clinician about is I need a really long time to calm down. And in the preparation phase, w-we should be working through, okay, what's closure gonna look like for us? I should have s-spoken more explicitly about that in the preparation episode, but we're doing it now. What is closure going to look like for us? How long are we gonna need-- Are one-hour sessions ever gonna be enough for us to do EMDR if we need a closure time of forty-five minutes? No. Right? And so for somebody that needs closure times that are that long, they're going to need longer sessions. That's just how it's gonna go. They're gonna need at least 90 minutes, right? And so keeping that in mind, preparing for that. In fact, as I'm just, like, actively processing here on the podcast, I'm gonna start putting that into my paperwork for my clinicians that work for me. In preparation phases, we should be talking about closure phase protocols, essentially. I love that. And I think w-we do that anyway, but I've just never been that explicit about it, that there should be this really strong connection between how are we preparing and then how are we closing. So again, there's not, you know, a ton more to run through here except what is the difference between a complete session and an incomplete session? A complete session means that the memory has been fully processed. That means that we have, like, a zero distress level that we've fully endorsed this new positive cognition, and we have a clear body scan like we talked about in the last episode. This obviously sets us up for the client to be in a stable and grounded place. And so this phase is going to go very quickly when we have a complete session. When we have an incomplete session, we ran out of time while we were mid-processing. There was maybe a stuck point that we needed to pivot from. New material, maybe a significant amount of new material emerged, and we are going to need more closure work here. So, in each phase, I've tried to find a moment to talk about some ways that we could go astray in phase work. And probably the most significant thing that I see in the closure phase is that clinicians hit a stuck point in other phases, and rather than thinking, "Okay, because I'm hitting the stuck point, I'm going to need to allot for more closure time," they try and try and try and try and try to move through that stuck point, and they run into a situation where they don't have any closure time. And so what trick that I've done for myself, because I have a little bit of time blindness Every time that I have to use some sort of intervention with a client that's k- sort of out of the norm because we've hit a stuck point, I will look at the time, and I will make a mental note to myself to add five minutes to closure time. Now, my typical closure time when I do EMDR is 10 minutes. So if I hit a stuck point, I am adding five minutes. I'm now at 15 minutes of closure time. Depending on the client, sometimes I'll let myself do two to five. But I am literally, this is just how my brain works, I am literally visualizing the hand, the minute hand on my clock moving backwards. This is the point where I absolutely have to stop and start closure now because we've hit this stuck point. Because every stuck point that a client hits is it decreases the likelihood that we are going to have a complete session, right? So most significant thing that I see when it comes to this phase is just that, eh, well-meaning, we're trying to move through stuck points, and we, we don't have time for closure. Now, I have had clients come to me that have done EMDR before say things like, "I just always left feeling really like raw and out of control." Now, I'm fine with a client leaving feeling tired. That's going to happen almost every time. I don't want clients leaving feeling out of control. And so if you're a client listening to this and you are leaving EMDR sessions, if you're a current EMDR client of anyone, and you're leaving EMDR sessions feeling out of control, please express that to your clinician. You need more closure time. Again, you should expect to leave feeling tired. You should expect to leave you know, maybe even with a, a lot on your mind. But to leave feeling out of control is not the goal. We wanna shift that. We are using containment, so again, preparation and the preparation phase and the closure phase are tied together, so we're using containment. We talked about that in the preparation phase. We're using just typical, like, grounding techniques. We are using safe place. We are using cognitive framing. This material coming up means processing is working. Normalizing that, like, things are stirring in their brain. Their brain is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. So in the cognitive framing, we're providing just a little bit of, like, psychoeducation. Right? And obviously you can see, again, preparation and closure, they're tied so closely together. Again, what I said earlier was I've just never explicitly said to a client, like, part of the preparation phase is preparing us for the closure phase, and I'm gonna start saying that. I'm gonna start more m- making that time more explicit because I think that that could be helpful for clients and then for the clinicians that I work with as well. We are also reminding them, again, this is something that should've been done in the preparation phase, but reminding them of some things that could come up in between sessions. Your brain is going to keep processing. You might have dreams. You can keep a log if you'd like to. Don't forget what your resources are. We're going over those. What not to do. Try not to think about this, no matter what. Minimizing what happens. The way that I explain it to clients is I want you to leave here with the same kind of space that you've used here, which is I'm gonna let whatever comes up come up at certain times, and then at other times I'm going to contain, and I'm going to identify what times I'm in. So I'll even say, "When you leave here and you get in the car, is that a I'm gonna let whatever comes up come up time or is that a contained time?" And the client decides, is it a let whatever comes up come up time or a contained time? And so my goal for clients is that they are leaving the session and they are able to choose when they're going to just let things come up, and they are going to choose when if things come up, they contain them. If a client is able to do that effectively in between sessions, they've got in between session time like Slade. They're good to go. Before a client walks out, this is kind of our last run through, are they grounded and present? Can they function for the rest of the day? Do they have a plan for self-care? Do they know who they're going to reach out to if their symptoms increase? This is really important. Some signs of dissociation. Someone's not making eye contact with you. They can't identify where they're at and what they're doing. Again, do I ask that of every client at the end of the session? No. But if I see signs of dissociation, which we won't dive into today, then I, I am asking that of them. Okay. So we are sitting at- 11 minutes. We are not going to run through phase eight today. We're just going to have two shorter episodes because I want to give eight- phase eight its, its due time as well. And I was going to lump them together, and I knew at some point as we went through these phases that I would have an itch to lump phases together and, and here it is. But we're gonna keep them separate. And I want to do a closing run-through for us. Okay. So preparation and closure, two tightly connected phases. And like I said, I don't typically explain that to clients, but I'm gonna start. I, I think that maybe they notice, but I'm just... I, I think there's something to, like, speaking that out loud, "Hey, we're doing this, this, and this so that we can wrap up well in our closure time together at the end of the session." And the other piece that I want you to take away if you're a clinician practicing EMDR is that when you hit a bump in the road during the session, that you need to make a mental note of adding more closure time, not taking away closure time. Okay? We don't wanna hit a bump in the road, stay in a different phase longer, and borrow that time away from closure time. Increase the closure time when you hit bumps. Don't decrease it. Okay. Guys, the next time you hear from us hopefully Garth and I will be together on the podcast, and we will be going over the final episode in this series, what are the eight phases of EMDR. We will be going over phase eight. Phase eight is reevaluation, so we are coming back to a target and making sure that the changes that we worked on are sustainable. So whether or not you are a potential EMDR client, a current EMDR client, or a clinician listening, I hope that this series has been helpful, and we will be wrapping up next time you hear from us. Have a great day. Bye-bye. Well, that's all folks. Please see our show notes for ways to connect with us or go give us a follow on Instagram. You can find us at Simply Mental. If this episode resonated with you, send it over to a friend. Give us a five star rating. Subscribe. Download all the things the cool kids are doing these days. Thanks for having to listen.