When Today’s Triggers Are the Best Place to Start in EMDR

When people think of EMDR, they often imagine starting with the “big” trauma: the accident, the assault, the major loss, or the childhood event that changed everything. Sometimes that is indeed the right starting point. But the EMDR model also allows us to begin somewhere much closer to home—today’s triggers and everyday situations that feel overwhelming.

In the Adaptive Information Processing framework, present-day reactions are expressions of older, unprocessed networks. The anxiety before a work meeting, the shutdown when a partner raises their voice, the urge to flee a crowded store—these are not random overreactions. They are the nervous system saying, “This feels like something that hurt me before.” For some clients, stepping into EMDR through a recent, concrete situation feels safer and more manageable than going straight to early trauma.

Practically, this can look like targeting a current trigger such as “That moment my boss frowned in the meeting,” “The sound of the front door slamming,” or “Standing at the microphone before speaking.” The therapist and client explore the image that stands out most, the negative belief about self that comes with it (“I’m going to fail,” “I’m in danger,” “I’m powerless”), and the emotions and body sensations that show up in the moment.

Once the target is clearly defined, bilateral stimulation begins. As processing unfolds, earlier memories that share a similar emotional tone or belief often surface on their own: a teacher’s criticism, a parent’s anger, a humiliating incident at school, a time the client felt trapped or shamed. EMDR follows this natural chain, allowing the brain to connect today’s experience with its roots in the past.

This “present-to-past” path respects the nervous system’s pacing. Instead of forcing access to the earliest or most intense memory, we trust that working effectively with the present will lead us where we need to go. The client stays anchored in something recent and recognizable, which can reduce fear and increase a sense of control. They can look at the situation and say, “Yes, that actually happened last month,” rather than feeling pressured to dive immediately into the deepest layers of their history.

Starting with current triggers also makes therapy feel directly relevant to daily life. Clients often notice practical changes quickly: less dread before meetings, fewer arguments escalating at home, more ability to stay in their body in crowded spaces. These shifts are not superficial; they are signs that underlying networks are reorganizing so that the present is no longer fused with the past.

In EMDR, the past matters deeply, but the present is often the most accessible doorway into lasting change. By respecting where your nervous system is ready to start—whether with a recent situation or a long-ago event—EMDR offers a flexible path that still honors the structure of the EMDR model.