Is It Normal to Feel Worse Before You Feel Better in Trauma Therapy?
Starting trauma therapy can feel like a brave and hopeful step. You might expect relief, clarity, or even peace right away. But what happens when you begin to feel worse before you feel better? It can be unsettling—but it’s also completely normal.
If you’ve noticed an increase in anxiety, depression, stress, anger, or weird dreams after starting therapy, you’re not alone. Especially in trauma therapy—including approaches like EMDR therapy or IFS therapy—it’s common for emotions to rise before they settle. Healing is a process, and like most processes, it can be messy.
Why Do Things Get Harder at First?
When you begin trauma therapy, you're giving your mind and body permission to revisit wounds that may have been buried for years. This might bring up:
Old triggers you didn’t expect
Intense emotions like rage or grief
Physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or tension
Disrupted sleep or weird dreams
A temporary spike in anxiety or depression
This isn’t a sign that therapy isn’t working—it’s often a sign that it is.
The Science Behind the Pain
Trauma lives in the body and the nervous system. When you begin processing trauma through modalities like EMDR therapy or IFS therapy, your brain is doing the heavy lifting of reprocessing painful memories and rewriting old beliefs. This can activate your nervous system and make you feel emotionally raw.
It’s similar to how a deep tissue massage can leave you sore before your muscles feel better. In therapy, emotional “soreness” is part of your system trying to heal.
What Can You Do About It?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here are a few ways to support yourself during this stage:
Talk to your therapist about how you’re feeling—open communication helps shape your pace and plan.
Use grounding tools: breathwork, journaling, time in nature, or gentle movement.
Rest when needed—healing takes energy.
Remind yourself: This is temporary, and it’s leading somewhere meaningful.
You’re Not Broken—You’re Healing
Therapy is not a straight line. It’s a winding path that often dips before it climbs. Feeling worse before feeling better doesn’t mean therapy is making you sick—it means you’re finally facing what your mind and body have carried alone for too long.
Anxiety therapy, depression therapy, and trauma therapy are designed to support you through these emotional waves, not just in the good moments, but especially in the hard ones.
Ready to Begin or Continue Your Healing?
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, angry, anxious, or low during your healing process, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. Whether you’re just starting or feeling stuck, our team is here to help. We offer compassionate, trauma-informed counseling including EMDR therapy, anxiety therapy, and depression therapy.
Contact us today to schedule a session. Let’s take the next step together.
