Why Your Brain Jumps Around in Therapy (and Why That’s Not a Problem): An EMDR-Informed Explanation

Brittany Rickett
11 minutes ago
3 min read

A young woman in EMDR therapy, noticing her thoughts jumping from one event to another

If you’ve ever apologized to your therapist because your brain “went somewhere random,” you are not alone. What you see as off-track is often the brain doing exactly what it is designed to do: making sense of your lived experience.

Clients tell me all the time:

“I know this doesn’t make sense, but suddenly I thought about something from years ago…” or "I'm sorry, I'm jumpi

They worry they’re unfocused, disorganized, or “too much.” But from an EMDR perspective, this is not a flaw — it’s valuable information.

In fact, the way your mind moves—sometimes quickly and unexpectedly—is often one of the most useful clues we have about where healing wants to happen.

Your brain isn’t broken.It’s brilliant.

And EMDR helps us understand why.

Your Brain Is Built in Networks, Not Chapters

EMDR is grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model, developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro. The idea is simple:

Your brain stores experiences as memory networks—clusters of images, emotions, sensations, body states, and beliefs.

An image of a compass and a map representing the neural network or map of experiences in our memory. Based on the AIP model in EMDR

They are not organized like a tidy timeline.

They are organized by meaning and survival.

That’s why:

A comment from a coworker may suddenly remind you of a childhood teacher
Feeling ignored today might pull you back to a breakup from years ago
A tone of voice can trigger tears you didn’t expect

Your brain isn’t being disobedient. It’s making connections.

In EMDR, we see these “jumps” as bridges, not detours. They show us how the past is woven into the present, and they reveal the beliefs or experiences that may still be shaping how you respond to the world.

Why This Matters in Therapy

When you jump from one story to another, you’re not losing the thread.

You’re showing it to us.

Your nervous system is saying:

“This thing connects to that thing. Please notice.”

As EMDR therapists, we pay attention to the emotional energy underneath those shifts. Often, what feels like a tangent is actually the doorway to the core issue.

Once clients learn this, they often feel relief:

A visual representation of the way we make connections between our experiences that are not always linear or chronological. in EMDR

They don’t have to “prepare” their story
They don’t have to tell it in order
They don’t have to make logical sense while in distress

Your brain already knows what matters.

EMDR just helps us follow the path.

Memory Networks: A Gentle Self-Reflection Exercise

⚠️ Trauma-informed note: If you have a history of complex trauma, significant distress, or dissociation, please do this with a therapist. Exploring memory networks can be activating.

If you feel grounded and resourced, try this:

Step 1:Think of a recent situation that felt emotionally charged.

Step 2:Notice what else comes to mind—images, sensations, moments, phrases, people, places.

Step 3:Ask yourself:“What do these reminders have in common?”

You might find a theme such as:

“I’m not safe”
“I’m too much”
“People leave”
“I have to handle everything myself”

These themes are the beliefs EMDR helps shift—not by talking you out of them, but by helping your brain process what created them in the first place.

If things get overwhelming, pause. Your system is doing something meaningful, and you don’t have to do it alone.

So If You Jump Around in Therapy…

You’re not doing it wrong.

You’re not making it harder.

You’re not scattered.

You’re revealing the architecture of your story—the way your brain has had to adapt in order to protect you. In EMDR, that’s invaluable. We don’t fight the jumps; we follow them.

Because those connections are often where healing begins.

If You’re Curious About EMDR

EMDR isn’t about reliving trauma—it's about helping the brain process what’s been stuck so you can experience the present without being pulled into the past.

If your mind jumps around in therapy, that might not be a problem at all.

It might be the beginning of your map.

Brittany Rickett - EMDR therapist, clinical supervisor and clinic director at 3 Rivers Counselling

About the Author

Brittany Rickett, Bachelor of Education, MA in Counselling Psychology, CCC, CCS LCT

Brittany Rickett, MA, LCT, CCS, is a licensed therapist and the Clinic Director of 3 Rivers Counselling in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. With over a decade of experience in education before moving into clinical work, Brittany brings a grounded, compassionate approach to therapy that blends neuroscience with evidence-based modalities. She integrates EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic work and Polyvagal-informed practices, supporting clients through trauma, stress, and life transitions.