How EMDR may help with performance anxiety and confidence
Many people ask, “Can EMDR help with performance anxiety when fear, self-doubt, or past experiences make it difficult to perform at your best?” EMDR may be worth discussing with a trained clinician when performance anxiety is connected to distressing memories, difficult experiences, anxiety, panic, or persistent avoidance.
Performance anxiety can appear in many situations. Someone may feel nervous before speaking in front of others, attending an important meeting, performing on stage, competing in a sport, taking an examination, or being evaluated at work. For some people, the nervousness is temporary. For others, the reaction can become intense enough to affect confidence and everyday decisions.
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a structured psychotherapy approach. Pamela Iverson offers EMDR as a clinical service and identifies anxiety, panic, acute stress, difficult memories, and avoidance among the areas that may be explored.
Understanding performance anxiety
Performance anxiety is the fear or nervousness that can arise when you expect to be evaluated or observed by others.
You may know that you are prepared, yet still notice a racing heart, tense muscles, difficulty concentrating, or an urge to avoid the situation.
For some people, the fear is mainly connected to the upcoming performance. For others, it may be connected to previous experiences such as embarrassment, criticism, failure, rejection, or another situation that felt emotionally overwhelming.
Knowing that you are capable does not always stop your body from reacting to perceived pressure.
This is one reason it can be useful to look beyond the immediate situation and consider what may be contributing to the response.
When performance anxiety becomes a pattern
Feeling nervous before an important event is not necessarily a problem. A certain level of nervousness can occur when something matters to you.
The concern arises when anxiety begins to interfere with your ability to participate or perform.
You might start avoiding presentations, meetings, competitions, auditions, interviews, or other situations where you expect to be evaluated. You may also spend significant time worrying about making mistakes or being judged.
Over time, avoidance can make the situation feel even more difficult.
If anxiety, panic, or avoidance is connected with difficult experiences or memories, a qualified clinician can help determine whether EMDR is an appropriate option. Pamela’s EMDR service specifically includes anxiety, panic, and persistent avoidance among the areas she may explore.
How EMDR approaches anxiety
EMDR uses a structured therapeutic process that can involve bilateral stimulation such as guided eye movements, tapping, or sound.
During treatment, the clinician may help you focus on selected memories, thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations while guiding you through the process.
The purpose is not simply to tell yourself to “be confident.” Instead, EMDR may focus on experiences that continue to influence your current emotional response.
For example, if an earlier experience of public embarrassment continues to create intense fear whenever you speak in front of people, that experience may be something a clinician explores as part of treatment.
Pamela explains that EMDR does not require clients to narrate every detail of an experience aloud and that the process is guided by the clinician.
Performance anxiety and difficult memories
Sometimes performance anxiety has a specific history behind it.
Perhaps you gave a presentation that went badly. Maybe you were criticized publicly. Perhaps an important performance ended with disappointment or rejection.
The event may have happened years ago, but the emotional response can remain surprisingly strong.
A future situation can then remind you of the earlier experience.
You may think:
“What if it happens again?”
That thought can increase anxiety before the event even begins.
When a clinician determines that EMDR is appropriate, the therapeutic process may focus on memories and experiences that are connected with the current response.
The goal is not to guarantee perfect performance. Instead, treatment focuses on the distress associated with relevant experiences.
EMDR compared with other approaches
EMDR is not the only therapeutic approach that can be used when someone experiences anxiety.
Understanding the differences can help you have a more informed conversation with a qualified professional.
| Approach | Main focus |
| EMDR | Processing distressing memories and experiences through a structured psychotherapy approach |
| Talk therapy | Exploring thoughts, emotions, experiences, and current concerns through therapeutic conversation |
| Performance preparation | Developing practical skills, rehearsal, planning, and confidence through preparation |
These approaches serve different purposes.
Someone experiencing performance anxiety may benefit from practical preparation, while another person may need professional support for anxiety connected with a difficult experience.
In some situations, more than one form of support may be appropriate.
What an EMDR session may look like
An EMDR session does not simply begin with asking you to perform the activity that makes you anxious.
The clinician first learns about your history, current concerns, and goals. This helps determine whether EMDR is appropriate.
Pamela’s EMDR process describes discussing your history together before deciding whether EMDR is a good fit.
If EMDR is appropriate, the clinician explains the process and establishes a comfortable pace.
During processing, you may focus on selected memories, thoughts, emotions, or sensations while the clinician uses bilateral stimulation.
You remain involved throughout the process.
The work is guided rather than something you have to figure out by yourself.
Signs it may be worth exploring
Performance anxiety can be worth discussing with a professional when it repeatedly interferes with situations that matter to you.
You might notice that you avoid opportunities because you are afraid of performing poorly. You may experience intense anxiety before being evaluated, repeatedly think about previous mistakes, or feel that your fear is much stronger than the actual situation requires.
These experiences do not automatically mean that EMDR is necessary.
They simply provide a reason to explore what is happening and consider whether professional support could help.
Pamela’s approach to therapy emphasizes individualized care based on a person’s history, pacing, and goals.
Potential benefits and considerations
When EMDR is appropriate, there are several reasons someone may choose to explore it.
Potential benefits
- A structured process: EMDR follows a defined therapeutic framework rather than relying only on general conversation.
- Focus on relevant experiences: The work can focus on memories or experiences associated with current distress.
- Individualized pacing: Treatment can be approached according to the client’s circumstances and readiness.
- Professional guidance: A trained clinician guides the process throughout the session.
Important considerations
- EMDR is not appropriate for everyone, and an assessment is important before beginning treatment.
- It is also important to maintain realistic expectations. EMDR is not a method for guaranteeing perfect confidence or eliminating every nervous feeling before a performance.
- Performance itself still requires preparation, practice, and appropriate skills.
Pamela’s EMDR service explains that EMDR is not the right fit for everyone and that an assessment helps determine what is appropriate.
Building confidence beyond the therapy room
Working with performance anxiety is not only about what happens during therapy.
Practical preparation can also make an important difference.
Knowing your material, practicing your presentation, preparing for questions, and becoming familiar with the environment can help you feel more prepared.
The therapeutic side addresses the emotional experience, while preparation addresses the practical side.
Confidence can come from both emotional readiness and preparation.
For people who want to understand the different services available through Pamela Iverson’s practice, the my offerings page provides information about EMDR therapy and the other services offered
When should you consider EMDR
Consider discussing EMDR with a qualified clinician if performance anxiety is persistent, distressing, or connected with specific memories or experiences.
You do not need to decide beforehand that EMDR is definitely the right treatment.
A conversation can help you explain what happens before, during, and after performance situations and explore whether EMDR fits your needs.
Pamela Iverson is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified EMDR Practitioner, with in person and telehealth appointments available in her practice.
If you would like to explore whether EMDR may be appropriate for your situation, you can use the session booking page to review the EMDR therapy option and arrange a session.
Conclusion
Performance anxiety can feel frustrating because you may know that you are prepared and capable while still experiencing strong fear or physical anxiety when it is time to perform.
When that response is connected with distressing memories, difficult experiences, anxiety, panic, or avoidance, EMDR may be one therapeutic approach worth discussing with a trained clinician.
The goal is not to promise that you will never feel nervous again. It is to understand the response, address relevant experiences when appropriate, and create greater freedom around situations that matter to you.
If you would like to learn more about EMDR or discuss whether it may be appropriate for your situation, contact Pamela Iverson at pamivy@msn.com.