EMDR Therapy
A specialized, evidence-based approach to healing the roots of trauma and reclaiming your peace.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps your brain process painful or overwhelming experiences so they no longer feel as activating, confusing, or “stuck.” When we experience trauma, the brain often stores that memory in a “frozen” state with the thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the body that occurred at the time. EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation (i.e. eye movements or taps) to help your nervous system finally complete what it couldn’t finish at the time of the event. EMDR therapy works at the memory and nervous system level, allowing old experiences to finally feel resolved—not just managed.
Many clients describe EMDR therapy as a way of untangling old emotional knots — the memories are still there, but they no longer carry the same intensity, shame, or fear. The past is in the past.
What EMDR Therapy Helps With
EMDR therapy was initially the treatment of choice for veterans suffering from PTSD and now is widely recognized as an effective approach for addiction, anxiety, depression, and childhood trauma. Even when an experience doesn’t meet the threshold for a single traumatic event, the nervous system can store moments of fear, shame, beliefs, and sensations in the body that continue to shape how a person feels and reacts.
Clients often seek EMDR therapy for:
Anxiety and phobias
Complex Trauma (C-PTSD)
Childhood phsycial, sexual, and verbal abuse
Childhood neglect
Attachment wounding and relational trauma
Acute trauma (sexual or physical assault, car accident, natural disaster, medical emergency)
Shame, self-doubt, persistent negative beliefs
Complicated grief
What to Expect
EMDR therapy sessions are structured, supportive, and paced to match your nervous system. We begin with skills-building and resourcing, an essential part of trauma therapy, so you feel steady and prepared for reprocessing.
When you’re ready, we use bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or gentle tapping, to help your brain process memories or experiences that still feel overwhelming or “stuck.” You remain aware and in control throughout the session. You’re not reliving the past — you’re noticing what arises and allowing your mind to naturally move toward clarity and relief.
Most clients describe EMDR therapy as focused, gentle, and empowering. As we work together, the emotional intensity around certain traumatic memories begins to soften, anxiety decreases, and you start to feel clearer, more grounded, and more connected to yourself.
How EMDR Therapy Works
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is based on the idea that your brain has a natural ability to heal from psychological distress, much like your body heals from physical wounds. This idea is known as the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model.
According to the AIP model, most mental health symptoms—like anxiety, depression, or trauma responses—stem from past experiences that weren’t fully processed at the time they happened. When something overwhelming happens, the brain may store the memory in a way that keeps the distress “frozen in time,” along with the original emotions, thoughts, and body sensations. These unprocessed memories can get triggered in the present, leading to intense reactions that may seem out of proportion or hard to explain. The past is in the present.
EMDR therapy helps your brain reprocess those stuck memories so they can be stored in a more adaptive, healthy way.
Once reprocessed, the memories no longer feel overwhelming or triggering, and you can move forward without being held back by the past. The past is in the past.
In short: The AIP model says your brain knows how to heal—and EMDR therapy helps it do just that.
If you’d like to learn more about EMDR, I’ve included two short videos below that offer an overview of how it works.
What is Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy?
Introduction to EMDR Therapy
EMDR May Be Right For You If . . .
You’re tired of understanding the problem but still feeling it in your body
You may know why you react the way you do, yet the emotional charge hasn’t shifted. EMDR therapy helps your nervous system catch up to what your mind already understands.
You’ve been carrying old experiences for a long time
This includes childhood wounds, relationship patterns, shame, or moments where you felt overwhelmed, dismissed, or alone.
You want relief without having to retell your story in detail
EMDR therapy allows us to work with the memory network without rehashing every moment. This can feel safer and more efficient, especially for people who are used to holding things privately.
You’re ready for change but don’t want to feel pushed
EMDR therapy is paced, collaborative, and grounded in your sense of safety. We move at the speed your nervous system can genuinely handle.
You’re seeking a therapy that goes beyond coping skills
DBT and other modalities help you manage the moment. EMDR therapy helps you shift the root so the memory no longer overwhelms you.