Healing & recovery for the experiences that have stuck with us
EMDR is a safe, effective treatment option for trauma-related symptoms and disorders as well as other issues such as chronic pain, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias.
What to expect in EMDR
During EMDR treatment, you can expect a structured yet flexible process that helps you safely process distressing memories. In our initial sessions, we’ll focus on building trust and developing coping strategies to ensure you feel grounded and secure throughout the therapy. Once you’re ready, we’ll begin the reprocessing phase by identifying a specific memory or trigger to work on.
During reprocessing, I’ll guide you through bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, taps, or sounds, while you focus on the chosen memory. You may experience shifts in thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations as your brain naturally works through the trauma. This process continues until the memory becomes less distressing and is replaced with healthier, more adaptive beliefs. After each session, you’ll likely notice changes in how you feel about the trauma, and over time, you’ll experience reduced symptoms and an increased sense of emotional balance.
Goals and Outcomes
Process unresolved trauma and reduce the emotional charge associated with distressing memories.
Relieve symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression by addressing the root causes of emotional distress.
Reframe negative beliefs related to past trauma, replacing them with more positive, empowering thoughts.
Increase emotional resilience, enabling better coping strategies for future stressors.
EMDR therapy aims to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences, reducing the emotional impact of distressing memories. Through this structured approach, clients can experience significant relief and develop healthier ways to manage their trauma responses.
Enhance self-awareness by gaining new insights into how trauma affects your current thoughts and behaviors.
Improve overall mental health by fostering a sense of emotional balance and peace.
Experience long-term relief as traumatic memories are fully reprocessed and lose their power over daily life.
How we get there
EMDR therapy begins with an initial assessment where we’ll discuss your trauma history, current symptoms, and how they affect your life. We’ll develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs, identifying specific memories, thoughts, or triggers that cause distress. This plan will guide our sessions, ensuring that we address your concerns in a manageable and effective way, starting with less intense memories and gradually moving to more challenging ones.
During our sessions, we’ll use bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or taps, while you focus on specific traumatic memories. I’ll guide you through this process, helping you access and reprocess these memories in a safe environment. The goal is to reduce the emotional intensity of the memory, allowing your brain to naturally heal and create new, healthier associations.
Between sessions, you may notice shifts in how you think and feel about the traumatic events we’ve worked on. This is part of the healing process as your brain continues to reprocess the trauma. As we move through each targeted memory, you’ll experience a reduction in distress, gaining relief from symptoms and increasing your ability to handle future stressors.
My role in your EMDR therapy
As your therapist in EMDR, my role is to guide you safely through the process of reprocessing traumatic memories. I create a secure, supportive environment where you can explore distressing thoughts or experiences without becoming overwhelmed. I’ll carefully monitor your emotional state and help you stay grounded while using bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or taps, to facilitate the reprocessing. Throughout the process, I’ll ensure that we move at a pace that feels manageable for you, adjusting the intensity as needed. My goal is to help you reframe these traumatic experiences, allowing you to heal, find relief from symptoms, and regain a sense of emotional balance and resilience.
To get started, schedule a free consultation so that we can talk about what you’d like to work on and what you’re looking for.
I can share more background on my approach and therapy style, and we can chat about logistics and scheduling.