EMDR Therapy

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for individuals, couples, families, and children

What is EMDR?

The mind can often heal itself naturally, in the same way as the body does. Much of this natural coping mechanism occurs during sleep, particularly during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Dr. Francine Shapiro developed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in 1987, utilizing this natural process to treat Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) successfully. Since then, EMDR has also been used to effectively treat a wide range of mental health problems: depression, anxiety, grief, anger, addiction, and phobias.

Sometimes, trauma impacts us in ways we don’t fully realize. When I talk about trauma, I utilize the following definition.

Trauma is anything that is

too much too soon

too little too long

too much too long

Some trauma, like abuse, is obvious. But not all trauma is as easily identifiable. What is traumatic for one person might not seem traumatic to another. Sometimes it was what was said or not said to us growing up, the missed opportunities to help create a secure, healthy attunement and attachment. If it feels traumatic and is stored as a traumatic memory, it can impact everything from mood to the way stress is held in the body. This can be experienced through somatic symptoms such as anxiety, migraines, muscle tension, chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, gut issues, etc.

What happens when you are traumatized?

Most of the time, your body and brain routinely manage new information and experiences without you being aware of it. However, when something out of the ordinary occurs and you are traumatized by an overwhelming event (e.g., a car accident) or by being repeatedly subjected to distress (e.g., childhood abuse/neglect), your natural coping mechanism can become overloaded. This overloading can result in disturbing experiences remaining frozen in your brain or being “unprocessed”. Such unprocessed memories and feelings are stored in the limbic system of your brain in a “raw” and emotional form, rather than in a verbal “story” mode. This limbic system maintains traumatic memories in an isolated memory network that is associated with emotions and physical sensations and which are disconnected from the brain’s cortex, where we use language to store memories. The limbic system’s traumatic memories can be continually triggered when you experience events similar to the difficult experiences you have been through. Often, the memory itself is long forgotten, but the painful feelings, such as anxiety, panic, anger, or despair, are continually triggered in the present. Your ability to live in the present and learn from new experiences can therefore, become inhibited. EMDR helps create the connections between your brain’s memory networks, enabling your brain to process the traumatic memory in a very natural way.

What is an EMDR session like?

EMDR utilizes the natural healing ability of your body. After a thorough assessment, you will be asked specific questions about a particular disturbing memory. Like those during REM sleep, eye movements will be recreated simply by asking you to watch moving lights or holding hand pulsators. The eye movements will last for a short while and then stop. You will then be asked to report back on your experiences during each of these sets of eye movements. Experiences during a session may include changes in thoughts, images, and feelings. With repeated sets of eye movements, the memory tends to change in such a way that it loses its painful intensity and simply becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past. Other associated memories may also heal at the same time. This linking of related memories can lead to a dramatic and rapid improvement in many aspects of your life.

Can EMDR help me?

EMDR can help with symptoms and challenges like:

Flashbacks
Nightmares
Anxiety and panic attacks
Dissociation (feeling disconnected from yourself or your surroundings)
Negative self-beliefs (like "I’m worthless" or "I’m not safe")
Emotional numbness or shutdown
Hypervigilance (feeling constantly "on edge")

Resourcing: We will work to strengthen internal resources while soothing parts of you that feel limited. EMDR utilizes images, emotions, body sensations, and positive cognitions to increase feelings of calm, safety, and confidence.
Resolving relationship difficulties: Attachment-focused EMDR works to repair unmet developmental needs (often called attachment wounding) when we have experienced an absence of care/neglect or abuse. Working in support of coups therapy goals to resolve shared tension, stressors, shared traumas, and or conflicts.
Trauma recovery: While I often utilize EMDR for clients with big “T” trauma (e.g. a major car accident, assault), I also support clients with small “t” traumas (e.g. chronic or ongoing stressful conditions, such as interpersonal conflict, difficult parents, financial stress). One of the most overlooked aspects of small ‘t’ traumas is their accumulated effect. Multiple, compounded small ‘t’ traumas may lead to distress in the nervous system and trouble with emotional functioning.

EMDR has been used to treat disorders such as:

PTSD (this is where EMDR has the strongest research support)
Complex PTSD (chronic trauma, often from childhood)
Anxiety Disorders (including panic disorder and phobias)
Depression
Grief and Loss (especially complicated grief)
Addictions (helping to process the root traumas underlying substance use)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (in some cases, though more research is needed)
Chronic Pain (especially when the pain has psychological trauma links)
Performance anxiety (like public speaking or athletic performance), and even for building resilience.

How long are sessions?

I utilize an individualized treatment approach to meet your specific needs. While weekly sessions are traditional, trauma work can be effectively accelerated with more frequent or longer sessions. The intensive options are great if you have limited time and/or want to work through trauma processing at a faster pace.

Session Lengths and Intensive Options:

Traditional: 50-minute appointments.
Intensively: Longer sessions of 75 or 90 minutes for deeper work. This is great to spend a little more time without having to book and intensive or if you dont feel ready for an EMDR intensive, but want to try a longer session out.
EMDR Intensives: For those looking to make significant progress in a condensed timeframe, I offer half-day and multi-day intensives that include somatic and holistic therapies to help with facilitating a holistic approach to EMDR. This includes Reiki, art therapies, trauma-informed yoga, breathwork, sound bath, etc.

Flexible Scheduling for Effective Trauma Processing:

I work with you to find the right pace for processing trauma in a way that is supportive, builds resiliency, and facilitates healing mind, body, and spirit.

Payment Information:

I accept Cash, Check, Zelle, and all major Credit Cards. I am not in-network with insurance providers. However, as an out-of-network provider I can provide a superbill, which you can submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. I recommend verifying the specifics of your out-of-network benefits with your insurance provider in advance.

What is a Certified EMDR Therapist?

I am a certified EMDR therapist which means that in addition to completing training in using EMDR, I have also completed the certification process, which requires advanced training and experience. I have vast experience incorporating ego state work, somatic/holistic psychotherapies, and attachment theory into my EMDR practice, which comprehensively conceptualizes overall functioning and helps you achieve lasting relief. I am an active member of EMDRIA, the professional association for EMDR practitioners, to facilitate the highest standards of clinical use.