EMDR & Trauma Therapy
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy, people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference.
I am trained and certified in EMDR.**
What makes EMDR different?
Unlike other treatments that focus on directly altering the emotions, thoughts, and responses resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR therapy focuses directly on the memory and is intended to change the way the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing and eliminating the problematic symptoms.
While not everyone who experiences trauma will go on to develop PTSD, for those struggling with intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, nightmares, and other symptoms that often disrupt daily life, EMDR therapy has been shown to be an effective and time-efficient treatment. Click here to learn more about how EMDR helps with trauma and with conditions like chronic pain.
Many people find EMDR to be a valuable complement to, or even an alternative to, traditional talk therapy. However, I’ve noticed that it’s sometimes misunderstood, especially given its growing visibility in the media.
I have included some common questions with answers below.
-
I use small buzzers that you hold in your hands. This helps your focus move from the left to right brain, facilitating memory processing.
-
Traumatic memories are stored in the brain differently than other memories. Trauma can be stored in the body (somatically) and in the brain. Traumatic feelings and memories can be triggered (or brought back up) by smells, sounds, nightmares, or everyday relationships. We can also experience implicit memories, which are unconscious memories that can cause great emotional stress, and these memories can be stored in the body.
-
Memories can get “stuck”after difficult events, relationships, and life circumstances. EMDR stimulates both the left and right brain while thinking of a memory, which helps the brain fully process the stuck memory. This means that you will remember the memory but you won’t have intense feelings or reactions related to it.
-
Every person’s journey with EMDR is different and it depends on you as a person. EMDR is one part of the whole therapy and where we start is determined by your symptoms and concerns. With that said, we will go at a pace comfortable for you. Also, I will help you develop skills and techniques to help you with processing along the way.
-
EMDR is helpful for many symptoms and concerns, from general anxiety, depression, heartbreak, grief, performance anxiety —the list goes on!
How Trauma Therapy Helps
Process difficult memories safely and effectively
Calm hypervigilance, anxiety, or overthinking
Release tension held in the body
Build trust and safety with yourself
Strengthen self-worth and self-esteem
Learn to live authentically, guided by your own values
Create healthier, more fulfilling relationships
What Makes Me Different As A Trauma Therapist
When it comes to healing from trauma, finding a therapist who creates a sense of safety, trust, and collaboration is essential. Trauma-informed therapy focuses on understanding how past experiences impact your present. I create a compassionate space where you can work through the effects of difficult relationships and life events with someone who truly understands. I use evidence-based approaches (like parts work and EMDR) to tailor our sessions to your needs, so we can move forward at a pace that feels right for you.
Healing After Trauma: Common Questions
What if I need to go slowly?
(Sometimes going slow is the bravest thing you can do.)
When I work with clients who are struggling with complex PTSD, there’s often an internal conflict between parts of themselves. Sometimes they feel urgency and the need for immediate relief, wanting to move quickly and feel better now. My client may push themselves to do more, be more, fix everything all at once. On the other hand, my clients often feel scared, hesitant, or overwhelmed by the idea of change.
This is why, in trauma-informed therapy, we talk a lot about pacing. Healing from trauma takes intention and a pace your whole system can work with. Just like we were wounded over time, we also heal over time. But that doesn’t mean therapy has to take forever, just that we move in a way that supports lasting (not fleeting) change.
What if I Can’t Heal Like Others?
(You're not broken — healing just looks different for everyone.)
While everyone’s healing path is different, no one is incapable of healing. You are not broken. Many people who struggle with trauma fear they’ll never be able to heal or that they will always feel ‘stuck.’ This fear often stems from the trauma itself and the belief that we are different or ‘less than.’ Healing is not linear, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach. It just means that healing looks different for each person, and that’s okay. It’s about honoring where you are and taking it one step at a time.
Do I have to relive everything?
(You don’t.)
You don’t have to relive your trauma to heal from it.
Doing so can sometimes be re-traumatizing. The good news is, therapy has come a long way. We now know that healing doesn’t require you to revisit every painful detail of what happened.
I focus on helping your nervous system process trauma in a way that feels safe and manageable. I use approaches like EMDR and parts work, which are designed to support healing without overwhelming you. We’ll go at your pace: gently, respectfully, and always with your sense of safety at the center.
Instead of forcing you to talk through the trauma over and over, we’ll pay attention to how it shows up in your body, emotions, and beliefs about yourself. We’ll work together to build trust with the parts of you that are still holding on to pain, fear, or shame and help them find relief, not retraumatization.
Healing is possible. And it doesn’t have to mean revisiting the worst moments. You get to move forward in a way that honors your story and your safety.
**An EMDR Certified Therapist has voluntarily met standards of consultation, clinical practice, and continuing education to provide EMDR therapy. An EMDR Certified Therapist has engaged in at least 20 hours of consultation with an EMDR Consultant for EMDR and has practiced their skills with at least 25 different clients in at least 50 EMDR sessions. An EMDR Certified Therapist is committed to fulfilling ethical standards and is engaged in continuing education. To maintain this certification, a therapist must continue to satisfy the EMDRIA requirement including completion of continuing education requirements and adherence to ethical standards.**