EMDR therapy
Considering EMDR as part of your therapy.
EMDR is one way I work with experiences that continue to cause distress. I consider it in relation to your history and the broader psychotherapy, with assessment and preparation before trauma processing.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a research-based approach to working with trauma and distressing experiences. It combines attention to a difficult experience with guided stimulation that alternates between the left and right sides, such as eye movements or tapping.
I use EMDR as part of an individualized approach to trauma therapy, as well as distress connected to relationships, anxiety, and grief.
Why Attachment-Focused EMDR?
Experiences with caregivers can influence how a person understands closeness, trust, and their own worth. When those relationships involved hurt, the effects may also enter the therapeutic relationship. Attachment-Focused EMDR attends to these issues, including developing a trusting relationship with your therapist and a sense of safety in your body and mind before processing.
This is especially relevant when early relationships, neglect, abuse, or ruptures with caregivers continue to affect self-worth, closeness, or your sense of safety.
What sessions with me look like
Assessment and history
We explore your current difficulties, early relationships, trauma history, and available support. This helps us understand how EMDR may fit within your broader psychotherapy.
Preparing together
Before trauma processing, we build tools to help you work with emotional and physical activation. Preparation is part of the therapy, and we give it the attention it needs.
Your first processing session
The first trauma-processing session is 90 minutes long. Please plan time to rest afterward, with room to slow down rather than return straight to a demanding schedule.
Reflection and ongoing support
The next session is for talking about the processing session and assessing how you are feeling. We then continue alternating trauma-processing sessions with sessions for reflection and support.
Frequently asked questions
What if I cannot remember all of what happened?
You do not need a complete memory to begin. Noticeable emotional or physical activation connected to an experience can give us a starting point. Our work focuses on your present experience, without needing to reconstruct missing details.
How long does EMDR take?
It depends on the type of trauma, your history, and how the work unfolds. I do not set a fixed number of sessions or promise a particular result.
Can EMDR work online?
Yes. Research supports online EMDR as an effective option for PTSD, with some studies finding outcomes comparable to in-person sessions. Read a study comparing online and in-person EMDR.
Personal preference matters, and we will also consider whether online work fits your needs. I currently offer virtual sessions only. We can discuss a private, comfortable space for sessions and how to make time for rest afterward.
A conversation before you begin
During a free 15-minute consultation, you can ask about my approach and describe what you are hoping to address. We can then consider whether an assessment would be an appropriate next step.
If you are looking for an EMDR therapist in California, you can also read about working together virtually from anywhere in the state.