EMDR therapy in California for trauma and relational wounds.

When the past still shows up in the present

You may know that an experience is over and still feel as though part of you is bracing for it. A conversation, sound, touch, conflict, or ordinary moment can bring up fear, shutdown, anxiety, numbness, or a strong need to get away. The connection to the earlier experience may be clear, or you may notice the reaction without understanding what brings it about.

EMDR, short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is one way to work with distressing experiences and the meanings they have left behind. My work includes trauma therapy, alongside support with grief, anxiety, and patterns in relationships that continue to feel painful or confusing.

My practice combines a psychoanalytic understanding of emotional life with trauma-focused work. EMDR may address particular experiences, while ongoing psychotherapy examines the relationship patterns, conflicts, and beliefs that surround them.

Attachment-focused EMDR begins with safety and relationship

When traumatic experiences occur early in life or within important relationships, their effects may extend beyond a particular memory. They can influence expectations of other people, a person’s sense of worth, and their responses to closeness or conflict. An attachment-focused approach takes these aspects of the person’s experience into account.

My approach is attachment-focused and body-aware. Before any trauma processing, we spend time understanding your history, what helps you feel more settled, and what tends to pull you outside your window of tolerance. This preparation helps us assess how to approach processing and what support may be needed.

We pay attention to emotional and physical activation as it arises. You have a say in the pace, and we can slow down, pause, or return to the present when needed. Your responses during sessions inform our decisions about whether to continue processing or return to other aspects of treatment.

What virtual EMDR sessions can look like

Virtual therapy allows you to meet from a private, comfortable place anywhere in California. In our consultation, we can talk through what you need in your space, including privacy, a stable internet connection, water, tissues, and time to transition back into the rest of your day.

1. We begin by getting oriented

   Early sessions are a chance to understand what brings you in, your current supports, your history, and what you hope may feel different over time. We consider how these experiences connect to recurring emotional and relationship patterns.

2. We build resources together

   Before processing, we develop ways to notice and respond to activation. This might include grounding, body-based awareness, imagery, or identifying people and places that help you feel connected. These tools remain available throughout our work.

3. We approach painful material carefully

   When it feels appropriate, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as alternating attention or tapping, while you stay connected to an experience, feeling, or belief that has been difficult to carry. You do not have to recount every detail for the work to be meaningful.

4. We make room for reflection afterward

   My first trauma-processing session is 90 minutes long, with time to settle before we finish. I ask clients to plan for rest afterward when possible. The following session gives us space to talk about how you are doing and what needs attention next.

Questions about beginning EMDR

People often look for an EMDR therapist when they have already tried to cope in every way they know how. You may be doing well at work, showing up for people you love, or understanding your history intellectually, while still feeling caught in reactions that seem bigger than the moment. You may also wonder whether what happened was “serious enough” to bring into therapy.

An initial conversation allows us to consider what you are experiencing and what you hope to address. You may have questions about EMDR itself, or about how it would relate to previous therapy. It may also become apparent that another aspect of treatment needs attention before processing begins.

Some clients come in with a clear memory they want to address. Others notice recurring anxiety, shame, numbness, conflict, or a feeling of disconnection without knowing exactly where it began. We begin with the experiences you can describe now. The work does not involve trying to reconstruct missing memories.

Creating a workable space for online therapy

Because sessions are virtual, your environment becomes part of how we prepare. A private room where you are unlikely to be interrupted can make it easier to focus. You might choose a familiar chair, keep a blanket nearby, or plan a small transition after our session, such as a walk, tea, or a few quiet minutes before you return to responsibilities.

We will also talk about what support is available to you between sessions. This does not mean you need to have everything in place before beginning. It means we pay attention to the practical details that help the work feel more contained, especially when difficult material has been stirred up.

Virtual work can be especially useful when travel, work schedules, caregiving, or distance from a therapist’s office makes regular in-person appointments difficult. We discuss whether the online setting and available support are appropriate for your needs.

How trauma affects relationships and self-understanding

Trauma does not always stay neatly in the past. It can show up in a relationship that feels hard to trust, an inner critic that never quiets down, a body that stays tense, or a sense of disconnection from yourself. You may be highly capable in some areas of life and still feel overwhelmed by reactions that do not make sense to you.

The meaning of these experiences differs from person to person. A recent conflict, for example, may bring into focus a familiar fear of rejection or a difficulty expressing anger. In psychotherapy, we explore these connections rather than assuming that every reaction has the same explanation. We also consider how EMDR relates to what we are learning about your experience.

If you are unsure whether EMDR is the right place to begin, you can read more about my approach to therapy or about the kinds of experiences I support through trauma therapy. A consultation is also a place to ask that question directly.

Arranging a consultation

I currently work virtually with clients throughout California. In a free 15-minute consultation, we can discuss what brings you to therapy, your questions about online EMDR, and the practical arrangements for treatment.

There is no fixed number of sessions that applies to everyone. Your history, current circumstances, and responses to treatment all influence the work. We review these together as therapy proceeds.

Schedule a free consultation