EMDR therapist in California, with room to move at your own pace.

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. Sometimes the connection is clear. Sometimes it is not. What matters is that something in your life feels harder than it should have to be.

EMDR, short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is one way to work with distressing experiences and the meanings they have left behind. It can be helpful for a single overwhelming event, childhood or developmental trauma, sexual trauma, grief, anxiety, and patterns in relationships that continue to feel painful or confusing.

As an EMDR therapist serving clients across California, I offer virtual sessions that make room for both the practical realities of your life and the care this work deserves. You do not need to arrive with a polished story or a fixed goal. We can start by noticing what feels most present for you now.

Attachment-focused EMDR begins with safety and relationship

EMDR is not a rush toward the hardest memory. When painful experiences happened in relationships or early in life, trust, closeness, boundaries, and self-worth can all be affected. That calls for care with the therapeutic relationship as well as the memory itself.

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. Preparation is not a delay from the work. It is part of the work.

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. The goal is not to force a particular feeling or outcome. It is to create enough support for you to approach difficult material without having to carry it alone.

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 also talk about the conditions that help you feel more comfortable in therapy.

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.

You do not need to be certain before reaching out

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.

You do not need to make that decision alone before contacting me. In our first conversation, we can talk about what you are noticing, what has felt difficult, and what kind of support you are hoping for. It is okay if you are still sorting out the words. It is also okay if EMDR turns out not to be the immediate focus. Our consultation is a place to get oriented, not a test you need to pass.

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. Both are valid starting points. We can stay with what is present and let understanding develop at a pace that feels respectful of your experience.

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. It is not the right format for everyone. Your comfort with the setting matters, and we can discuss that openly before deciding how to proceed.

Support for the parts of life trauma can touch

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.

Our work can make room for the specific way these experiences affect you. For some people, that means beginning with a recent trigger. For others, it means taking time with early family experiences, grief, intimacy, or the feeling of always having to manage alone. We will keep returning to what feels useful and manageable for you.

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.

A practical first step

I currently work virtually with clients throughout California. A free 15-minute consultation offers a low-pressure way to share a little about what is bringing you to therapy, ask questions about online EMDR, and decide whether working together feels like a fit.

I do not promise a fixed number of sessions or a particular result. Therapy can move differently depending on what you have lived through, what support you have now, and what you need as the work unfolds. What I can offer is a steady, collaborative place to begin.

Schedule a free consultation