Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
When talking about it isn’t enough.
If you’ve tried talk therapy but still feel stuck, replaying the same painful memories, getting triggered by things that remind you of what happened, or carrying anxiety that feels stuck in your body, EMDR might help.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain process difficult experiences so they don’t carry the same emotional weight. The goal is to help your nervous system relate to the memory differently, with less emotional intensity and more perspective.
How EMDR works
Your brain knows how to heal itself. Like how a scrape on your skin heals on its own, so does your brain. But when something really overwhelming happens (trauma, loss, ongoing stress), that natural process can get stuck. The memory gets frozen with all the emotions, body sensations, and beliefs from when it originally happened. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (following my fingers with your eyes, tapping, or sounds) to help your brain unstick and reprocess these memories.
In our sessions, we’ll work on:
Identifying target memories: The experiences that are still affecting you today
Resourcing: Building internal safety and coping skills before processing trauma
Reprocessing: Using bilateral stimulation to help your brain process difficult memories
Installation: Strengthening positive beliefs about yourself
Body scan: Releasing physical tension connected to traumatic memories
Integration: Making sense of your healing and noticing changes in your life
The EMDR approach to healing
EMDR works from the idea that many of our current struggles come from unprocessed memories. The panic attack? The thing you keep avoiding? The voice in your head that’s way too harsh? Usually, there’s a past experience underneath that your nervous system hasn’t fully worked through.
What’s different about EMDR: you don’t have to tell me every detail of what happened. You don’t have to relive it to heal from it. Your brain does the work. I’m just here to guide the process and make sure you feel safe.
What EMDR treats effectively
EMDR was originally developed for PTSD, but research shows it’s effective for many concerns I specialize in:
Trauma (single incidents or complex trauma)
Grief and loss (death, relationship endings, identity loss)
Anxiety, panic, and phobias (especially when rooted in past experiences)
Life transitions that bring up old wounds
Shame and negative self-beliefs (common in depression)
Chronic pain (with emotional components)
Is EMDR right for you?
EMDR can be powerful, but it’s not for everyone or every situation. It works best when:
You have specific memories or experiences contributing to current distress
You’re looking for a structured, evidence-based approach
You’re willing to experience temporary discomfort for lasting healing
You have enough stability and coping skills (or we’ll build them first)
EMDR might not be the right fit if:
You’re in the middle of an active crisis
You don’t feel ready to process difficult material
You’d prefer a slower-paced, purely talk-based approach
And that’s totally okay! We can explore other modalities like IFS, ACT, or mindfulness-based approaches that might be a better match.
Why work with me for EMDR?
I bring more than just EMDRIA-certified training to our work together. My background in positive psychology, mindfulness, and trauma-informed care means I see you as a whole person, not a diagnosis to treat.
I also focus specifically on young adults. If you’re dealing with past trauma while simultaneously trying to figure out who you are and what you want from your life, I get it. We can work on both at the same time. And if you’re neurodivergent, grieving, or dealing with anxiety that lives in your body? That’s my wheelhouse. This is the work I’ve chosen to focus on and get really good at.