EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that helps your brain and nervous system finally process experiences that got “stuck.” 

These experiences often show up in your everyday life, when you least expect them. Like a mirror you broke three years ago, and keep finding shards of when you walk barefoot through your home. Except instead of a small cut, you’re suddenly hit with confusion, anger, fear, or dread. The reaction feels so loud and overwhelming, and it completely derails you.

EMDR helps your brain digest difficult memories, images, body sensations and emotional imprints so they have less impact on your daily life. People often say that after EMDR, their trauma memories become boring. Can you imagine?  Something that once felt so sharp and disruptive becoming so neutral you rarely even think about it at all. 

Many people I work with are high-functioning and deeply insightful. They understand their triggers, know their history, and have built a lot of coping skills. But insight only goes so far. And sometimes all that understanding can actually keep the trauma frozen in place. They know why they react . . . and the reaction still happens.

What to Expect

We don’t jump into the deep end right away.

First, we build skills to help you stay grounded and steady throughout the EMDR treatment process. This includes learning how to recognize your reactions in real time, and self-soothe, and contain material that comes up between sessions so you’re not overwhelmed.

Then we create a roadmap of experiences, memories, and patterns you would like to work on. Some memories are clear and specific. Others show up as fragments and become clearer as we go.  Some don’t feel like “memories” at all, but instead show up as body sensations, images, or relationship patterns.

During reprocessing, we use bilateral stimulation (tapping or eye movements) while you notice what arises internally. You don’t have to worry about “getting it right,” or “explaining it perfectly.” That’s part of the beauty of EMDR. 

We are helping your mind and body get on the track to processing trauma material fully, and you don’t need the perfect words in order to heal.