EMDR & Trauma Therapy
When the past keeps showing up in the present.
Difficult experiences don't always stay in the past. They can continue to shape how you feel, how you react, and how you see yourself — sometimes in ways that are hard to understand or explain.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a structured therapy approach that was originally developed to help people process traumatic memories, and it has since been used more broadly for a range of distressing experiences.
The basic idea is that some experiences — particularly overwhelming or frightening ones — don't get processed and stored the way ordinary memories do. Instead, they remain "stuck" in a way that keeps them feeling present and activating, even when the event itself is long past. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements or tapping) alongside focused attention on the memory to help the brain process and integrate the experience more fully.
In plain terms: EMDR can help a memory feel less charged — less like something that's still happening to you, and more like something that happened in the past.
How past experiences affect the present
You don't have to have experienced a single dramatic traumatic event for past experiences to be affecting you now. Difficult childhood experiences, chronic stress, painful relationship patterns, or experiences of loss, shame, or powerlessness can all leave lasting impressions on how you feel and respond.
These impressions can show up as anxiety, emotional reactivity, difficulty trusting others, a persistent sense of not being good enough, or feeling stuck in patterns you can't seem to change — even when you understand them intellectually.
How I incorporate EMDR
I am a trained EMDR therapist. When it seems appropriate and helpful, I may incorporate EMDR into our work together — but it's always one tool among several, not a fixed protocol applied to everyone.
Before any EMDR processing begins, we spend time building a solid therapeutic relationship and developing the stabilization skills that make trauma work feel manageable. We move at a pace that feels right for you.
I want to be straightforward: EMDR can be a genuinely useful approach for many people, but it isn't a guaranteed solution, and it isn't right for everyone. We'll talk honestly about whether it makes sense for your situation.
What I work with
- Trauma & PTSD
- Childhood experiences
- Anxiety & fear responses
- Emotional reactivity
- Shame & self-worth
- Relationship patterns rooted in past experiences
- Grief & loss
- Cultural or identity-related distress
Have questions about EMDR?
I'm happy to talk through what EMDR is, how it works, and whether it might be a useful part of your therapy. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to get started.