When talking about it only gets you so far.
Talking matters. It can help us understand our experiences, recognize patterns, and make connections we couldn't see before.
EMDR gives us another way to work.
Instead of only talking about an experience, we can also work with the memories, beliefs, emotions, and body responses connected to it.
You don't have to find the perfect words for us to begin.
So, What Exactly Is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
It's a structured form of therapy that helps us work with experiences that continue to influence the way someone thinks, feels, responds, or relates to others.
During part of EMDR, I'll ask you to notice an aspect of an experience while we use bilateral stimulation—usually eye movements, tapping, or another form of alternating stimulation.
But the eye movements aren't the therapy.
They're one part of a larger process that includes understanding your history, identifying what we want to work on, preparing for the work, processing, and paying attention to what changes afterward.
What Makes EMDR Different?
We Connect the Dots
We look at what's bringing you in, important experiences from your history, and the connections between what happened then and what you want to be different now.
We Don't Rush Into It
Before processing difficult material, we make sure you have ways to stay connected to the present and that we've paid attention to anything that might need us to slow down.
We Work With What Comes Up
During processing, we pay attention to memories, thoughts, emotions, images, sensations, and whatever else emerges rather than trying to analyze every piece of it.
What If Part of You Isn't Ready?
Then I want to know about that part too.
I frequently integrate Ego State Therapy into EMDR. This gives us a way to pay attention to the different reactions that can show up as we approach difficult material.
One part of you might want to work on something while another wants absolutely nothing to do with it.
Rather than deciding that one side is right and the other is getting in the way, we can slow down and get curious about both.
What is the hesitation about? What might that part be protecting? What does it need from us before moving forward?
We don't push past something just because it's part of the treatment plan.
What Can We Work On?
EMDR was originally developed for trauma, but it can be incorporated into therapy for a range of experiences and concerns.
EMDR With Me
EMDR gives us structure. It doesn't turn therapy into a script.
My approach is relational, somatic, and client-centered. I'm paying attention to more than the memory we're working on or what phase of EMDR we're in.
I'm also paying attention to what's happening between us, what you're noticing in your body, the different parts of you that may be showing up, and whether what we're doing actually feels useful.
I'll ask questions, reflect what I notice, and I'll check in with you rather than assuming I know what's happening for you.
Some sessions may involve EMDR processing. Others may involve talking, preparation, working with parts, building resources, or figuring out what we need to focus on next.
The approach should fit you—not the other way around.
A Few Common Questions
Will we do EMDR in the first session?
Usually not. I typically use the first few sessions to learn about you, understand your history, identify what we may want to work on, and make sure we're adequately prepared before deeper processing.
What if I don't remember much?
That's okay. We don't always need a perfectly clear memory. Sometimes we begin with a belief, emotion, body sensation, current trigger, or general period of your life.
Is EMDR only for major trauma?
No. Sometimes we're working with a clearly traumatic event. Other times we're working with experiences that accumulated over time or continue to influence something in the present.
EMDR Intensives
EMDR can happen within regular therapy sessions, but some people prefer longer blocks of focused time.
EMDR Intensives give us additional time for preparation, processing, breaks, and integration without having to stop simply because the traditional therapy hour is over.
You Don't Have to Know Where to Start.
That's something we can figure out together.
If you're interested in EMDR, reach out and tell me a little about what you're looking for. We can talk about what's bringing you in and whether working together makes sense.
Schedule a Consultation