EMDR Therapy- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
EMDR therapy supports clients who are healing from trauma, including childhood experiences, relationship or family conflict, medical or birth trauma, infertility, and pregnancy loss. Trauma can show up as anxiety, irritability, numbness, overwhelm, nightmares, flashbacks, or feeling stuck in patterns that don’t match the present moment. EMDR helps the brain and nervous system process these experiences more safely, while we build grounding and coping skills and move through the work at a pace that feels manageable.
What EMDR Helps With
EMDR can be helpful when past traumatic or overwhelming experiences continue to affect how you feel, think, or react, even long after they happened. This may include childhood trauma, relationship or family conflict, medical experiences, anxiety, panic, or emotional reactions that feel “out of proportion” to the present moment. EMDR is also supportive for clients healing from birth trauma, infertility or pregnancy loss, and NICU or postpartum experiences where emotions may feel especially intense or layered.
What an EMDR Session Is Like
In session, we work at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you. We identify the memory or feeling that still feels distressing and use gentle, guided eye movements or alternating stimulation while you notice thoughts, emotions, or sensations that come up. You don’t need to retell every detail, and you remain in control of the process at all times.
Why These Experiences Feel So Strong
When something overwhelming happens, the brain sometimes stores the memory in a “stuck” or unprocessed state. Instead of feeling like the past, the experience can show up as anxiety, intrusive thoughts, emotional flooding, or physical reactions in the present. EMDR helps the brain reconnect the memory with a sense of safety and perspective.
How EMDR Supports Healing Over Time
As processing unfolds, most people notice the memory begins to feel less intense, less activating, and more “distant” or resolved. Connections form between past experiences and present reactions, creating more clarity, self-compassion, and emotional relief. The goal of EMDR is not to erase the memory, but to help it feel like it truly belongs in the past.
Interested in Exploring Whether EMDR Is Right for You?
If you’re curious about whether EMDR may be a good fit, we can discuss your goals and questions during a consultation or early session. You do not have to decide right away, we’ll take the time to understand your story and choose an approach that feels supportive and right for you.
Resources
Who EMDR May Be Especially Helpful For
EMDR may be especially supportive for individuals who have experienced birth trauma, infertility or pregnancy loss, traumatic delivery or medical procedures, NICU stays, anxiety or panic, childhood emotional wounds, or ongoing emotional triggers that feel difficult to explain. It can also be helpful for those who feel “stuck” despite previous therapy or coping strategies.
Safety and Readiness in EMDR
EMDR is a collaborative process, and we take time to build safety, grounding skills, and emotional stability before beginning deeper processing. We will always move at a pace that feels comfortable for you, and we will decide together when you feel ready to begin EMDR work.
