EMDR Therapy in California

I offer EMDR therapy in California for adults experiencing trauma, anxiety, and phobias. EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help you process distressing memories, reduce emotional reactivity, and feel more in control of your life.

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Overcome what’s holding you back.

Whether you’ve experienced a significant traumatic event or are living with ongoing anxiety, phobias, or emotional distress, EMDR can help your mind begin to heal.

What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a proven therapy that helps you reprocess difficult experiences while also addressing the core beliefs you hold about yourself.

It focuses on three key areas:

  • Processing past experiences that shaped current challenges

  • Addressing present triggers and emotional responses

  • Preparing you for future situations with healthier coping strategies

How EMDR helps you heal

Sometimes, distressing experiences don’t get fully processed and instead become “stuck,” showing up as anxiety, fear, or negative self-beliefs. EMDR helps you safely access and reprocess these memories by connecting thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations—so they no longer feel as overwhelming.

Why EMDR is effective

EMDR activates your mind’s natural ability to heal, helping your brain process information in a healthier way. This means you don’t just feel temporary relief—you experience deeper, more lasting change.

If the emotions associated with your past or present are impacting your day-to-day life, it’s very likely that an EMDR therapist can help you.  Together, we’ll work through these experiences, shift your negative thought patterns, and help you feel empowered to take on your future.

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What can EMDR therapy help with?

  • Acute trauma, such as sexual assault, natural disasters, car accidents, and other significant events

  • Chronic trauma, such as domestic or childhood abuse

  • Anxiety

  • Phobias

  • Panic Disorder

  • Social Anxiety

  • Performance Anxiety

  • ...and more

What to expect in an EMDR session

In an EMDR session, we target specific memories or experiences by bridging both sides of your brain through eye movements, tapping, or audio signals. You’ll hold the experience in your mind during this process, which helps your brain reprocess and shift how it stores painful memories.

If a memory feels too distressing, alternative methods can be used so you still benefit from EMDR without fully revisiting it.

Every step is tailored to you, and you remain in control. One of the most powerful aspects of EMDR is that the relief comes from your own ability to process and heal, not just what I do as your therapist.

What are the 8 phases of EMDR?

EMDR is built upon the fact that every person has the ability to heal. Over the course of 8 phases, we’ll work together to prepare, assess, reprocess, and equip you with coping skills to manage any difficult emotions that might arise.

  • EMDR is an incredibly personalized therapy method, so we’ll start by discussing your history and what you hope to accomplish in our work together. We’ll also take a look at your support system and other external factors, so we have a holistic understanding of what’s going on.

  • We’ll discuss how EMDR is going to work and what you can expect at every stage of the process. If you have questions or concerns, we’ll spend time addressing each one. During this phase, I’ll also walk you through a number of coping strategies you can use both in and out of our sessions to manage any difficult emotions that may arise as a result of the reprocessing.

  • I’ll ask that you identify the event that we’ll begin reprocessing, including images, feelings, and sensations. Please know that this doesn’t require that you share the details of painful past experiences if you’re not ready to do that; you’ll simply be asked to share how it is or has made you feel.

  • We will use tapping to activate both sides of your brain (called “bilateral stimulation) as you think about the target event. Our goal here will be to reduce your distress surrounding the experience and allow new images, feelings, and sensations to come to the surface.

  • In addition to reducing the distress you feel related to the event, we’ll also identify and work toward a new, positive belief that you’d like to associate with it, such as “I am safe.” 

  • EDMR is all about leveraging and understanding your body’s messages to you, so we’ll revisit what your body is telling you as you hold in your mind both the target event and the positive belief. If there are still lingering effects, we’ll address those.

  • It’s important that you can leave EMDR sessions feeling calm and grounded, even if the reprocessing isn’t complete yet. I’ll help you return to a neutral state before our session ends.

  • At the beginning of each new session together, we’ll revisit the reprocessed memory we addressed most recently to ensure that distress remains low and the positive belief still feels true to you. From there, we’ll identify a new target event and continue the healing work together.

Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR

  • This varies from client to client. Many people can begin noticing effects in as little as one session as they reduce the distress associated with a memory, but long-lasting results usually require 5 or more sessions. 

  • Yes. You are fully awake, aware, and in control during every phase of EMDR. You don’t even have to share the details of the experience or memory you wish to target with your therapist. This is one of the most powerful parts of EMDR: it activates your mind’s natural healing processes in order to actually change your brain’s information processing system.

  • No, you don’t have to share details of your experiences to benefit from EMDR. We move at your pace, and even focusing on the feelings or sensations is enough to start the healing process.

  • Yes. EMDR is a well-established, evidence-based therapy, and I’ll guide you every step of the way. You remain in control, and we’ll make sure you feel supported and grounded throughout the process.

  • Not in the way you might fear. EMDR helps you process memories safely, and if something feels too intense, we can use alternative methods so you benefit without being overwhelmed.

  • Many people feel lighter, more grounded, or even a bit tired. Your brain has been doing important processing! Some emotions might come up afterward, and we’ll talk through ways to manage them between sessions.

  • Absolutely. EMDR works well through online therapy, and many clients find it comforting to do sessions from home. I’ll make sure you feel safe and supported, no matter where you are.

  • I offer a free 15-minute consultation to help you decide if I’m the right therapist to support you. Request your appointment. We’ll use this time to answer any questions you have about therapy, share a little bit about what you’re hoping to achieve, and determine if we’re a good fit to help you get there.

Healing is possible.

I help adults in California use EMDR therapy to process trauma, reduce anxiety, and feel more in control of their thoughts, emotions, and future.

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