Approach
EMDR Therapy
A therapy that helps the nervous system finish processing experiences that got stuck.
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — is a therapy that helps people process difficult or traumatic experiences that are stuck in the nervous system. It uses gentle, guided back-and-forth stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, while you focus on aspects of an experience, allowing the brain to reprocess it so it feels less distressing and has less impact on your present life.
I completed my master’s in clinical counseling with a focus on trauma in 2020 and became trained in EMDR. I use it alongside the relational and psychodynamic work I do rather than instead of it — the relationship we build is what makes the reprocessing possible.
Who this tends to help
- A memory that still lands in your body when something reminds you of it
- Knowing intellectually that something wasn’t your fault and not believing it
- Reactions that feel out of proportion to what is actually happening now
- Feeling stuck in the same place after years of talk therapy
- A single event you can point to — and also a long stretch of years you can’t
What a session looks like
We don’t start with reprocessing. The first few sessions — usually about three — are for me to understand your experiences and what you need, and for both of us to get a feel for working together.
Before any reprocessing begins, we build resourcing: ways to steady yourself that you can use inside a session and outside of it. When we do begin, you’ll hold an image, a belief and a body sensation in mind while I guide sets of bilateral stimulation. We pause often. You are in control of the pace throughout, and you can stop a set at any point.
Sessions are held online by secure video. EMDR adapts well to video — the bilateral stimulation is done with on-screen movement or with self-tapping, and many clients find their own home a steadier place to do this work than an unfamiliar office.
When this isn't where we start
EMDR can be a helpful approach for many people, but determining whether it’s the right fit takes time. EMDR is never off the table, but some situations—such as significant dissociation, active crisis, or significant life stress—may mean we start with other supportive work first. We’ll make decisions together and revisit EMDR whenever it feels appropriate.
What I use this for
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Trauma & PTSD
For experiences that ended a long time ago and still arrive in the present.
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Domestic & Intimate Partner Violence
For what a relationship did to you, whether you are still in it or long out of it.
Questions about EMDR Therapy
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that helps people process difficult or traumatic experiences that are stuck in the nervous system. It uses gentle, guided back-and-forth stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping) while you focus on aspects of an experience, allowing the brain to reprocess it so it feels less distressing and has less impact on your present life.
Is EMDR for me?
EMDR can be a helpful approach for many people, but determining whether it’s the right fit takes time. In our first few sessions (usually about three), I focus on understanding your experiences and needs. EMDR is never off the table, but some situations—such as significant dissociation, active crisis, or significant life stress—may mean we start with other supportive work first. We’ll make decisions together and revisit EMDR whenever it feels appropriate.
Does EMDR work over video?
Yes. EMDR is well established in telehealth, and all of my sessions are held online. The bilateral stimulation is done with guided on-screen movement or with self-tapping, which you learn in session. What matters more than the format is the preparation we do beforehand and being somewhere private where you won’t be interrupted.
Do I have to describe everything that happened?
No. EMDR does not require you to narrate an experience in detail. I need enough to help you identify the memory and the belief attached to it — not the whole account. Many people find this is the part that makes the work possible when talking about it has not been.
How many sessions does EMDR take?
It depends on what we’re working with. A single recent event can sometimes resolve in a handful of reprocessing sessions. Experiences that ran over years, or that shaped how you see yourself, take longer. I would rather give you an honest answer after a few sessions together than a number now.
More on this approach: www.emdria.org
Interested in working together?
Sessions are online, for adults in Pennsylvania and Virginia. $160 per 50 minute session.