EMDR

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain process distressing memories and experiences that feel "stuck." Rather than talking through a difficult memory in detail week after week, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — often guided eye movements — to help the brain reprocess the memory so it no longer carries the same emotional charge.

It's one of the most researched approaches for trauma, and it can also be effective for anxiety, grief, and other experiences that continue to feel distressing even after time has passed.

I am EMDR trained through the EMDR institute, working towards EMDR certification

How EMDR Works

EMDR follows a structured, phase-based process. We start by building a foundation of safety and coping skills before ever addressing a difficult memory directly. From there, we identify a specific memory or experience to target, and use bilateral stimulation to help your brain process it in a way that reduces its emotional intensity. Many clients notice that a memory that once felt overwhelming starts to feel more like "something that happened" rather than something they're still living through.

What EMDR Can Help With

• Trauma, including single-incident events and cumulative or developmental experiences

• Anxiety and panic

• Grief and loss

• Difficult or painful memories that feel "stuck"

• Distressing experiences

What to Expect

EMDR sessions are collaborative — you're always in control, and we move at a pace that feels manageable. Some clients feel emotional relief after just a few sessions; others benefit from a longer course of treatment depending on what's being processed. We'll talk through what to expect before we begin, and check in regularly on how it's feeling.

Find out more about EMDR from the EMDR Institute

EMdr with kids and teens

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a research-supported therapy, recognized for treating trauma and distressing memories in both adults and children, that uses guided eye movements, taps, or tones — called bilateral stimulation — while a child briefly holds a difficult memory in mind.

Think of memory like a filing system. Most experiences get filed away and simply become part of the past. But some memories — especially the scary, painful, or overwhelming ones — get stuck half-filed. They stay close to the surface, easy to bump into, still carrying the same fear or shame they had on day one.

EMDR gives the brain's own filing system a hand. The back-and-forth stimulation seems to help the brain finish processing the memory, so it can move from feeling like it's happening right now to something that simply happened.EMDR was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in 1989 and has since been adapted specifically for children and teens, with its own age-appropriate training and protocols.

Every child moves through the EMDR process differently, and processing rarely happens in a single visit. Here's the general shape of it:

Getting comfortable

Building trust, learning the child's story, and practicing a "calm place" they can return to any time. Exploring grounding skills that are helpful in and out of sessions.

Picking the moment

Together, identifying a specific memory or feeling to work on — following the child's lead, never forcing it.

Processing

Short sets of bilateral stimulation while the memory is briefly held in mind, with constant check-ins along the way.

Landing

Grounding back in the present, and — when helpful — a debrief with a parent about how to support the days after.

But also… play and art are always respected as the language of children. EMDR with children and teens can incorporate play and art to maintain engagement and facilitate the processing process.