EMDR Therapy in California and Colorado
Healing from the past. Reclaiming your present.
Do you feel like you are constantly on high alert, waiting for the other shoe to drop? Perhaps a painful past experience, a sudden loss, or a series of stressful events has left you feeling stuck. Even if you logically know you are safe right now, your body and your nervous system might still feel like they are trapped in the middle of the trauma.
Traditional talk therapy is highly valuable, but sometimes talking about a painful memory over and over isn’t enough to change how it feels inside your body. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is an evidence-based, structured approach designed to help your brain naturally heal from distressing life experiences. It helps you move past the pain so you can live freely in the present.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is a specialized psychological treatment that helps your brain reprocess traumatic or highly distressing memories.
When something overwhelming happens, your brain’s natural ability to manage information can get overloaded. The memory becomes “frozen” or trapped in its original, raw state—along with the intense emotions, physical sensations, and negative beliefs that occurred at the time.
EMDR uses Bilateral Stimulation (BLS)—usually through guided, side-to-side eye movements, alternating sounds, or gentle hand-tapping. This stimulation mimics the brain’s natural processing state, like what happens during REM sleep. BLS unlocks the nervous system and allows your brain to successfully integrate the memory so it no longer triggers an intense emotional reaction today.
What Can EMDR Help Treat?
While EMDR is famous for treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it is highly effective for a wide range of challenges, including:
- Complex trauma and childhood neglect
- Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
- Chronic depression and feelings of worthlessness
- Grief and painful, sudden losses
- Performance anxiety and low self-esteem
What to Expect in an EMDR Session
EMDR does not require you to describe your traumatic event in meticulous, agonizing detail. Instead, we focus on the emotions and physical sensations tied to the memory. The standard process moves through a few structured phases:
- History and Safety: We map out your goals and practice grounding techniques to ensure you feel secure.
- Target Identification: We choose a specific memory, the negative belief you hold about yourself because of it (e.g., “I am unsafe”), and the positive belief you want to adopt instead.
- Reprocessing (BLS): You focus on the memory while following a visual or audio tracking cue. We take frequent, short breaks to check in on what is changing.
- Integration and Closure: We strengthen your new, healthy belief (e.g., “I am safe now”) and use relaxation exercises to leave you feeling grounded at the end of every session.
Erin has extensive training in EMDR. EMDR can be used as a primary mode of therapy or can also compliment and be used in conjunction with talk therapy with Erin. For individuals who feel like they have plateaued in their healing or those who are struggling to experience the progress they seek via talk therapy, EMDR offers new possibilities for breakthrough, healing and improved mental health.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment for EMDR please contact us.
EMDR Intensives
Three Hour EMDR intensives are now available.