EMDR Therapy to Heal from Trauma in Los Angeles, CA
Heal what your mind remembers, so your body can finally move on.
EMDR Therapy in Los Angeles, CA
Virtual services available throughout Washington & California.
EMDR is a trauma-focused therapy designed to help the brain and body process distressing experiences that may still feel emotionally “stuck” in the present. Often, painful experiences are not fully processed at the time they occur, especially when they involve chronic stress, emotional overwhelm, relational wounds, or trauma. As a result, those experiences can continue to shape how you see yourself, respond to stress, and navigate relationships long after the event has passed.
These unresolved experiences may show up as:
Feeling emotionally reactive or easily triggered
Persistent anxiety or hypervigilance
Negative beliefs such as “I’m not enough,” “I’m too much,” or “I’m not safe”
Difficulty trusting yourself or others
Patterns of people-pleasing, perfectionism, or emotional shutdown
How EMDR Therapy in Los Angeles, CA can help:
In my practice, EMDR is used in a thoughtful, paced, and collaborative way. We don’t rush into processing, instead, we first focus on building a sense of safety, stability, and internal support. This helps ensure your nervous system has the capacity to stay grounded while we work with more activating material.
During EMDR sessions, we may briefly bring attention to specific memories, emotions, or body sensations while also using bilateral stimulation to support the brain’s natural processing system. Clients often notice that over time, the emotional “charge” connected to past experiences begins to shift, even if the memory itself remains.
EMDR is not about reliving trauma, but rather about helping your system update old experiences so they no longer feel like they are happening now. Many people find that as processing unfolds, they feel less reactive, more grounded, and more able to respond to present-day situations without being pulled into old patterns of fear, shame, or overwhelm.
Your Questions About EMDR, Answered
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain and body safely reprocess distressing memories so they no longer feel overwhelming or stuck. Through gentle, guided techniques like bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sounds), EMDR allows your nervous system to release old trauma and make space for new, more empowering beliefs. EMDR therapy has 8 phases:
History Taking: We get to know your story, your strengths, and what you'd like to work on. We always work at your pace.
Preparation: You’ll learn calming tools and grounding techniques to help you feel safe and supported. We also call this phase “resourcing”.
Assessment: We identify a target memory and the thoughts, feelings, and body sensations connected to it.
Desensitization: Using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping), we begin processing the memory so it feels less distressing.
Installation: We strengthen a positive belief to replace the old, limiting one tied to the memory.
Body Scan: We check in with your body to notice and release any leftover tension or activation.
Closure: Each session ends with grounding and care to make sure you leave feeling stable and supported.
Reevaluation: We check in at the next session to make sure the shifts are sticking and continue the work.
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No. Unlike some traditional talk therapies, EMDR does not require you to share every detail of what happened. The focus is less on retelling the story and more on helping your brain and body process the experience in a safe, supported way.
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Yes. Many people find EMDR helpful not only for trauma, but also for anxiety, perfectionism, low self-worth, people-pleasing patterns, and nervous system dysregulation. Often, these struggles are connected to past experiences where you learned to stay hypervigilant, overfunction, or prioritize others’ needs to feel safe.
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Everyone experiences EMDR differently, but many people describe it as helping things feel less emotionally charged over time. During sessions, you remain present and in control while working through memories, emotions, or body sensations with support and grounding from your therapist. The goal is not to relive the experience, but to help your nervous system process it differently so it no longer feels as overwhelming.
Ready to start EMDR in Los Angeles, CA?
Reach out to schedule a free consultation call with me. We can see if EMDR is a good fit!
Virtual therapy services available throughout Washington & California