EMDR Therapy

In Emeryville, California

The past doesn’t have to define your future

You react more strongly than you’d like in certain situations. Small conflicts or comments can leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or completely shut down. It may feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells, bracing for something to go wrong. You might over-apologize, withdraw, or lash out and then feel regret or confusion afterward. During moments of stress, your body may tense up, your heart races, or your thoughts start to spiral. You may find yourself avoiding certain conversations, people, or places simply because of how they make you feel. Even when nothing seems wrong on the surface, there might still be a part of you that doesn’t feel at ease.

You’re in the right place!

What is EMDR and How does it Work?

EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a structured therapy that helps people process and heal from past experiences that still feel emotionally charged or overwhelming. These experiences might include childhood abuse or neglect, periods of acute stress, or unexpected loss that continue to shape how you see yourself and the world.

When something distressing happens to us, our brains can have trouble processing what happened. As a result, the memories of these events don’t get filed away like most other memories. Instead, they stick around in way that leave can leave us feeling haunted by that past—like it’s still with us in the present. This can, understandably, make us feel anxious, reactive, or overly self-critical in our day-to-day life. EMDR helps the brain do what it naturally wants to do, which is to fully process and resolve these memories so they no longer carry the same emotional weight.

In an EMDR session, you are gently guided to bring up a memory while engaging in a type of rhythmic stimulation, such as following a light with your eyes or tapping on your hands. This back-and-forth movement helps your brain reprocess the experience while the memory is being recalled. Over time, the memory becomes less triggering, and your beliefs about yourself often shift in a more positive and empowering direction.

EMDR is famously effective for treating PTSD, but can be effectually used to address most mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, burn out, and more.

Now imagine you moving through your day with a steady sense of calm, even when challenges arise. You’re able to respond instead of react, staying grounded in situations that used to overwhelm you. Small conflicts no longer feel like threats, and you don’t carry the weight of constant tension or fear. You trust yourself to speak up without over-apologizing, to set boundaries without guilt, and to stay present in the moment. Your body feels more relaxed, your thoughts clearer, and you feel emotionally safe in more places, with more people. Life feels less like something to brace against and more like something you can meet with confidence and ease.

FAQs about EMDR

  • Research shows that EMDR is highly effective, with multiple randomized controlled trials finding it significantly reduces symptoms—often more quickly than traditional talk therapy. The World Health Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs both recommend EMDR as a first-line treatment for trauma recovery.

  • A traditional EMDR therapy session lasts 90 minutes. In an Intensive EMDR Intensive, session lengths are longer, which typically makes the duration of treatment overall shorter.

  • The number of EMDR sessions needed to heal from trauma varies based on the individual, the severity and complexity of the trauma, and personal factors like the patient’s readiness to process their trauma. If we determine EMDR is right for you, I will tailor the process to your unique needs, ensuring a pace that feels safe and effective for you.

  • Some people may feel temporarily more emotional or experience vivid dreams as their brain processes memories. You may feel tired after a session. These effects are typically short-lived, and most people find that they feel lighter, more at ease, and less triggered as they progress in therapy.