Young woman with long brown hair in a black coat and black cap standing on a city street with bright lights and yellow taxis in the background.

EMDR Therapy

Less talking. More resolution.

What EMDR Actually Is

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy that helps your brain do something it’s naturally built to do: process and resolve overwhelming experiences.

When something traumatic or deeply distressing happens, your brain sometimes stores it in a raw, unprocessed state—like a live wire in your system. EMDR helps resolve the emotional charge of those memories, so they lose their grip. It’s not about erasing the past. It’s about making it feel like the past—not something that keeps disturbing you in the present.

This isn’t talk therapy in the traditional sense. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements or taps) to activate the brain’s natural processing system while you briefly recall the memory. It may sound odd if you’ve never done it—but can be effective for many people. It ‘s an empirically validated psychotherapy approach.

Smiling man in plaid shirt with red lanterns in background

Who EMDR Can Help

I use EMDR with clients facing challenges related to PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and self-worth issues that trace back to earlier experiences. EMDR can help with patterns that formed from years of subtle invalidation, emotional neglect, or relational pain that’s harder to name—but no less impactful.

If you:

  • Avoid certain memories or conversations

  • Feel shut down or flooded in relationships

  • Constantly brace for something bad to happen

  • Struggle with shame, self-blame, or low self-trust

  • Know something’s “off,” but can’t explain why

  • EMDR may be part of what helps you shift.

EMDR therapy for trauma in NYC and via telehealth across NY, NJ, CT, MA, VA, and HI.

A woman with curly hair smiling and looking up, wearing a yellow sleeveless top and hoop earrings, against a clear blue sky.

How I Use It

I’m certified in EMDR and trained in both Recent Traumatic Event Protocol (RTEP) and Group Traumatic Event Protocol (GTEP). Even though these are structured protocols, the treatment is highly individualized, based on your history, needs, symptoms, and readiness.

Sometimes, EMDR is the main focus of our work together. Other times, it’s one approach among several. We may use DBT or grounding skills before we begin, especially if you struggle with dissociation or emotional intensity.

If it’s not the right fit for you, I’ll say so—and we’ll use something that is. The goal is to help you heal in a way that works for you and that your nervous system can handle.

If you want to move on from a recurring cycle of pain, EMDR might be part of the way through.

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you reach out. I’ll help you understand whether EMDR is a good fit, and if it is, we’ll move at a pace that feels manageable.