EMDR Therapy
Healing when words alone are not enough.
When trauma occurs, the brain can struggle to fully integrate the experience, leaving memories feeling frozen or overwhelming. EMDR helps restart and complete that process, allowing the nervous system to settle and the memory to lose its emotional intensity. The goal is not to relive the trauma in detail, but to help the past to stop intruding on the present.
What is EDMR?
EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a well-researched therapy that is widely recognized by organizations such as the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a leading treatment for trauma. It uses bilateral stimulation, often through guided eye movements or tapping, to support the brain in processing memories that feel stuck and emotionally overwhelming.
How EMDR therapy can help
EMDR therapy follows a structured eight phase process that helps the brain safely process difficult experiences and integrate them in a healthier way. The early phases can take several weeks, and your therapist may give you homework to do between sessions. Each phase builds on the last, moving at a pace that feels steady and supportive.
What therapy can help you do
Phase 1 – History & Plan – We begin by getting to know your story and what brings you to therapy. Together we identify experiences and patterns that may need attention and create a thoughtful treatment plan for the work ahead.
Phase 2 – Preparation – You learn what EMDR is like and develop grounding tools to help you feel calm and supported. This phase focuses on building safety, trust, and confidence before deeper processing begins.
Phase 3 – Preparation – We choose a specific memory to focus on and explore the thoughts, emotions, and body sensations connected to it. This helps us understand where to begin the processing work.
Phrase 4 – Desensitization – Using gentle bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, your brain begins to process the memory. Over time the emotional intensity usually softens as the experience becomes easier to hold.
Phase 5 – Installation – Once the distress connected to the memory begins to fade, we focus on strengthening a healthier and more supportive belief about yourself. EMDR helps this new belief be integrated.
Phase 6 – Checkin – You check in with your body while thinking about the memory and the new belief. Any lingering tension can be processed so your body also feels more at ease.
Phase 7 – Closure – Each session ends by helping you return to a calm, grounded state so you leave feeling steady and supported.
Phase 8 – Revaluation – At the start of the next session we review how things have shifted and decide together what the next step in your healing process will be.
What to expect from our therapists
We offer EMDR in person and online in California. Our EMDR-trained therapists are deeply committed to helping clients heal from trauma.
Therapists trained in the EMDR and other relational and evidence-based approaches
What our clients say
“We came in stuck in the same argument we had been having for years. We finally understand what was actually going on underneath it.”
“I was skeptical that a method could help something so personal. Having real tools instead of just venting at each other made the difference.”
“We did our sessions online around our kids’ schedules. It never felt like a lesser version. We looked forward to that hour together.”
EMDR therapy in person near you and online
In-person and online couples sessions are both full offerings here. Choose whatever makes it easiest for the two of you to show up together.
Telehealth · California
Online therapy works for adults anywhere in California. For many people, starting from home lowers the barrier. There is no commute after a long day, no waiting room, just a private hour that fits into the life you are already living.
Common questions about EMDR therapy
What is EMDR therapy and how does it work?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences. During a session, your therapist guides you through recalling difficult memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation, typically side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or tones. This process helps your brain reprocess stuck memories so they lose their emotional charge. Many people describe it as finally being able to remember something painful without feeling overwhelmed by it. EMDR is recognized by the American Psychological Association and the World Health Organization as an effective treatment for PTSD and trauma.
What does EMDR treat? Is it only for PTSD?
EMDR was originally developed to treat PTSD, but its applications have grown significantly. At Therapy for Every Body, our therapists use EMDR to support adults working through trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, low self-esteem, and the lasting effects of childhood experiences. You don’t need a PTSD diagnosis to benefit. If there’s a painful memory or belief about yourself that keeps showing up in your life, EMDR may be worth exploring.
How is EMDR therapy different than traditional talk therapy?
How long does EMDR therapy take to work?
Is EMDR therapy available online in California?
Does insurance cover EMDR therapy?
Healing Is Possible
When trauma has shaped how you see yourself and the world, it can be hard to believe things could feel different. You do not have to take that on faith. Recovery is rarely a straight line, but therapy offers a steady place to work through it at your own pace. The first step is just a conversation.
We’re here when you’re ready.