EMDR Therapy
EMDR Therapy for Trauma
A Somatic, Evidence-Based Approach to Healing
EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based trauma therapy that helps people heal from distressing life experiences without needing to relive or retell the details repeatedly. EMDR works with both the mind and the body, supporting the nervous system in processing trauma in a way that feels safe, paced, and effective.
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), I use EMDR therapy to help clients heal from single-event trauma, complex trauma, and long-standing emotional wounds that may still be impacting their daily lives.
Trauma is not only stored as memories—it is stored in the nervous system. When something overwhelming happens, the brain and body may not be able to fully process the experience at the time. As a result, parts of the trauma can remain “stuck” as sensations, emotions, and survival responses.
EMDR therapy helps the brain and body complete the processing that could not happen during the original experience.
How Trauma Lives in the Body
This is why trauma symptoms often include:
Feeling constantly on edge or unsafe
Strong emotional reactions that feel hard to control
Panic, shame, or fear without a clear cause
Chronic tension, pain, or fatigue
Reacting as if the past is still happening
What is EMDR?
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements, tapping, or sounds—to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories. While focusing on a memory, emotion, or body sensation, this gentle back-and-forth stimulation allows the nervous system to move out of survival mode and into healing.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not require you to analyze, explain, or justify your experiences. Healing happens through the body’s natural ability to reorganize and release stored trauma.
EMDR can help with:
Trauma or PTSD symptoms
Anxiety or panic attacks
Shame or negative self-beliefs
Relationship or attachment difficulties
Emotional overwhelm or burnout
Trauma stored in the body
During EMDR sessions,
we may notice:
Changes in body sensations (tightness, warmth, release)
Shifts in breathing or muscle tension
Emotional waves that rise and fall
A growing sense of calm, grounding, or clarity
EMDR as a Somatic (Body-Based) Therapy
EMDR is considered a somatic trauma therapy, meaning it pays close attention to what happens in your body—not just your thoughts. Sensations, emotions, and nervous system responses guide the process, allowing your body to lead the way rather than forcing insight or verbal recall.
Because trauma is often stored outside of conscious memory and beyond words, this approach can support healing even when experiences are difficult to articulate or when trauma occurred early in life, before language was fully developed. By working with the body’s natural capacity to process and integrate, EMDR helps create lasting change without needing to relive or explain every detail.
EMDR for Single Event Trauma:
Car accidents
Medical or dental trauma
Assault or harassment
Sudden loss or grief
Natural disasters
Clients often report that after EMDR therapy, the memory feels more distant, less emotional, and no longer triggers the same physical stress response.
EMDR for Complex or Developmental Trauma:
Emotional neglect or chronic criticism
Childhood abuse
Attachment trauma
Growing up in an unpredictable or unsafe environment
For complex trauma, EMDR is approached slowly and with care, beginning with nervous system safety and internal support. Gradually, it can ease chronic stress and transform deeply rooted beliefs such as “I’m unsafe” or “It was my fault.”
A Safe, Collaborative Trauma Therapy Process
EMDR therapy is always collaborative and consent-based. You remain in control throughout the process, and we move at a pace that feels manageable and supportive. My role as your EMDR therapist is to help create safety, guide the process, and support your nervous system as healing unfolds.
If you’re curious about whether EMDR therapy is right for you, I invite you to reach out and explore that together. I see clients in my offices in Ventura and Santa Barbara as well as virtually across California.
