Online EMDR Therapy in California & Utah
EMDR Therapy for Trauma, Depression, and Anxiety
How Does EMDR Work?
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a comprehensive therapeutic approach designed to help individuals develop and strengthen internal resources, process distressing memories, alleviate emotional distress, and promote psychological healing.
EMDR is a truly integrative and experiential approach, addressing thoughts, body sensations, behaviors and early life influences through focused attention, movement, mindfulness, the development of internal and external resources and skills-building. Over time, new neural networks are developed that allow an ease of movement through the world with a new, resilient experience of past, distressing events.
What to Expect in EMDR Work With Me
EMDR is an 8-phase therapeutic approach that moves forward according to client needs and preferences. The time required for each phase varies depending on your needs. Trauma processing begins only when you have the resources you need to begin. Sometimes we move forward to the next stage of trauma processing for a while and then return to build more resources before continuing. It is a unique process for each client.
Understanding Your Story
In the first phase, I work to understand a client’s unique background, current circumstances and future aspirations. As your therapist, I want to get a full picture of your symptoms, your history with them, and how your life circumstances have contributed to their development. The pace of this phase is very individual, depending on your unique history. With this knowledge, we can move into the second phase.
Building Resources and Strengths
In this phase, we work to develop and strengthen skills that will be used in trauma processing, strengthen our relationship, and reflect on and strengthen past positive experiences. Sometimes strengths and positive experiences are overshadowed by trauma-related distress. We want to bring them back into focus as we move toward trauma processing.
Processing Traumatic Memories
When we agree that you are ready for the trauma processing phases, sessions will focus on traumatic memories. All of the resources and skills you developed earlier will be brought alongside the traumatic memories. This is where the brain gets to do what it naturally wants to do–link all of your wisdom and strength to those difficult memories. New understandings emerge.
Integration and Healing
The final phases of EMDR reinforce new learning and release the somatic elements of memories. Clients say that they no longer feel distress about these memories at the end of our work. New connections have been made in the brain and body.
The Science Behind EMDR Therapy
The guiding principle of EMDR is that the brain possesses an innate healing capacity that naturally digests difficult experiences by recalling positive experiences and available supports and linking those with the difficult experiences. This allows us to move through these difficult experiences with new understandings and increased resilience.
Traumatic experiences, though, whether from childhood or adulthood, sometimes get stored differently in the brain, which separates them from this innate, healing capacity, resulting in distressing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts. Through a structured–yet flexible–eight-phase process, EMDR helps to reconnect traumatic memories with adaptive internal resources, transforming negative beliefs and emotions into adaptive, positive insights.
Grief and Loss
Performance Issues
Negative Self-Beliefs
PTSD and Complex PTSD
Childhood Trauma
Anxiety Disorders
PTSD and Complex PTSD
Childhood Trauma
Anxiety Disorders
Depression
Panic Attacks
EMDR Therapy Can Help With:
Depression
Panic Attacks
Phobias
Phobias
Grief and Loss
Performance Issues
Negative Self-Beliefs
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Therapy
Can EMDR be done online effectively?
Yes, virtual EMDR therapy can be just as effective as in-person sessions. I use secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms and various bilateral stimulation techniques that work well through telehealth.
What is bilateral stimulation (BLS)?
It means stimulating both sides of the brain in a rhythmic, back-and-forth pattern. BLS can be done in different ways, depending on what feels comfortable for the client:
Eye movements: following the therapist’s fingers, a light bar, or another object side-to-side.
Tactile taps: gentle alternating taps on the hands, arms, or knees (sometimes with handheld buzzers).
Auditory tones: listening to sounds that alternate between the left and right ear through headphones.
Is there research to support EMDR?
Yes, EMDR therapy has a large body of evidence that shows its effectiveness especially in treating trauma. It is recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations in the U.S. and abroad, such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization, The Veteran’s Administration, the Department of Defense and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. You can learn more about EMDR’s research here.
Will I forget my memories after EMDR?
No, you won’t. Clients tell me that their traumatic memories are no longer distressing and often have a new thought attached to them. An example would be a shift in thinking from “It was my fault. I should have known what would happen” to “It was a terrible tragedy that no one expected. There was no way I could have known what was going to happen.” Clients often describe the memories as less vivid and more distant.
How is EMDR different from regular talk therapy?
While talk therapy focuses on discussing and analyzing experiences, EMDR directly targets how traumatic memories are stored in the brain. EMDR uses dual attention (attending to both internal and external stimuli) to help your brain reprocess these memories so they become less emotionally charged and intrusive.
Is it only for “big traumas,” or can it help with smaller issues too?
“Big traumas” are generally understood to be life-threatening events, where either an individual or their loved one is in danger or has been harmed in a significant way. As a trauma therapist, I know that there are also many things that happen to us in life that bring up fears about belonging and safety. Because human beings are social animals, we are hard-wired to view the loss of belonging and safety as potentially life-threatening situations. Because of this, some experiences that might not immediately come to mind as “big traumas” are actually quite traumatic. For example, chronic childhood emotional neglect, bullying, discrimination, betrayal and many other experiences that result in a feeling of being separate from one’s community can be quite traumatic. EMDR can help with these issues.
Is EMDR like hypnosis?
No. You’ll remain awake, aware, and in control throughout the process. There is no trance state, and you will be consciously noticing what is happening, working in cooperation with the therapist during the entire process. Unlike hypnosis, EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for trauma.
How much does EMDR therapy cost?
In the early stages of EMDR therapy, 50-minute sessions work well. These sessions are $230 each. Once we start processing specific memories with dual attention techniques, 75-minute sessions are preferred. These longer sessions cost $345. Some clients prefer 75-minute sessions throughout EMDR work for faster progress.
Ready to Begin EMDR Therapy?
If you're struggling with trauma, PTSD, anxiety, or depression and feel ready to process difficult memories in a safe, supportive environment, EMDR therapy might be the breakthrough you've been looking for. Let's discuss whether this approach is right for your healing journey.
You can find more information about EMDR on EMDRIA's website.