EMDR THERAPY
It’s not about forgetting, it’s about building freedom and resilience
EMDR THERAPY
In person EMDR therapy in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and virtual therapy across Illinois
Healing what still hurts
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that helps your brain and body heal from overwhelming and traumatic experiences. When something painful happens, whether it’s recent or something that’s been tucked away for years, your nervous system can hold onto the stress as if it’s still happening.
EMDR helps you process those memories in a safe, guided way so they lose their emotional charge and begin to feel more like the past something that happened to you, but doesn't control you anymore.
HOW EMDR THERAPY WORKS
During EMDR, we use what’s called bilateral stimulation, side-to-side eye movements, sounds, or taps that engage both sides of your brain. You can think of it as building a bridge between the two “wings” of your mind:
One that holds the emotions and memories of what happened — the part that gets activated when you're triggered,
feel anxious,
or experience flashbacks.
The other that holds your ability to learn, reason, and grow — the part that can make sense of experiences,
put them in context,
and move forward.
Trauma can cut off communication between these parts, leaving you feeling stuck or flooded. Bilateral stimulation helps reconnect them, restoring the natural flow between emotion and understanding so your brain can finally make sense of what once felt too big to process.
EMDR isn’t about erasing or denying the past, it’s about freeing you from its weight. Whether you’re healing from a fresh wound or an old story that still feels too close, EMDR helps your mind and body find the resolution and peace they’ve been searching for.
Imagine
if you could…
Think about the past without feeling like you’re back in it, the memories are there, but they don't hijack your nervous system anymore
Saw your story in a new light, one that brings insight, compassion, and a new way of being in the world
Finally relax without the undercurrent of tension, hypervigilance, or waiting for the other shoe to drop
What can EMDR therapy help with?
EMDR is very adaptable and can support many therapeutic goals. It can help with both major life events and the smaller, lingering experiences that keep showing up. Big or small, your brain can finally process what's been stuck.
Trauma & PTSD
Single-incident trauma (accidents, assault, medical procedures)
Complex trauma from childhood or ongoing difficult relationships
PTSD symptoms (flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance)
Developmental trauma from early relationships
Painful Life Experiences
Difficult breakups or relationship trauma
Recent loss or grief
Medical trauma or health scares
Bullying or workplace trauma
Anxiety Disorders
Panic attacks and panic disorder
Generalized anxiety and constant worry
Phobias and specific fears
Social anxiety
Patterns & Beliefs
Negative beliefs about yourself ("I'm not good enough," "I'm not safe")
Family patterns you can't break
Relationship patterns that keep repeating
Self-sabotage or perfectionism
In Talk Therapy:
You share your story verbally and try to make sense of what happened through conversation
The therapist helps you reflect, gain insight, and develop new perspectives
Progress happens primarily through discussion and cognitive understanding
In EMDR:
Your brain does the heavy lifting — You only share what you feel comfortable with
You hold the experience in your mind while bilateral stimulation helps your brain process it
You don't have to talk through every detail — As long as you can hold the memory, your brain and nervous system will start to untangle it
The processing happens neurologically, not just cognitively
Many clients describe it as more efficient—addressing in weeks what might take months or years in talk therapy alone
How is EMDR therapy different from talk therapy?
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EMDR is a structured, eight-phase approach designed to help you safely process painful experiences and make sense of how they're still affecting you today.
Here's what that looks like in real life:
1. History Taking & Treatment Planning — Connecting the Dots
First, we'll get to know your story, what brings you to therapy, and the patterns or experiences that continue to affect you. Together, we'll identify what we want to work on and create a plan that makes sense for your goals.
2. Preparation — Building Your Toolbox
Before diving into trauma processing, we'll make sure you understand how EMDR works and have strategies to help you stay grounded and manage difficult emotions. This is laying the foundation before we start the deeper work.
3. Assessment — Finding Our Starting Point
We'll identify a specific memory or experience to focus on, along with the negative beliefs, emotions, and body sensations connected to it. We'll also explore what you'd rather believe about yourself now.
4. Desensitization — Working Through Painpoints
This is the part most people associate with EMDR. Using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, alternating sounds, or taps), we'll help your brain process the memory and the thoughts, emotions, and sensations connected to it. We'll follow what comes up and allow your brain to make new connections.
5. Installation — Strengthening New Beliefs
As the emotional charge of the memory decreases, we'll focus on strengthening a more helpful, adaptive belief about yourself. For example, shifting from "I was powerless" toward "I have choices now."
6. Body Scan — Checking In With Your Body
Trauma isn't just something we remember intellectually; it can also show up in our bodies. We'll check for any lingering tension, discomfort, or activation connected to the memory and process what's still there if needed.
7. Closure — Making Sure You're Grounded
Before ending each EMDR processing session, we'll make sure you're feeling grounded and supported enough to transition back into your day. Even if we haven't finished processing a particular memory, we'll use strategies to help you leave feeling as steady as possible.
8. Reevaluation — Checking What Has Shifted
At the beginning of our next session, we'll revisit the work we've done. What's changed? What still feels charged? Have you noticed new insights, triggers, or shifts in everyday life? This helps us decide whether to continue processing or move on to another target.
One important note:
These phases aren't completed in eight separate sessions, and we don't always move through them in a perfectly straight line. Some people need more time in preparation, while others move through processing more quickly. We can also return to earlier phases whenever needed.
We aren’t racing through the steps. We want to give your brain and nervous system the support, structure, and time they need to process what has been stuck.
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When we use EMDR in therapy, we start by making sure you feel grounded and supported. I will make sure you have plenty of “life preservers” (coping tools and grounding techniques) to help you navigate the work.
Together, we'll identify the specific memories or beliefs that feel stuck. To help process them, we’ll use short sets of eye movements, sounds, or taps while pausing frequently to check in on your thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. Finally, we help your brain install new, more adaptive beliefs to replace the old ones, turning "I'm powerless" into "I survived and I'm strong." You're in control the entire time, and we move at a pace that feels right for you.
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EMDR works just as effectively online as it does in person. I use a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform that includes three forms of bilateral stimulation: eye movements, sound, and tactile vibrations.
For clients who prefer a physical bilateral stimulation, small tactile tappers can be purchased separately that sync with the platform. In my time practicing, a majority of clients incorporate a tactile piece to EMDR.
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Everyone’s journey with EMDR is different. Some people notice relief in just a few sessions, while others, especially with longer-term or complex experiences, may need more time. We’ll work together at a pace that feels safe and sustainable, and I’ll help you track your progress along the way.
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Yes! EMDR can work both as a primary form of therapy and in collaboration with other care. If you have an established relationship with another therapist, but you just need some focused trauma work, I can work with you and your therapist to make sure we all work together to help you past your stuck points.
Common questions about EMDR therapy
FAQS
Healing is a process, not a finished product—and starting is enough
You don't have to carry the weight of the past forever. EMDR therapy can help your brain and body finally process what's been stuck, so you can move forward feeling lighter, stronger, and more free.