EMDR and trauma therapy
Does your body feel like it's stuck in the past?
Have you ever noticed that you can know (in your rational mind) that you are safe, but your body still feels like it's in danger? Maybe your heart races for no reason, your muscles are always tight, or you feel a sudden wave of panic from a smell, a sound, or a look from a stranger.
In the face of overwhelming experiences, your brain can freeze snapshots of images, thoughts, and feelings. But memories don't get filed away as past events; instead, they stay active in your nervous system. This is why you relive the trauma instead of just remember it.
Have you ever noticed that you can know (in your rational mind) that you are safe, but your body still feels like it's in danger? Maybe your heart races for no reason, your muscles are always tight, or you feel a sudden wave of panic from a smell, a sound, or a look from a stranger.
In the face of overwhelming experiences, your brain can freeze snapshots of images, thoughts, and feelings. But memories don't get filed away as past events; instead, they stay active in your nervous system. This is why you relive the trauma instead of just remember it.
Is your internal alarm system always going off?
Trauma shows up in more ways than just memories. If you are looking to heal that trauma, you might recognize these everyday symptoms:
Trauma shows up in more ways than just memories. If you are looking to heal that trauma, you might recognize these everyday symptoms:
- The jumpstart feeling: Do you startle easily or feel like you're constantly scanning your life for potential disasters?
- Emotional snap-backs: Do you find yourself reacting with intense anger or tears to small things, then feeling confused about why you got so upset?
- Body armoring: Do you live with chronic tension in your jaw, neck, or shoulders that won't go away, no matter how much you rest?
- Nighttime racing: Does your mind replay worst-case scenarios the moment you try to close your eyes?
- Feeling numb or foggy: Do you sometimes feel like you've floated away from your body just to get through a difficult conversation?
How EMDR therapy helps you get "unstuck" from your past
You might have heard about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy), but you have been wondering: "How can moving my eyes help me feel less anxious?"
Think of EMDR as a way to help your brain's natural healing system "digest" those heavy, stuck memories. In our sessions, we don't just talk about what happened; we work to lower the volume on the physical symptoms of your trauma.
Through our work together, you can expect to:
You might have heard about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy), but you have been wondering: "How can moving my eyes help me feel less anxious?"
Think of EMDR as a way to help your brain's natural healing system "digest" those heavy, stuck memories. In our sessions, we don't just talk about what happened; we work to lower the volume on the physical symptoms of your trauma.
Through our work together, you can expect to:
- Take the sting out of old memories: You'll still remember what happened, but it won't still trigger that fight or flight panic in your chest.
- Quiet the inner critic: We move from the feeling of "It was my fault" or "I'm unsafe" to a place of "I did my best" and "I am safe now."
- Reclaim your energy: When your body stops spending all its energy on "survival mode," you'll be amazed at how much more room you have for joy and connection.
Why choose a trauma-informed therapist?
Healing from complex trauma (CPTSD) requires more than just standard talk therapy. It requires someone who understands the long-term symptoms of childhood trauma and how they affect your adult relationships.
I provide a safe, affirming space online across the whole of New Jersey and the United Kingdom. My approach is gentle - we never go faster than your nervous system is ready to go.
Are you ready to stop struggling?
You've been carrying these memories for a long time. You don't have to carry them alone anymore. If you're looking for specialized EMDR therapy in New Jersey or the United Kingdom, let's see if we are a good fit.
Healing from complex trauma (CPTSD) requires more than just standard talk therapy. It requires someone who understands the long-term symptoms of childhood trauma and how they affect your adult relationships.
I provide a safe, affirming space online across the whole of New Jersey and the United Kingdom. My approach is gentle - we never go faster than your nervous system is ready to go.
Are you ready to stop struggling?
You've been carrying these memories for a long time. You don't have to carry them alone anymore. If you're looking for specialized EMDR therapy in New Jersey or the United Kingdom, let's see if we are a good fit.
Polyvagal Theory and EMDR
Many EMDR therapists use polyvagal theory. To learn more about this, I have a dedicated page to Polyvagal here.
Online EMDR
When the pandemic hit, clinicians were required to use an online format to deliver EMDR therapy. I use a HIPAA-compliant portal to meet you online; we still get to face each other and use the EMDR protocol effectively, and the only difference is that we face each other on a video screen, rather than sit with each other in an office.
The benefit is that you can benefit from therapy in the comfort of your home, and you can schedule your sessions with more ease (cutting out any travel time). This has worked extremely well with my clients, and therapists have been using this format long before the pandemic.
Here is some research to support the use of EMDR in a virtual setting -
The benefit is that you can benefit from therapy in the comfort of your home, and you can schedule your sessions with more ease (cutting out any travel time). This has worked extremely well with my clients, and therapists have been using this format long before the pandemic.
Here is some research to support the use of EMDR in a virtual setting -
- Brown, G. O. S. (2021). Reflections on Providing Virtual Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy in the Wake of COVID-19: Survival Through Adaptation. In Shared Trauma, Shared Resilience During a Pandemic (pp. 235-248). Springer, Cham
- Jones, C., Miguel-Cruz, A., Smith-MacDonald, L., Cruikshank, E., Baghoori, D., Chohan, A. K., ... & Brémault-Phillips, S. (2020). Virtual Trauma-Focused Therapy for Military Members, Veterans, and Public Safety Personnel With Posttraumatic Stress Injury: Systematic Scoping Review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(9), e22079
- Tarquinio, C., Brennstuhl, M. J., Rydberg, J. A., Bassan, F., Peter, L., Tarquinio, C. L., ... & Tarquinio, P. (2020). EMDR in telemental health counseling for healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients: a pilot study. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 1-12.
- Bongaerts, et al. (2021). Safety and effectiveness of intensive treatment for complex PTSD delivered via home-based telehealth
Trauma therapy including EMDR
