EMDR and Trauma Therapy
For those who have talked and talked and talked, but still feel stuck, in NY and FL.
Trauma Therapy for the Things You’ve Learned to Live With
You might not call it trauma. Maybe you think, “It wasn’t that bad,” or “Other people had it worse.” Maybe there’s no single event you can point to - just years of feeling like you had to be the easy one, the responsible one, the one who didn’t need too much. Maybe you learned early to earn love, keep the peace, stay small, or handle things on your own, and now those patterns are showing up in your relationships, your anxiety, your confidence, or the way you move through the world.
Trauma can be the obvious things we tend to associate with the word: abuse, neglect, violence, loss, or a frightening event. But it can also be the quieter experiences that shaped you over time: growing up in an unpredictable home, constantly feeling responsible for someone else’s emotions, being criticized or dismissed, experiencing relational hurt, or repeatedly learning that your needs came second.
You don’t have to have a dramatic story to be affected by what happened to you.
Trauma therapy can help you understand what your mind and body have been carrying.
Together, we’ll explore the experiences and patterns that still have a hold on you - not to live in the past, but to understand how it’s affecting your present. Through a trauma-informed approach that may include EMDR, parts work, and body-based awareness, we’ll work toward helping you feel safer, more grounded, and less defined by what you’ve been through.
The goal isn’t to forget what happened. It’s to get to a place where it doesn’t have to keep running the show.
When you understand it logically, but your body hasn’t caught up yet.
Maybe you’ve already talked about it. You understand what happened, you know you’re safe now, and you’ve even told yourself, “I should be over this by now.” And yet, something still gets activated. A memory, a relationship, a certain situation, or even a feeling can send you right back into the same anxiety, shutdown, self-doubt, or overwhelm. EMDR can be a way of working with those experiences when simply thinking or talking about them hasn’t been enough.
So, what exactly is EMDR?
In simple terms, EMDR helps your brain process experiences that still feel “stuck.” With the support of a therapist, you’ll briefly focus on an experience, belief, or feeling while using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or alternating taps. You’re not being hypnotized, and you’re not expected to relive everything in vivid detail. We go at your pace, and you remain present and in control throughout the process.
The goal isn’t to erase your memories or pretend something didn’t happen. It’s to help the experience take up less space in your life today. Over time, the thing that once had a strong grip on you can start to feel more like something that happened then rather than something that is still happening now. You may find yourself feeling more grounded, more regulated, more confident in yourself… and a little more like you.
How Trauma Therapy Helps
Before therapy, you may feel…
- Like you’ve worked really hard to move on, but certain things still affect you more than you’d like.
- Easily triggered, on edge, shut down, or overwhelmed without always understanding why.
- Like you’re carrying old beliefs about yourself: I’m not enough, I’m too much, I can’t trust anyone, I have to handle everything myself.
- Disconnected from your body or unsure how to understand what you’re feeling until it becomes too much.
- Caught in relationship patterns you know aren’t healthy but somehow keep repeating.
- Frustrated because you understand your past intellectually, but knowing why you are the way you are hasn’t actually changed how you feel.
With therapy, you can begin to…
- Understand where your patterns and reactions come from without blaming yourself for them.
- Feel more grounded and safe in your body and less controlled by old triggers.
- Loosen the grip of beliefs and stories you’ve been carrying about yourself.
- Respond to relationships and situations from who you are now, rather than from what you learned you had to do to survive then.
- Develop more compassion for the different parts of yourself instead of fighting or judging them.
- Feel more present, confident, and free to create a life that isn’t organized around what happened to you.
Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy is a space to understand how past experiences may still be shaping the way you think, feel, relate, and respond today. We’ll work at your pace, using a trauma-informed approach that may include EMDR, parts work, body-based awareness, and traditional talk therapy to help you process what feels unresolved and create new ways of responding.
Who it's for
This is for you if you’ve experienced something you know was difficult, or if you’re not even sure you’d call it trauma, but you know something from your past still seems to follow you. Maybe you’re struggling with trust, relationships, self-worth, emotional regulation, or reactions that feel bigger than the situation. You don’t have to have a “big enough” story to deserve this work.
The Format
Individual therapy sessions, offered in person in Huntington, NY and virtually across NY and FL.
Sessions are typically 60 minutes, with frequency determined together based on your needs, goals, and readiness for the work.
The Investment
$200 per 60-minute session
(either in person in Huntington, NY or virtually across NY and FL)
(Please note: I am out of network. You can read more about this on the fees and insurance page).
Ready to see if trauma therapy is a good fit?
What you can expect
We won’t rush into processing difficult experiences before you’re ready. We’ll first build a sense of safety and understand what you need, then gradually work toward the experiences and patterns that are keeping you stuck.
You’ll never be pressured to share more than you’re comfortable sharing.
Is Trauma Therapy or EMDR the Right Fit for You?
EMDR can be incredibly meaningful work, but it isn’t something you have to jump into just because you’re ready for change. The most important thing is finding an approach that feels safe, supportive, and right for where you are right now.
Probably, if you:
Want to understand and change a pattern that keeps showing up, even though you’ve tried to work on it before.
Feel like you’ve talked about something enough but still feel emotionally or physically stuck in it.
Are curious about the connection between your past experiences, your thoughts, and your body.
Are willing to slow down and explore what’s underneath your reactions rather than simply pushing through them.
Want to feel more grounded, free, and present - not defined by what happened to you.
Probably not, if you:
Are looking for a quick fix or a way to erase a difficult memory.
Want to avoid feeling anything uncomfortable during the therapeutic process.
Aren’t currently in a place where you can slow down, build trust, and participate actively in the work.
Are looking for therapy that focuses exclusively on practical advice or coping strategies without exploring what’s underneath.
Aren’t comfortable with an approach that involves paying attention to both your thoughts and your body.
And that’s okay.
EMDR isn’t the right fit for everyone, and finding the right kind of therapy matters more than choosing the therapy with the most buzz around it.
What Working Together Looks Like
Get To Know You
Before we start processing anything, we slow down and understand what’s bringing you in, what you’ve been carrying, and what you want to be different. We’ll build a foundation of trust and learn the tools you can use to feel grounded and supported throughout the process.
Get to the Root
Together, we’ll identify the experiences, beliefs, triggers, and patterns that are still showing up in your life today. You’ll start to understand why certain things affect you the way they do - and why knowing better hasn’t always been enough to feel different.
Process & Move Forward
When you’re ready, we’ll use EMDR and bilateral stimulation to help your brain process what feels stuck. The goal is to help those experiences feel less emotionally charged, so you can respond to life from where you are today instead of feeling pulled back into the past.
Frequently Asked Questions
Curious about EMDR but still have questions? Totally normal. Here are some of the things people often wonder before getting started. If you don’t see your question here, feel free to reach out and ask.
What exactly is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-informed therapy that helps your brain process experiences that still feel stuck. It uses bilateral stimulation - such as guided eye movements or alternating taps - to support that processing.
Do I have to have experienced a major trauma to do EMDR?
No. You don’t need one big, obvious traumatic event. EMDR can be helpful for experiences that shaped how you see yourself, relationships, safety, or the world - even experiences you’ve never thought of as “trauma.”
Do I have to talk about everything that happened?
No. You remain in control of what you share, and you don’t have to tell your story in graphic detail for EMDR to work. We’ll move at a pace that feels manageable for you.
Is EMDR hypnosis?
Nope. You’re awake, aware, and actively participating throughout the process. You remain in control and can stop or slow things down at any point.
Will EMDR make me relive the trauma?
EMDR isn’t about forcing you to relive something over and over. We work carefully and intentionally with the experience while making sure you have the tools and support to stay grounded throughout the process.
What does an EMDR session actually look like?
Sessions can include talking, identifying memories or beliefs that feel stuck, noticing what happens in your body, and using bilateral stimulation. Not every session will look the same, and we’ll adjust the process based on what you need.
How long does EMDR take to work?
There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline. Some people notice shifts relatively quickly, while deeper or more complex patterns may take more time. We’ll regularly check in about how the work is feeling and whether we’re moving at the right pace.
Will I cry during EMDR?
Maybe - and that’s okay. You might cry, feel angry, feel relieved, notice physical sensations, or experience very little emotion at all. There’s no “right” way to respond.
What if I don’t remember everything?
That’s okay, and you don’t need a perfect memory to do EMDR. We work with what you do remember and what you notice in your thoughts, emotions, and body.
Can EMDR help with anxiety?
It can. When anxiety is connected to past experiences, beliefs, or patterns that still feel threatening to your nervous system, EMDR can help address what may be underneath the anxiety rather than only managing the symptoms.
What if I’ve already done talk therapy?
That can actually be helpful. EMDR can complement the insight you’ve already gained by helping you work with the emotional and physical responses that may not have shifted just because you understand them.
Can EMDR be done virtually?
Yes. EMDR can be adapted for virtual therapy when clinically appropriate, and we’ll discuss what setup and approach will work best for you.
Is EMDR going to make me feel worse before I feel better?
Processing meaningful experiences can bring up emotions, but we won’t intentionally overwhelm you or push you past what you can handle. Building safety and learning how to regulate are important parts of the work before deeper processing begins.
