Online EMDR Therapy, Anywhere in California

EMDR helps your brain and nervous system process experiences that never got fully resolved, the ones that may still be fueling anxiety, painful beliefs, physical reactions, or feeling stuck.

Together, we identify specific memories, triggers, or beliefs that still affect you today. Then, using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sounds), your brain reprocesses them, reducing their emotional intensity and helping your nervous system recognize that the danger isn't happening now.

One leading theory is that bilateral stimulation works similarly to REM sleep, the stage when your brain naturally processes and files away memories. Research, including brain imaging studies, suggests EMDR can create real changes in how the brain and nervous system respond to distress. In other words, EMDR doesn't just help you think differently. It can help your mind and body respond differently.

Before we begin reprocessing, we'll spend time understanding your history, setting goals, building coping tools, and making sure you feel ready.

In a session, we focus on a specific memory, trigger, or belief while using bilateral stimulation. Online, that usually means following guided eye movements on your screen or using a self-tapping technique called the "butterfly hug."

As we go, you might notice shifts in your emotions, body sensations, thoughts, or memories. You stay fully in control the whole time, and we can slow down or pause whenever you need.

EMDR doesn't erase memories. It takes the charge out of them, so they stop feeling so overwhelming in the present.

Everyone responds a little differently, but many people feel tired afterward, almost like waking up from a deep nap. That's normal: your brain and nervous system have been doing real work.

We always save time at the end of each session to help you feel grounded before we finish. It also helps to plan a gentler schedule afterward when you can, with water, rest, and some downtime.

Between sessions, you might notice more vivid dreams, shifts in mood, new insights, or memories resurfacing. That's often a sign your brain is still processing. Sometimes upsetting feelings come up too. If they do, we'll work through them together at a pace that feels manageable.

EMDR works best when you're ready to actively engage in the process. It can often move faster than some other approaches, but it isn't a quick fix. Consistency and a strong foundation make a real difference.

It's also a great option if you're already in therapy and want focused support for trauma, attachment wounds, or painful memories. Many clients keep seeing their regular therapist for weekly support and come to me specifically for EMDR. With your permission, I'm happy to coordinate with your therapist so everything feels connected. (For ethical reasons, I can't be your talk therapist if you're already seeing someone else for individual therapy, but EMDR alongside your current therapy is a great fit.)

Because EMDR can bring up intense material, feeling stable and safe matters. EMDR may not be the right fit right now, or we may focus on building stability first, if you're experiencing:

• Active substance abuse

• Significant dissociation

• Active suicidal thoughts or self-harm

• Psychosis or mania

• An unsafe or abusive living situation

It's also important to let me know if you have upcoming legal proceedings where you may testify, or medical conditions like seizures, heart conditions, or pregnancy. We'll talk through all of this during your consultation. The goal is never to rush you into processing before you're ready.

It depends on what we're working on. A single experience or a specific fear, like public speaking anxiety or a phobia, often improves within a relatively small number of sessions. More layered concerns, like chronic anxiety, attachment wounds, or complex trauma, usually take longer.

Many people notice meaningful shifts early on, such as less emotional intensity, more calm, and a sense that something is finally moving.

Since everyone is different, I can't give you an exact number of sessions upfront. But we'll talk through your goals in your free consultation, and keep checking in along the way about what's helping.

Limiting beliefs are deeply rooted negative beliefs about yourself, like "I'm not good enough," "I'm not safe," "I have to be perfect," or "It's my fault." In EMDR, these are often called negative cognitions.

Clients often describe it this way: "I logically want to believe I'm good enough, safe, lovable, or worthy… but I just can't fully feel it."

These beliefs usually aren't random. They often grow out of painful experiences, criticism, rejection, or attachment wounds. Even when you know something isn't true anymore, your nervous system may still respond as though it is.

With EMDR, we process the experiences connected to those beliefs, so your mind and body can respond from the present instead of the past. The goal isn't positive thinking. It's helping healthier beliefs genuinely feel true.

EMDR can be a really effective way to prepare for situations that feel high-pressure or anxiety-provoking, like a wedding, public speaking, a performance, travel, a big transition, or an important conversation.

One of the most common examples? Weddings, which is actually one of the reasons I became an EMDR client myself. [Read my story here.]

Even happy events can stir up anxiety, perfectionism, fear of judgment, or family stress. EMDR helps process the fears and limiting beliefs underneath, so you can feel calm, confident, and actually present for the moments that matter.

If your event is coming up soon, an EMDR intensive can be a helpful way to focus on it in a shorter timeframe.