go deeper than talk therapy
EMDR in Burke, VA
Sometimes understanding what happened doesn’t change how it feels.
You may understand where your anxiety comes from, know that a past relationship is over, or recognize that a particular reaction doesn't make sense in the present. And yet, something about it still gets to you. You find yourself overreacting, shutting down, getting anxious, expecting the worst, or falling into patterns you thought you'd already worked through.
Maybe you've talked about these experiences before and gained plenty of insight, but insight hasn't completely changed the way they feel in your body or show up in your relationships. EMDR offers another way to work with those experiences so you can begin responding to the present instead of feeling pulled back into old patterns.
YOU’RE READY TO STOP FEELING…
Stuck
You understand your patterns but keep finding yourself reacting in the same ways, even when you want something different.
On Edge
Your mind or body stays on high alert, even when you know you’re safe and there’s no immediate threat.
Guarded
You have a hard time letting people in, trusting others, or feeling safe enough to be fully yourself in relationships.
Why choose EMDR?
Sometimes talking about it isn’t enough.
You may understand your experiences and recognize the patterns they’ve created, but still find yourself reacting in ways you don’t fully understand or want. EMDR offers a different way to work with experiences that continue to affect you emotionally, physically, or in your relationships.
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Work through experiences that still feel emotionally charged, whether they involve trauma, loss, rejection, conflict, or relationship wounds.
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Reduce the intensity of reactions that seem bigger than the situation and develop more flexibility in how you respond when something gets triggered.
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Work through experiences that have shaped your beliefs about yourself, other people, and relationships so you can build greater self-trust and respond from the present rather than old patterns.
My Approach
EMDR Should Be Tailored to You and What You Want to Work On
We’ll start by understanding what’s bringing you to therapy, the experiences you want to work through, and what you’re noticing in your thoughts, emotions, body, and relationships. From there, we’ll decide together what makes sense to target and when you’re ready to begin processing.
EMDR is a structured approach, but your therapy shouldn’t feel like you’re being moved through a checklist. We’ll take time to build the foundation you need before processing, and we’ll pay attention to how you’re responding throughout the work. You’ll always know what we’re working on and why.
You also don’t have to have one big, obvious traumatic experience for EMDR to be useful. We can work with the experiences and patterns that continue to affect how you feel about yourself, how you respond to other people, and how you move through your everyday life.
I may also incorporate somatic, attachment-based, CBT, or other approaches when they fit what you need. The goal is to create a therapy process that makes sense for you and the changes you want to make.
What to Expect with EMDR
PROCESS WHAT’S STILL AFFECTING YOU
I’ll guide you through the EMDR process as you focus on the experience, belief, emotion, or body response we’re working with. You may notice memories, thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, or new connections coming up along the way.
UNDERSTAND WHAT’S BRINGING YOU IN
We’ll start by talking about what you’re experiencing, what you want to change, and the experiences or patterns you’d like to work through. We’ll also make sure EMDR is an appropriate approach for what you need.
INTEGRATE AND MOVE FORWARD
We’ll take time at the end of each session to help you feel grounded and notice what you’re taking away from the work. What comes up between sessions can also help us understand what to focus on next.
BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION
Before processing begins, we’ll make sure you have the tools and support you need to stay grounded and connected to the present. We’ll move into processing when you feel ready.
Questions? I’ve got answers.
Frequently asked questions —
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No. EMDR can be useful for a range of experiences that continue to affect how you feel, think, or respond in the present. We may work with relationship wounds, rejection, loss, difficult experiences, anxiety, or patterns that have developed over time. We’ll look at what you’re experiencing and decide together whether EMDR makes sense for you.
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No. You don’t have to describe every detail of an experience for us to work with it. We’ll focus on what feels relevant to the patterns or reactions you want to change, and I’ll guide you through the process.
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EMDR sessions can be 50 or 90 minutes. A 90-minute session can give us more time for processing and allow for a less rushed beginning and ending. We’ll decide together which session length makes the most sense for your needs.
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Yes. EMDR can be incorporated into ongoing therapy, or we can make it a more central part of our work together. We’ll decide what approach makes the most sense based on your goals and what you’re experiencing.
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No. EMDR can be done both in person and virtually. If you choose virtual EMDR, we’ll use bilateral stimulation that works well through telehealth. We can talk through the options and decide which format feels most comfortable and appropriate for you.
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There isn't a set number of sessions that applies to everyone. It depends on what you're working on, your history, and how the processing unfolds. Some concerns may take several sessions, while more complex or longstanding patterns may take longer. We'll regularly check in about your progress and adjust the work as needed.