Trauma Therapy Using EMDR
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Your memories don’t have to keep running your life.
Something happened. Maybe you know exactly what it was — a specific event, a loss, a betrayal. Or maybe you just know that something from your past keeps showing up in your present: in the way you react, the way you shut down, the way you can’t seem to stop a pattern no matter how hard you try.
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — is one of the most well-researched trauma therapies available. It works because trauma isn’t just a memory. It’s a memory that got stuck — stored in the brain and body in a way that keeps it feeling present, even when it’s long past. EMDR helps your brain finish processing what it couldn’t process at the time, so the memory loses its emotional charge and you can move forward without carrying it the same way.
What EMDR Can Help With
EMDR is effective for a wide range of experiences, not just single-event trauma. It is particularly well-suited for:
- Childhood emotional neglect or abuse
- Relational trauma and attachment wounds
- PTSD and complex PTSD
- Shame and deeply held negative beliefs about yourself
- Anxiety, panic, and hypervigilance
- Patterns of self-sabotage or emotional dysregulation
- Addiction and substance use rooted in trauma
What to Expect
EMDR follows a structured eight-phase process, but sessions don’t feel clinical or rigid. We move at your pace. Early sessions focus on building the foundation — understanding your history, identifying the beliefs and memories driving your current pain, and developing the internal resources you’ll need before we begin processing.
When we do begin processing, you’ll be asked to hold a distressing memory in mind while engaging in bilateral stimulation — typically side-to-side eye movements. This activates both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, allowing the memory to be reprocessed in a way that reduces its emotional intensity. Over time, the memory remains — but it no longer controls you the way it did.
Who This Is For
EMDR tends to work well for adults who:
- Have tried talk therapy and still feel stuck on certain memories or beliefs
- Notice their body reacting to old experiences as if they’re happening now
- Are ready to process difficult material, not just talk around it
- Want lasting relief, not just tools to manage symptoms in the moment
Why Work With Me
I have been using EMDR in clinical practice for many years, with individuals navigating complex trauma, relational wounds, and addiction. My approach is attachment-informed, meaning I pay close attention to the relational context in which your trauma developed — not just the events themselves, but what they taught you to believe about yourself and others. That deeper layer is often where the most important healing happens.
I offer EMDR in-person in Coeur d’Alene and via telehealth across Idaho and California.
If you’re ready to stop managing your pain and start actually healing it, I’d like to help.