EMDR THERAPY IN PASADENA
Trauma therapy that goes deeper and gets more effective results.
You’ve tried talk therapy, but always seem to hit a plateau.
Many clients find EMDR knowing that there's more beneath the surface, but aren’t sure just how to get there. Something is still keeping the past in the present, no matter how much progress they’ve made through traditional talk therapy.
You’re here because you’re ready to go deeper, hoping for a more structured and focused approach, or interested in a therapy that better brings the body, the nervous system, and the latest neuroscience into the picture.
You’re also tired of feeling stuck in the same cycle:
Being triggered in ways that can later seem disproportionate to the situation
Feeling highly anxious, angry or unable to let go, no matter how hard you try
Feeling inadequate, unlovable, or responsible for everyone else, especially in work or relationships
how EMDR can help
EMDR works with the nervous system.
EMDR is evidence-based and endorsed as a preferred treatment for PTSD by the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and more.
EMDR can be effective because it gets to the hard-to-reach parts of the brain that verbal processing in talk therapy alone often fails to. This includes the emotional and physiological information stored in core memories.
As such, EMDR’s specific techniques help clients help bridge the gap between what they might know at a cognitive level, and what they still often feel or experience at an emotional and physiological level.
EMDR CAN BENEFIT…
Trauma survivors…
Childhood abuse + neglect
Veterans + first-responders
Accidents + natural disasters
Sexual assault + abuse
Intergenerational + racial trauma
Many mental health issues…
Anxiety, panic + specific phobias
Grief + depression
Addiction + chronic pain
Confidence + self-esteem
Public speaking + athletic performance
Through EMDR, you will…
Strengthen inner resources
EMDR leverages the nervous system to help clients build tools and resources for grounding, regulation, and positive ways of coping. EMDR also strengthens more positive and adaptive beliefs that become internalized during processing and other exercises.
Separate past and present
EMDR focuses on mapping problems clients bring into therapy down to their root to understand how past experiences have influenced symptoms today. Through processing, EMDR helps the brain leave the past in the past, especially when in a trauma response.
Reprocess past experiences
EMDR helps core memories or experiences feel less intense, and also facilitates clients being able to attribute new and more adaptive meaning to them. This often results in more positive ways clients are able to view themselves and the world that they are able to carry forward into future experiences.
Learn More
Healing is possible.
faqs
Common questions about EMDR therapy
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EMDR helps clients identify how past experiences form negative beliefs still impacting their lives today, then uses deeper states of visualization, enhanced by physical stimulation called bi-lateral stimulation, to reprocess and rewire the way the brain relates to past and present information.
Some sessions may focus on resourcing. Others may focus on processing difficult material.
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Nope! EMDR is applicable to Big T trauma, Little t trauma, just as much as any formative experience. It has also been used for many other therapeutic issues, such as anxiety, depression, and addiction.
And, because of EMDR’s ability to work on the nervous system, today it is even frequently used for performance enhancement among athletes, public speakers, and more!
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That’s ok! Because EMDR targets activated states associated with past experiences through the nervous system, it often doesn’t require explicit memories to be effective.
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Absolutely! EMDR can work great as an adjunctive therapy, so if you have a therapist you love who just doesn’t do EMDR, there are many options for adding EMDR treatment while maintaining your regular sessions.
Your primary therapist and EMDR therapist will ask for your signed permission to connect, in order to ensure there is consistency and agreement in approach.
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You bet! Doing EMDR in-person or via telehealth is often a matter of personal preference. However, there are many options for effectively implementing treatment and techniques in both cases.
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Many clients do! But it can be helpful to know that there are actually many ways in which and your therapist can take EMDR work as slowly, and as contained, as feels right for you.
Your therapist cares about how you feel throughout the process, so don’t hesitate to be honest.