EMDR Therapy in Reno, NV & Online throughout California and Nevada
Process the memories your mind won't let go of, calm the nervous system responses that keep getting triggered, and finally move forward without the past quietly running the show.
I specialize in EMDR through an attachment-informed lens, helping you process trauma, attachment wounds, and dissociation so old experiences stop shaping how you feel and react today.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain process memories and experiences that got "stuck." These are moments that still carry the same emotional charge today that they did when they first happened. Using bilateral stimulation, most commonly done through eye movements, EMDR helps you process these experiences without having to relive or re-explain every detail out loud.
I'm a Certified EMDR Therapist, which means I have gained additional specialized training, extensive supervised experience, and recognition as an approved EMDR provider through EMDRIA. I approach EMDR through an attachment-informed lens, which means we're not just processing isolated traumatic events. We're also looking at how early relationships shaped your nervous system, so the work goes beyond symptom relief and toward real, lasting change in how you connect with yourself and others.
How EMDR Works
EMDR works by helping your brain do something it wasn't able to fully do when a difficult experience first happened, process it and file it away as something in the past, rather than something still actively affecting you. When a memory hasn't been fully processed, it can stay "stuck" in a way that keeps triggering the same emotional or physical reactions long after the original event is over.
During EMDR, we identify a specific memory or experience to focus on, along with the beliefs, emotions, and body sensations connected to it. Using bilateral stimulation, guided eye movements, you process that memory while staying grounded in the present moment. Over time, this helps the memory lose its emotional intensity. You'll still remember what happened, but it stops feeling like it's happening to you right now.
EMDR is structured around the past, present, and future. We begin by focusing on the original memory itself, the past experience that first created the wound. From there, we explore the present triggers, the moments in your life now that bring up that same old feeling, even when the current situation doesn't fully warrant it. Finally, we look ahead, addressing how you want to feel and respond to those triggers moving forward, so the work isn't just about processing what happened, but about actively building the response you want to have going forward.
EMDR & The Nervous System
EMDR isn't just about memory, it's physiological. When a memory hasn't been fully processed, your nervous system can stay stuck in the same fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response it had when the experience first happened, even years later. This is why a memory can still trigger a racing heart, a wave of panic, or a shutdown response long after the event itself is over.
As EMDR helps your brain reprocess a stuck memory, your nervous system also gets the chance to finally release the charge it's been holding onto. Over time, this is what allows a memory to feel like something that happened, rather than something that's still happening to you.
What To Expect
Consultation
We'll start with a free 30-minute call, where I'll answer any questions you have about EMDR and we can figure out together if it's the right fit.
Getting Started
In our first sessions, we'll spend time understanding your history and identifying which memories or experiences to target first, so the work feels intentional rather than random. I'll also teach you coping strategies and resources that we'll use at the end of every reprocessing session, and I'll encourage you to use them between sessions to manage triggers and stress, so you stay grounded outside of our time together. You don't need to have every detail figured out. Part of this process is figuring it out together.
Ongoing Sessions
During each session, you'll bring a specific memory to mind while I guide you through bilateral stimulation, most commonly eye movements. You'll stay present and grounded throughout, and you're always in control, we move at a pace that feels manageable, and you can pause at any time. Many people are surprised that EMDR doesn't require talking through every detail out loud. Your brain does much of the processing on its own, we're simply supporting that process. It's common to feel a little tired or reflective afterward, similar to how you might feel after a particularly meaningful conversation, and processing often continues gently between sessions too.
Is EMDR Right For Me?
EMDR can help with a wide range of experiences, not just major, single-event trauma. You might be a good fit for EMDR if you experience:
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Anxious, avoidant, or disorganized attachment patterns
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Trauma from a specific event, or ongoing stress and neglect over time
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Dissociation, numbness, or feeling disconnected from yourself
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Phobias, panic attacks, or anxiety that feels bigger than the situation
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Grief or loss that still feels emotionally raw
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Intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or difficulty concentrating
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Nightmares or a heightened startle response
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A memory or experience you can name that still feels emotionally "stuck"
If you're not sure whether EMDR is the right fit, that's a completely normal place to start. We can talk through it together during a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don't have to keep carrying the weight of experiences that happened long ago. EMDR can help you finally move forward, not by forgetting what happened, but by helping it stop running the show.