EMDR Therapy · Brooklyn & Virtual
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well-researched, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain finish processing memories that have become “stuck.” When an experience is too overwhelming to integrate at the time, it can stay lodged in the nervous system, showing up years later as triggers, anxiety, shutdown, or beliefs like I'm not safe or I'm not enough. EMDR helps those memories settle into the past, where they belong, so they stop running the present.
How I use EMDR
I offer EMDR alongside somatic therapy and Somatic IFS. Before any memory processing, we spend time building resources: ways for your body to feel steady and supported, so that the work never asks more of you than you can hold. Some of these are on my Resourcing page.
During processing, we pay attention not only to thoughts and images, but to what's happening in your body, and to the parts of you that may have strong feelings about going there. That pacing is what makes the work feel safe.
Much of my work is with adults carrying complex or developmental trauma (C-PTSD): not one event, but years of growing up without enough attunement, safety, or room to be yourself. This is common for children of immigrants and for neurodivergent adults who spent years masking. EMDR can be adapted for this kind of history, moving more slowly and working with the protective patterns that formed around it.
Common questions
EMDR is effective for PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, phobias, grief, performance anxiety, and negative self-beliefs. It is recognized by the APA, WHO, and VA as a first-line treatment for trauma, and it can be used wherever the nervous system is holding distress.
No. EMDR does not require detailed verbal retelling of what happened. This makes it accessible for people who find traditional talk therapy re-traumatizing, or who simply don't have words for what they carry.
Early sessions focus on safety, understanding your history, and building resources. During processing, you hold a memory in mind while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping. Many people describe it as surprisingly gentle.
Single-incident traumas often resolve in 8–12 sessions. Complex or developmental trauma usually takes longer. We'll move at a pace that feels safe and supportive for you.
Yes. EMDR works well over telehealth, using eye movements on screen or self-tapping. I offer sessions in person in Brooklyn Heights and virtually for clients anywhere in New York and New Jersey.
A free 15-minute consultation is a chance to see if we're a good fit, with no pressure or obligation. In person in Brooklyn Heights, or virtually anywhere in New York and New Jersey.
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