EMDR Therapy Los Angeles

Online EMDR therapy in Los Angeles and anywhere in California.

I use EMDR to help clients process distressing memories and reduce trauma and anxiety symptoms.

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a highly effective and evidence-based psychotherapy approach developed in the late1980s by Francine Shapiro, PhD. It was first used to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans, and is now recognized as a helpful approach for the treatment of a variety of issues (e.g., big and small traumas, anxiety, depression, grief & loss, and low self-esteem).

EMDR therapy is a structured, 8-phase approach that helps clients heal by targeting past memories, present triggers, and future actions and attitudes. The idea behind EMDR is that many psychological conditions stem from traumatic or disturbing life experiences which have not been properly processed and stored in the brain's memory network. The goal of EMDR therapy is to target and reprocess these improperly stored memories, along with the negative beliefs, emotions, and bodily sensations associated with them, so that they are properly filed and no longer easily activated. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not rely on talking to reprocess memories. Instead, bilateral stimulation (e.g., left to right eye movements, sounds, or tapping) is used to activate both the left and right sides of the brain to reprocess the disturbing memories.