It happened back then. So why does it still feel like it's happening now?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a structured, eight-phase psychotherapy approach with substantial research support for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

During treatment, we identify relevant memories, beliefs, emotions, and physical responses connected to traumatic experiences. When appropriate, reprocessing involves bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or alternating taps.

The goal is to reduce the distress associated with traumatic memories and help those experiences become less disruptive in your present life. It doesn't erase what happened, and results vary from person to person.

Not necessarily. EMDR doesn't always require you to describe every detail of a traumatic experience aloud.

We will still need to understand relevant aspects of your history, symptoms, safety, and treatment goals so we can plan appropriate care. But you don't need to arrive with a perfectly organized account of everything that's happened.

We'll discuss what information is clinically necessary and how to approach difficult material thoughtfully. You can ask questions, communicate concerns, and participate in decisions about your treatment.

PTSD can involve intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance of reminders, changes in mood or beliefs, hypervigilance, and heightened reactions to perceived threats.

EMDR therapy is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD and may help reduce trauma-related symptoms by addressing distressing memories and their associated responses.

Not everyone experiences PTSD the same way, and having some of these symptoms doesn't automatically mean you have a PTSD diagnosis.

We'll start with an assessment rather than assuming your experiences fit a particular diagnosis.

EMDR may be considered for people whose symptoms are connected to childhood trauma, repeated traumatic experiences, or complex trauma histories.

These situations can require careful assessment, individualized treatment planning, and additional attention to preparation, safety, dissociation, and emotional regulation.

EMDR isn't necessarily approached the same way for someone with one clearly identified traumatic event as it is for someone with a long history of repeated trauma.

We'll look at your circumstances and determine whether EMDR is appropriate, what preparation may be needed, and how treatment should be paced.

You can also explore my EMDR therapy for childhood trauma page for more information.

There's no single treatment timeline that applies to everyone.

The length of EMDR therapy can depend on your trauma history, current symptoms, treatment goals, stability, and response to treatment.

Someone working through a focused traumatic event may have different treatment needs than someone navigating repeated or longstanding trauma.

We'll discuss treatment planning after assessment and regularly review how things are going.

I'm not going to promise that everything will be resolved in a handful of sessions just because that sounds good on a website.

Yes. EMDR can be provided through telehealth when clinically appropriate and when the therapist is authorized to provide care in the client's location.

I offer virtual therapy for clients located in New Jersey. We'll discuss whether online EMDR is a good fit for your needs, including privacy, safety, preparation, and the practical setup for sessions.

You don't necessarily need to be sitting in the same room as your therapist to participate in EMDR.

But the format needs to support appropriate clinical care. Convenience matters. So does feeling adequately supported throughout the process.