The basics
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Developed in the late 1980s.
What EMDR is
EMDR is a structured, research-supported psychotherapy, and it appears in major clinical practice guidelines for post-traumatic stress — including those of the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The working idea is simple to state: when something overwhelming happens, the memory can be stored in the nervous system in an unprocessed, stuck form. Years later that stored material keeps getting triggered — as anxiety that won't reason away, as outsized reactions in relationships, as a body that won't settle even when life is objectively fine.
In EMDR you hold a specific target memory in mind while following bilateral stimulation — usually guided eye movements, sometimes tapping or tones. That pairing appears to help the brain reprocess the memory so it can finally be stored as something that happened, rather than something that is still happening.
Two things EMDR is not
It is not hypnosis — you stay fully awake, aware, and in control the entire time. And it does not erase memories. It changes how a memory is held, so it stops running the show.
The arc
What a course of EMDR looks like
EMDR is formally an eight-phase approach, and most of it is not eye movements. In practice the work moves through three stretches.
01
Preparation
History, treatment planning, and the stabilization skills you'll need before any memory work begins. With developmental trauma this stretch is substantial — rushing it is the most common way EMDR goes wrong.
02
Reprocessing
You bring up a target memory and the belief attached to it — "I'm not safe," "It was my fault" — while following short sets of bilateral stimulation, noticing whatever surfaces between sets. You are never required to narrate the event in detail.
03
Integration
What the memory now means, how your body holds it, and what actually changes day to day. Gains get consolidated and checked against the life you're living rather than left as insight in a room.
The pace is set by your nervous system, not a protocol.
Applications
What EMDR helps with
Childhood & developmental trauma
Targeting the early experiences that still set the terms, with heavy emphasis on preparation and pacing.
Anxiety in high-achievers
Reprocessing what the over-preparation has been protecting against, rather than managing symptoms indefinitely.
Couples work
Individual reprocessing alongside couples work, so trauma and relationship are one picture instead of two problems.
Attachment injuries
Reprocessing betrayal and abandonment while relational work rebuilds what connection can feel like.
Credentials
AMFT #159580
EMDR basic training complete
My training, and how I integrate EMDR
I have completed basic training in EMDR — the foundational, consultation-supported training in the full eight-phase protocol. I am EMDR-trained, not EMDRIA-certified, and I'd rather you know exactly what that distinction means before you choose a therapist; there's a plain-language breakdown in the questions below.
I don't practice EMDR as a standalone technique. It's integrated into a broader trauma-focused, attachment-informed approach: for some clients reprocessing becomes central; for others it plays a smaller role alongside relational and somatically aware methods. The method serves the work, not the other way around.
Every case I carry is reviewed in formal clinical supervision with Dr. Jason N. Linder, PsyD. For trauma work in particular, a second doctoral-level perspective on your care is a structural safeguard, not a footnote.
Questions
Honest answers to what people ask most.
Is EMDR right for me?
It depends on what you're carrying and how stable things are right now — which is exactly what the early history-taking and preparation phases assess. EMDR is one tool inside a trauma-focused practice, not a requirement: if it isn't the right fit, the work doesn't stall, it just takes a different shape.
How many sessions does it take?
No honest therapist can quote a fixed number before taking your history. Single-incident adult trauma sometimes responds in a relatively small number of reprocessing sessions; childhood and developmental trauma is a longer arc, because careful preparation is part of the treatment rather than a delay before it.
Does it work for childhood and developmental trauma?
Yes — with adaptations. Complex and developmental trauma calls for a slower, more resourced version of the protocol, with substantial stabilization before reprocessing begins. That kind of trauma is the core of my practice.
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?
No. EMDR does not require you to narrate events blow by blow. You need to be able to bring a memory to mind and notice what comes up; how much you say out loud is up to you. For many people this is the single biggest relief about the method.
What does "EMDR-trained" mean — are you certified?
I have completed basic training in EMDR: the full foundational training in the eight-phase protocol, including supervised consultation. I am not EMDRIA-certified — certification requires full clinical licensure, which associates aren't yet eligible for. What you get instead is built-in oversight, with all of my clinical work reviewed in formal supervision with Dr. Jason N. Linder, PsyD.
What does EMDR cost in San Diego?
Sessions are $225 for 60 minutes, pro-rated for longer sessions — EMDR processing sometimes runs past a standard hour, and we plan that together in advance. My practice is private pay; I provide superbills and support for out-of-network benefits.
Do you offer EMDR by telehealth?
Yes, for clients located in California. Bilateral stimulation adapts well to video — visual tracking on screen or guided self-tapping. In-person sessions are available in Kearny Mesa and North Park, and some clients combine the two.
Start with a free 15-minute call
We'll talk about what's bringing you in and whether EMDR belongs in the picture.
Email is for scheduling only — it isn't a secure channel, so please leave out clinical or health details.