EMDR THERAPY · BURBANK & ONLINE IN CALIFORNIA
For when talking about it isn't enough
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain process distressing memories, so they feel less overwhelming — and less in charge of your present.
IN-PERSON IN BURBANK, CA
ONLINE ACROSS CALIFORNIA
What is EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — in plain English
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. The name is a mouthful. The idea underneath it is simple.
When something distressing happens, your brain usually files it away as a memory — something that happened, that's over. But sometimes a memory gets stored differently: with the original fear, images, and body sensations still attached. It doesn't feel like the past. It feels like it's still happening.
EMDR helps your brain finish processing those memories. Using gentle back-and-forth stimulation — eye movements, small taps, or tones — we revisit the memory while your brain does the work of filing it away properly. The memory doesn't disappear. You still know what happened. It just stops ambushing you.
It's not about erasing the past. It's about the past finally feeling like the past.
An evidence-based approach
EMDR is recognized as an effective treatment for trauma by the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association, and it's backed by decades of research. It began as a treatment for PTSD — and it's now used for much more, including anxiety and the early experiences that shape how we see ourselves.
Who EMDR can help
You don't need one big event for EMDR to help
01 A memory that still feels present-tense— vivid and charged, like it happened last week instead of years ago.
02 Painful early experiences — things from growing up that quietly taught you who you have to be to be okay.
03 Patterns that feel stuck — you understand exactly why you do what you do. And you do it anyway.
04 A body that reacts first — anxiety, shutdown, or a startle that seems bigger than the moment in front of you.
Even if you've talked about it before. Even if it still feels stuck.
How EMDR works
At the heart of EMDR is something called bilateral stimulation — gentle stimulation that alternates left and right. Following a moving light with your eyes. Holding small hand tappers that buzz one side, then the other. Listening to tones that alternate from ear to ear.
It's similar to what your brain does naturally during REM sleep, when it sorts and files the day. In session, we use it on purpose, while you bring a memory to mind — and your brain does the rest.
Here's how EMDR actually works in my office:
It's a tool, not a program. Some clients come just for EMDR, and it's the main thing we do. Some reach for it once in a while, when a particular memory keeps getting in the way. Most weave it in — a session or two processing with the buzzers, then back to talking things through. We decide together, and we can change it as we go.
I don't do EMDR as a standalone procedure you sign up for and endure. We prepare together before any processing. We talk through what surfaces between sessions. And we weave in the everyday work alongside it — boundaries, self-trust, actually living differently. The buzzers do part of the job. The relationship does the rest.
My approach
Woven into real therapy, not bolted on
What to expect
No diving into the deep end on day one
01
We start with a conversation
We begin with a free 15-minute consultation — a real conversation about what's bringing you in. You can ask me anything, and we decide together whether EMDR, and I, are the right fit. No pressure, and no commitment.
02
We build trust and steady ground first
EMDR doesn't start with your hardest memory. We build a real relationship and strong grounding skills first, so when processing begins, you feel resourced — not flooded.
03
Processing, at your pace
You set the speed, always. You can pause or stop at any time, and you decide how much you say out loud. My job is to guide the process. You hold the pace.
Sessions are 55 minutes · $225 per session · self-pay · In person in Burbank · online across California
Some memories don't quiet down just because you understand them.
EMDR works on the memory itself, so it stops landing like it's still happening.
A few questions before we begin
-
Mostly, quieter than people expect. You'll hold a small buzzer in each hand while you bring a memory to mind, and the buzzers alternate gentle pulses. You stay awake, aware, and in control the whole time, and we can pause whenever you want. People describe thoughts and feelings starting to shift — sometimes quickly. Afterward you might feel tired, or lighter, or both.
-
It can stir things up temporarily — vivid dreams, extra sensitivity, or tiredness for a day or two after a processing session are common, and they usually settle. That's exactly why we prepare first: you'll have grounding tools before we ever touch a hard memory, and if things aren't settling, we adjust the pace.
-
No — and this is the part people are most relieved to hear. You don't have to describe every detail out loud or find the perfect words for it. EMDR does ask you to bring parts of the experience to mind — the feelings, the beliefs, what your body still carries — but we prepare together first, and you can ask to pause at any point.
-
Yes. I offer EMDR online for clients anywhere in California. We'll talk through whether working online fits your needs and plan for privacy, a reliable connection, and support during sessions.
-
There's no single timeline. It depends on your history, your goals, and how much time we spend in preparation before processing begins. We'll review your progress together as we go and adjust the plan when we need to.
-
No. PTSD is where EMDR is best established, but people also use it for childhood trauma, anxiety tied to past experiences, and painful relationship patterns. We'll look at your history and goals together and decide whether it fits you.
-
Talk therapy focuses on understanding and discussing your experiences. EMDR uses guided eye movements or tapping while you bring a memory to mind, which helps you process it without needing to describe every detail. I often combine EMDR with talk-based work — especially around boundaries and self-trust.
You Don't Have to Do This Alone
Even if talking about it hasn't been enough.
Even if the memory still lands like it's happening now.
Even if you're not sure you can handle looking at it directly.
I'd be honored to walk alongside you as those memories start to feel like the past, instead of the present.