EMDR Therapist in San Jose and the Bay Area

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps reduce emotional distress linked to traumatic memories and tough life experiences. It shows how the mind can heal from psychological trauma in a way similar to how the body heals from physical injuries.

The main idea of EMDR is that when someone faces traumatic or challenging events that disrupt their sense of safety, their brain can get “stuck” in trying to process these memories. This can cause individuals to react to current situations as if they are still under threat, because they haven't found a healthy way to deal with those past experiences. This blockage can lead to patterns of anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and people pleasing.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, like eye movements, tapping, or sound, to help individuals reprocess challenging memories and experiences. This technique allows the brain to get “unstuck,” leading to healthier perspectives on those memories and more positive beliefs about oneself and others. As a result, past experiences have less control over present reactions.

EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment that was designed originally to treat traumatic experiences consistent with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however through continued research, EMDR has been found to be highly effective in also treating:

• Anxiety and anxiety related issues like perfectionism and people pleasing

• Phobias

• Depression

• OCD

• Chronic pain

• Addictions

• Other distressing life events

Many life experiences can be traumatic, and often people don’t realize their effects until time has passed, sometimes even years. Trauma means different things to different people, so recognizing what feels traumatic to you is key to understanding its impact. Trauma is an emotional reaction to stressful situations. Some clients say, “I don’t have trauma.” In therapy, we differentiate between “big T trauma” and “little T trauma.” Big T trauma includes serious events like accidents, violence, or natural disasters. Little T trauma often refers to ongoing emotional pain from experiences like emotional abuse, difficult relationships, or bullying.

Chronic anxiety, perfectionism, and people-pleasing can result from traumatic responses to unstable relationships and lack of support during childhood. A therapist can help you understand how past experiences may affect you today and identify if you have faced any form of trauma, big or small.

EMDR can be used alone or with traditional talk therapy. Unlike talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require discussing painful experiences in detail. It helps people process and move on from past events that impact them, allowing for healing and the development of positive views about the past, future, and themselves. When used correctly, EMDR can reveal important insights that may not come up in regular talk therapy. Studies show that EMDR often provides quicker relief than traditional therapy alone.

EMDR includes somatic therapy methods aimed at deeper healing by helping integrate body sensations that are linked to painful memories.