Evidence-Based Therapy

EMDR: Healing Trauma at Its Root

One of the most thoroughly researched treatments for trauma — helping your brain finish what it couldn't complete on its own.

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The Science

How the brain heals itself

You've heard of REM sleep — Rapid Eye Movement. Neuroscientists have found that these movements help us process and make sense of our daily experiences, providing the raw material of dreams and helping us integrate what we've lived through.

With trauma, this natural process is disrupted. Memories become fragmentary, overwhelming, or repressed — making it nearly impossible to extract meaning from painful experiences. The wound stays open because the brain never got to close it.

EMDR is a structured protocol that reactivates this healing mechanism. By following bilateral stimulation while recalling difficult memories, the brain can finally complete the processing it was unable to finish at the time of the event.

WHO Endorsed APA Approved All Trauma Types
Francine Shapiro discovered EMDR by accident — she noticed that consciously moving her eyes back and forth seemed to lessen the intensity of a disturbing thought she was having during a walk. That observation became the basis for a therapy now used around the world.

— The discovery of EMDR, Francine Shapiro

What to Expect

The Eight Phases of EMDR

Phase 01

History Taking

We explore your history and identify the experiences contributing to your current challenges.

Phase 02

Preparation

Building trust and equipping you with stabilization techniques before processing begins.

Phase 03

Assessment

Identifying the target memory, negative beliefs, and physical sensations associated with it.

Phase 04

Desensitization

Using bilateral stimulation while you focus on the memory, allowing distress to decrease.

Phase 05

Installation

Strengthening a positive, more adaptive belief to replace the negative one connected to the memory.

Phase 06

Body Scan

Checking for any lingering physical tension connected to the memory and continuing to process it.

Phase 07

Closure

Returning you to a state of equilibrium at the end of each session, whether or not processing is complete.

Phase 08

Reevaluation

Revisiting the target memory at the start of the next session to check on progress and identify what's next.

EMDR Therapy in New York

Trauma doesn't define you.
Let's work through it together.

In-person and telehealth sessions available. First consultation is always free.