emdr therapist in Murrieta, and online across CAlifornia

EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) Therapy

tana noonan, lmft, emdr-c

You’re here because something from your past is still running your present - and talking about it hasn't changed it.

You’ve talked about it. You understand it. You’re still stuck.

Maybe it's the belief you have to be perfect. The inability to stop taking care of everyone else. Anger you can't control. Overwhelm you can't settle. Grief that won't lift.

If insight alone could heal this, it would have by now. EMDR works with how the experiences are stored in your nervous system - not just how you think about them.

You’re ready for things to actually shift.

What is EMDR?

EMDR is a structured therapy that helps your brain process disturbing memories and difficult experiences that feel stuck.

Your brain has a natural way of processing experiences. But sometimes something is so overwhelming it gets stuck - stored "raw" with all the emotion, body sensation, and beliefs intact.

EMDR unlocks it. While you focus on the memory, you follow bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sounds). This activates both sides of your brain rhythmically - similar to REM sleep - and allows your brain to finish processing what got stuck.

Your brain does the healing. I guide the process, but you're not being told what to think or feel. Your brain naturally reprocesses the memory, the emotional charge decreases, and it settles into the past.

The result: You can remember what happened without being overwhelmed by it. The beliefs shift. The patterns loosen.

WHAT MAKES EMDR DIFFERENT FROM TALK THERAPY

Talk therapy helps you understand your experiences, gain insight, develop coping skills, and feel supported. It’s valuable - and sometimes enough.

EMDR works more directly with how the memory is stored in your brain. Instead of talking through the trauma repeatedly, bilateral stimulation helps your brain reprocess it so it can settle.

The key difference: Talk therapy gives you insight. EMDR changes how the experience is stored in your nervous system - which is why it can shift beliefs and patterns that insight alone sometimes can't touch.

My approach might be a good fit for you if:

You've tried EMDR before and felt overwhelmed or shut down

Your trauma wasn't one event - it was ongoing or happened in childhood

You notice yourself sabotaging progress or feeling "stuck"

You're neurodivergent (ADHD, autism) and need processing that accounts for how your brain works

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EMDR isn't just for PTSD.

And, trauma isn't just flashbacks and nightmares. It's also:

The belief you're only valuable if you're perfect (learned from criticism, conditional love, or impossibly high standards)
The inability to stop taking care of everyone else (learned from parentification or family chaos)
The anger you can't express (learned when anger led to punishment or abandonment)
The constant overwhelm (learned from having to manage too much too young)
The grief about what you never got (safety, unconditional care, permission to just be you)

If these patterns are running your life, EMDR can help reprocess the experiences that created them.

EMDR Frequently Asked Questions

No. EMDR doesn't require you to verbally process everything that happened. You focus on the memory internally while I guide the bilateral stimulation.
Some people share details; others don't. Both work. You're not telling me the story over and over - your brain is reprocessing it while you hold it in your mind.
This is one reason EMDR can feel less overwhelming than traditional talk therapy for some people.
It depends on what you're working with:
- Single traumatic event (car accident, assault, one specific incident): Sometimes 3-6 sessions
- Complex trauma (childhood abuse, multiple events, ongoing experiences like parentification or chronic criticism): Longer - often months to a year or more
- Preparation time matters: If your nervous system needs resources and stabilization first, we'll build that foundation before starting memory processing
We'll discuss realistic timelines during our consultation based on your specific situation. The goal is effective healing, not rushing through a protocol.
Trauma processing brings up difficult emotions - that's part of healing. But intensity isn't the same as being re-traumatized.
Here's how I work to keep you safe:
- We build resources first so you have tools to manage intensity
- We work at a pace your nervous system can handle
- If you start to shut down, numb out, or feel flooded, we pause and regulate before continuing
- I'm watching for signs your system is overwhelmed and adjusting accordingly
The bilateral stimulation also gives you something to focus on, which many people say makes it feel less overwhelming than they expected - like watching a movie of the event rather than reliving it.
If your protective system isn't ready for trauma processing yet, I'll tell you. We'll stabilize first, then bring in EMDR when your system can handle it.
That's common, especially with childhood trauma or dissociation. EMDR can still work. You don't need perfect recall.
We can work with:
- What you do remember (images, fragments, feelings)
- Body sensations connected to the trauma
- The beliefs you carry from it ("I'm not safe," "I have to be perfect," "It's my fault")
- The patterns showing up now that point back to what happened
Your brain and body hold the memory even when your conscious mind doesn't have all the details.