Eye movement desensitization and Reprocessing therapy
EMDR Therapy in Murrieta, CA
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Your brain and body already know how to heal. EMDR helps when that process gets interrupted.
what is emdr?
A Specialized, Mind-and-Body Based Therapy.
Designed to help your nervous system naturally process, integrate, and heal from painful past experiences. It pairs focused attention on what’s distressing with bilateral (left-right) stimulation, such as eye movements, tapping, or tones.
An unprocessed past experience is like a browser tab that won’t close. Because it’s still running in the background, it doesn’t feel like the past. Your nervous system treats it as if it’s happening now. Then a present-day trigger, like a tone of voice or a certain smell, pulls that tab to the front of the screen, and your body reacts all over again.
Years of chronic stress or complex trauma can leave dozens of tabs open. A computer running that many tabs overheats, runs slow, and crashes, even when nothing looks wrong on the screen.
EMDR helps your brain close those tabs, without relying on talking through every detail of what happened.
Complex & Developmental Trauma
Depression and low self-esteem
Grief and loss
Single-incident trauma
Creative and performance blocks
EMDR Therapy Can Help:
HOW I WORK
I Practice Attachment-Focused EMDR
Using my advance training through the Parnell Institute. I pay attention to how your early relationships shaped the way you see yourself and other people, while keeping the focus on what matters most to you now.
Our work stays flexible, collaborative and at a pace your nervous system can handle because your comfort matters just as much as the structure and protocol.
What to expect in a session:
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We start with what's bringing you in
You don't need to lay out your whole history first. What's happening now shows us where to begin, and the rest fills in as we go.
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We build ways to settle your system
Before processing, you learn how to calm your body when things get intense.
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We choose a starting point
It might be a specific memory, a recent trigger, a body sensation, or a belief like "It's my fault." You don't need a clear memory of what happened.
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You process in short sets
You bring that starting point to mind while following a steady left-right rhythm called bilateral stimulation: gentle tapping, or handheld pulsers that alternate a light buzz between your hands. Online, I'll teach you to tap on your own. Sets usually last about a minute. Afterward, you briefly share what came up (a thought, image, feeling, or sensation), and we continue from there.
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We close with time to settle
If processing isn't finished, we set it aside for next time and help you feel steady before heading back into your day.
What Changes:
You’re no longer trapped in the past
When you recall a memory it feels like something that happened, past tense, like you're watching it from a distance rather than feeling it all over again.
Your body feels calm
The intensity of the heart racing, stomach dropping, can’t breath, weak in the knees, full body fight or flight experience loosens up or doesn’t happen at all anymore.
Those old limiting beliefs are released
You don’t need to repeat positive affirmations to yourself in the mirror. You actually believe and feel you’re lovable, safe, worthy, and capable.
Standard and Extended SESSIONS
EMDR Processing Doesn’t Always Fit Neatly Into a Therapy Hour.
An extended session gives us room to work on a memory and still leave time to settle before you go.
Regular Session
Usually weekly or every other week. Room for EMDR and for talking through what's come up between sessions. A good fit if you prefer a gentler pace or are still building your grounding skills.
$200Extended Session
In a 50-minute session, check-in and closing leave about 25 minutes for processing, so we sometimes have to pause a memory partway through. An 80-minute session gives us about twice the processing time, so there's more room to finish what we start.
Works alongside regular therapy or as follow-up after an intensive.
$320
EMDR Intensives:
Faster Relief, Less Waiting.
Traditonal therapy sessions aren't the only option. Instead of processing in 50-minute increments, an EMDR Intensive condenses several months of therapy into a single, focused block of time (typically half-day or multi-day sessions).
This format changes the pace of healing, allowing us to dive deep without the weekly interruptions of starting, stopping, and packing up your emotions just as we get to the core.
FAQS
Common Questions About EMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured therapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional intensity. Through bilateral stimulation (eye movements or tapping), your brain processes and integrates what felt stuck—freeing you from emotional triggers, negative beliefs, and old patterns.
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You’ve been through something hard and still feel stuck.
You’ve done talk therapy, but you want to go deeper
You feel anxious, ashamed, or like something’s “off”
You’re tired of holding it all together all the time
If any of that sounds familiar, EMDR could help.
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The effects of stressful life events can surface months, years, or decades afterward. We may not recall our past as “traumatic” but chances are if you’re dealing with common mental health concerns or even physical symptoms it’s caused by or exacerbated by unprocessed material from the past. EMDR is effective for many concerns.
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Yes. Many insurance companies reimburse a significant portion of the cost of EMDR. I am an out-of-network provider and can provide a Superbill for you to submit for reimbursement . Check with your insurance provider about coverage for out-of-network mental health services. You can use the free insurance benefit check tool here.
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The first step is simple: Fill out my contact form to Book a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll talk about your needs, answer any questions, and decide if EMDR is the right fit for you.
You Don’t need The Right Words