What is EMDR and how does it work?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a structured, research-backed approach to trauma processing that works through bilateral stimulation — usually eye movements or tapping — while you hold a distressing memory in mind. Over time, the memory loses the charge it carries. What felt raw and present begins to belong more fully to the past.

Is EMDR the first thing we'll do in therapy?

No. In my practice, EMDR comes in after relational and internal groundwork has been established — not as an opening move. We build safety, trust, and self-awareness first. For a lot of clients, that early phase is where the most meaningful change actually happens.

How is your approach to EMDR different from an EMDR specialist?

An EMDR specialist may lead with the protocol from early on, using it as the primary vehicle for treatment. I use EMDR as one tool within a broader relational and depth-oriented framework — brought in when the timing is right, integrated with psychodynamic and somatic work rather than standing alone.

What kinds of experiences does EMDR help with?

EMDR tends to be most useful for processing specific memories that still carry significant emotional weight — childhood abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, attachment injuries, early relational experiences that continue shaping how you feel and relate today. It can also be helpful for anxiety, depression, and emotional reactivity that feels out of proportion to what's currently happening in your life.

Is EMDR appropriate for everyone?

Not as a starting point, no. It works best when there's enough internal stability and relational safety already in place. For people with complex trauma histories, significant dissociation, or limited capacity to tolerate distress, we typically invest meaningful time building that foundation before introducing EMDR.

EMDR Therapy in NYC and across New York & Florida

What is EDMR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, evidence-based approach to trauma processing. It works by helping the brain reprocess distressing memories that haven't been fully integrated. These are memories that continue to shape how you feel, relate, and move through the world, even when you'd rather they didn't.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't rely primarily on language or narrative. Instead, it works through bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements or tapping) while you hold a distressing memory in mind. Over time, this process allows the memory to lose its emotional charge, shifting from something that feels raw and present to something that belongs more fully to the past.

EMDR has a strong research base and is recognized by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and the Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD.

How I use EMDR

In my practice, EMDR is integrated within a relational, psychodynamic framework rather than used as a standalone protocol.

I don't typically introduce EMDR early in the work. Before we move into trauma processing, we build enough internal safety, relational trust, and self-awareness to make that processing sustainable. For many clients, that groundwork itself is where the most important early change happens. We’re developing a relationship with your own internal experience, understanding your patterns, and building the capacity to tolerate difficult emotions without being overwhelmed by them.

When the time is right, EMDR can be a powerful tool for processing specific traumatic memories, including childhood abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, attachment injuries, and other early relational experiences that continue to live in the body and nervous system long after they've ended.

This approach reflects my broader clinical philosophy: that lasting change happens not just through technique, but through the relational and meaning-making work that surrounds it.

This work may be a good fit if you:

Have tried talk therapy and feel that something isn't fully shifting
Carry specific memories or experiences that feel stuck, intrusive, or disproportionately activating
Are a survivor of childhood trauma, sexual abuse, or chronic early adversity
Experience anxiety, depression, or emotional reactivity that seems disconnected from your current circumstances
Want trauma processing that is paced carefully and held within a relational, depth-oriented approach
Are curious about EMDR but want it integrated thoughtfully rather than applied as a protocol

I offer EMDR therapy in NYC — both in-person and via telehealth — and across New York and Florida via telehealth. If you're considering EMDR and want to learn more about whether it might be a good fit, I offer a free consultation.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a structured, research-backed approach to trauma processing that works through bilateral stimulation — usually eye movements or tapping — while you hold a distressing memory in mind. Over time, the memory loses the charge it carries. What felt raw and present begins to belong more fully to the past.
No. In my practice, EMDR comes in after relational and internal groundwork has been established — not as an opening move. We build safety, trust, and self-awareness first. For a lot of clients, that early phase is where the most meaningful change actually happens.
An EMDR specialist may lead with the protocol from early on, using it as the primary vehicle for treatment. I use EMDR as one tool within a broader relational and depth-oriented framework — brought in when the timing is right, integrated with psychodynamic and somatic work rather than standing alone.
EMDR tends to be most useful for processing specific memories that still carry significant emotional weight — childhood abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, attachment injuries, early relational experiences that continue shaping how you feel and relate today. It can also be helpful for anxiety, depression, and emotional reactivity that feels out of proportion to what's currently happening in your life.
Not as a starting point, no. It works best when there's enough internal stability and relational safety already in place. For people with complex trauma histories, significant dissociation, or limited capacity to tolerate distress, we typically invest meaningful time building that foundation before introducing EMDR.

Let's Connect