EMDR THERAPY LOS ANGELES

EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a specialized trauma treatment. When done well by a trained EMDR therapist, it neutralizes traumatic memories and beliefs. You get to keep the wisdom and personal history, and you get to leave the distress and discomfort behind. Sounds pretty good, right? This is how it came to be.

Dr. Francine Shapiro discovered EMDR therapy while walking through a park in 1987. She was walking and thinking about something upsetting in her life. As she walked, she moved her eyes from side to side along the sidewalk. After about ten minutes, she realized the upsetting thing she was thinking about felt neutralized. She went back to her research lab the next day and started researching why. She spent the rest of her career, more than 30 years, developing and understanding EMDR therapy. Decades of research support her findings, and EMDR therapy is now considered an evidence-based treatment. It is used with combat veterans, first responders, people who have lived through violence and natural disasters, and many others who have experienced something that overwhelmed their ability to cope. Today, EMDR therapists use these same principles to help clients heal from trauma.

Research shows EMDR therapy can help your brain reprocess painful experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming. Over time, EMDR helps you feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control of your emotions. That's why so many clients seek EMDR therapy in Los Angeles for lasting relief.

Trauma is any experience that surpasses your ability to cope. It might stem from a single catastrophic event, a prolonged period of stress, a difficult relationship, or a toxic workplace. Trauma takes many forms, and the key is how your brain processed it and stored those memories.

Traumatic memories are stored differently in the brain than everyday memories. A neutral experience, like a recent trip to the grocery store, likely doesn't provoke a strong bodily reaction. Traumatic memories often trigger intense emotional or physical responses. You might feel upset, numb, or even notice physical sensations tied to the memory.

EMDR therapy helps you reprocess these memories so they're stored in a way that no longer triggers those reactions. When EMDR therapy is successful, you can think about what happened without the same physiological response. It's incredible to see how resilient the mind can be with the right support, and our EMDR therapists have seen this change happen time and time again. It's incredibly rewarding for us to witness!

EMDR is best supported for PTSD, but emerging evidence suggests potential benefits for C-PTSD, anxiety, depression, pain, OCD, and other conditions. Our trauma therapists often use EMDR with Los Angeles clients to treat:

• Anxiety disorders (including phobias, panic disorder, and test anxiety)

• C-PTSD (Complex trauma and attachment wounds)

• Depression and mood disorders

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Somatoform disorders and chronic pain

• Sexual dysfunction

• Performance anxiety and sleep disturbances

As EMDR therapists who specialize in trauma therapy, the best way we can explain it is that traditional talk therapy focuses on insight and conversation, and sometimes behavior change. EMDR therapy works directly with the brain's memory networks. It looks and feels very different from traditional therapy.

EMDR is a structured type of therapy with 8 phases. During the reprocessing phase, a person focuses on a traumatic memory while engaging in guided side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or sounds. This helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they become neutralized. But there's plenty of preparation and trust building that should happen before reprocessing. No good EMDR therapist will throw you into trauma processing without building trust first.

You don't have to describe every detail of what happened; your EMDR therapist guides you through reprocessing in a way that's structured, efficient, and emotionally safe. It can be challenging, but many clients find that EMDR helps them heal faster and more fully than insight-based therapy alone.

Your EMDR therapist will begin by understanding how your trauma affects your life, then create a personalized, structured plan with you. Sessions look different throughout the eight phases of EMDR therapy. Sometimes, people need ample preparation time to build coping skills, trust, and a sense of safety with their EMDR therapist. A reprocessing session typically begins with your EMDR therapist helping you identify a target memory or distressing belief and notice where you feel it in your body, and then beginning bilateral stimulation. As the brain reprocesses the memory, distress decreases and new, more adaptive beliefs emerge. Clients often describe EMDR sessions as intense but a huge relief. This is why many clients say EMDR therapy feels different from other trauma therapy approaches.

Gosh, we wish we had an answer. It would feel great to know something was only going to take 12 sessions to neutralize. Because trauma affects neural networks in complex ways, it wouldn't be ethical to promise a one-size-fits-all timeframe. The timeline depends on your goals, how much resourcing you need, the complexity of your trauma, and your trauma history. Some people experience noticeable relief in just a few sessions, while others (especially those with complex or long-term trauma) may benefit from a longer course of treatment. Your EMDR therapist will create a plan and pace that fits your nervous system's capacity for healing, tailored to your needs. If you're curious how long your EMDR therapist thinks reprocessing will take, just ask! After your first few reprocessing sessions, your EMDR therapist will likely have an idea of how quickly you process and be able to give you a best guess.

For a fuller picture of what affects the timeline, here's our breakdown of how long EMDR typically takes and what influences the pace.

You don't have to go into explicit detail. EMDR therapy asks you to recall memories, but you don't have to share everything. If talking about it feels impossible, that's normal. Trauma can disrupt the brain's language centers, making it hard to put thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations into words. Your EMDR therapist can help you reduce the charge of a memory without knowing a lot of detail. A well-trained EMDR therapist will make sure you have strong coping tools and grounding techniques before reprocessing begins, so you can stay emotionally safe throughout your work. That's a central part of trauma therapy, and EMDR therapy clients find it very helpful.

That being said, effective treatment does require fully accessing the upsetting memory. This can be intense and uncomfortable. For this reason, your EMDR therapist should spend enough time preparing and resourcing you so you have good coping tools. If you stick with it, EMDR therapy can feel like coming out the other end of a long tunnel into clear, bright light.

Yes. EMDR therapy is backed by decades of research and recognized by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and EMDRIA as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. Many clients who've tried other forms of trauma therapy find EMDR therapy offers a sense of closure and calm they hadn't reached before.

No treatment, medical or psychological, works for everyone. That would be statistically impossible. Trauma therapy can be highly effective when certain factors are in place:

• Your readiness: You feel prepared to face and work through difficult experiences. Or maybe you're almost ready and your EMDR therapist can help you get all the way there.

• Your therapist's expertise: Your therapist is well-trained in trauma-focused approaches. For EMDR, that means completing a lengthy formal training program and engaging in ongoing consultation with EMDRIA Approved Consultants.

• The therapeutic relationship: You feel a strong sense of trust and connection with your therapist, making it easier to engage in the process.

When these elements align, trauma therapy has a high likelihood of success.

No. It's essential to process trauma only with a specialized trauma therapist. Trauma involves complex neurological processes that require deep understanding and expertise. A qualified trauma therapist has extensive mental health training from graduate school, along with additional specialized trauma training. Avoid processing trauma with a coach, an app, or anyone you don't fully trust; it's important to have the right professional support.

There are various evidence-based trauma therapies, each developed and tested over years of research. At our practice, EMDR therapy is our primary approach. We may also incorporate somatic methods or holistic strategies, depending on your needs. Your treatment plan is always tailored to you. If you have questions or want more clarity about your plan, we encourage open communication with your EMDR therapist. Speaking up for yourself is a key part of your healing.

Trauma therapy can sometimes feel more challenging or even make things worse under certain circumstances. Here are some common scenarios where this might happen:

• Lack of coping tools: If you haven't yet developed effective coping or self-soothing techniques, trauma processing may feel overwhelming. A skilled therapist will focus on helping you build these skills before diving into the trauma itself.

• Ongoing trauma: If you're still in a traumatic situation, such as a toxic relationship or unsafe living environment, it can be difficult to fully heal while the source of harm persists.

• Rushing the process: Healing takes time, and trying to process trauma too quickly can backfire. It's important to move at a pace that feels manageable.

• Lack of trust in your therapist: A strong, trusting relationship with your therapist is essential. Without it, therapy may feel unsafe or unproductive.

Working with a qualified trauma therapist who prioritizes your safety and readiness can help prevent these issues and create a supportive path to healing.

Yes. Virtual EMDR therapy can work well when facilitated by a trained EMDR therapist. Our Los Angeles clients, like our clients across California and Florida, often choose online EMDR for convenience and privacy, without compromising the quality of their treatment. No one wants to spend more time in LA traffic! With online EMDR, you don't have to.

If you're still wondering whether virtual EMDR is as effective as sitting in a room with a therapist, here's what the research shows.

It's common to feel lighter, calmer, or emotionally tired after EMDR therapy sessions. You may have a mild headache or some brain fog as your brain continues to process for a day or two. Gentle care like rest, journaling, or a walk outside can help.

You can read more about what to expect after an EMDR session here.

Usually. For most people, the relief lasts once a memory is fully processed. If you process a target to completion but find that at a later date it becomes upsetting again, that's a sign that you may have what's called a "floatback." A floatback is a memory that is thematically linked to the one you processed. For example, if your first memory was related to the theme of danger, you likely have another memory with that same theme keeping the channel of trauma open. Finding the right floatback to target and neutralize to close the channel is your EMDR therapist's job. If you feel like a previous memory is getting stirred up by EMDR, tell your EMDR therapist.

Look for an EMDR therapist who has completed EMDRIA-approved training and engages in ongoing training and consultation with an EMDRIA Approved Consultant. At Laurel Therapy Collective, our EMDR therapists provide personalized, evidence-based care for Los Angeles clients healing from stress, trauma, and burnout. We approach EMDR as a science and an art; following evidence-based protocols is important, and it's equally important to build a trusting, secure relationship with your EMDR therapist. We believe great EMDR therapy can feel relational, personal, and moving instead of clinical or mechanical.

If you're ready to begin EMDR therapy in Los Angeles, you can schedule a free 20-minute consultation to see if one of our trauma therapists is the right fit.

Sessions are $175 to $275. We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills. Use our cost calculator to estimate what your insurance will cover.

EMDR isn’t the right first step for everyone, and a good EMDR therapist will tell you that up front. You may need to wait, or start with a different kind of support, if you are:

• In crisis right now, or having thoughts of ending your life. Your safety comes first. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. When you’re ready, we’ll help you find the right level of care.

• Relying on alcohol or drugs to get through the day. EMDR can stir things up between sessions, so you’d need to build stability first. We don’t specialize in substance-related care, so we can point you toward someone who can help.

• Managing a seizure disorder or a heart condition, or a complicated pregnancy. EMDR may still be an option. Check with your doctor first, and we’ll work alongside them.

• Part of a legal case where you may testify about what happened. Talk with your attorney before we process those memories.

If you often feel numb or checked out, that doesn’t rule you out. It usually means we spend more time on preparation first, building the skills that help you stay present. That groundwork is what makes the later work hold.

Not sure where you fit? We’ll talk it through on your free 20-minute consultation. You can also read more in our post on when EMDR doesn’t work.