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EMDR THERAPY LOS ANGELES

You don’t have to stay stuck. Healing is within reach.

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Thriving starts with a single step.

Let’s take it together.

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Common Signs of Trauma

Do any of these sound familiar?

  • Feeling tense all the time

  • Physical reactions and responses that seem too big for whatever caused them

  • Recurring thoughts about something bad that happened

  • Anxiety

  • Sleep issues or nightmares

  • Difficulty trusting others, yourself, or believing good things could happen

These common trauma responses are completely treatable.

How We Heal Trauma in LA With EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a groundbreaking therapeutic approach backed by years of scientific research.

Whether you’ve experienced medical trauma, endured a difficult childhood, suffered from sexual trauma, encountered significant hardships, or witnessed traumatic events, EMDR therapy can neutralize the emotional triggers tied to these memories.

With the help of an experienced EMDR therapist, you can begin to untangle your emotional reactions from reminders of your past, helping you live a calmer, more grounded, and fulfilling life.

For decades, EMDR therapy has been used successfully to treat a wide range of traumas, including:

  • Trauma from car accidents

  • Sexual trauma

  • Medical trauma

  • Emotional wounds from abuse or neglect

  • Trauma experienced by veterans and first responders

  • Trauma from natural disasters like the LA wildfires, or terrorist events

  • Phobias and panic attacks

…and many other challenges!

What Is EMDR Therapy?

In simple terms, it’s a type of therapy that helps you process painful memories and experiences in a way that finally lets you move past them. When you go through something traumatic like a car accident, a difficult relationship, or even just the daily stress of living in Los Angeles, your brain can get stuck on that experience. EMDR uses a technique called bilateral stimulation, which involves eye movements, tapping, or sounds, to help your brain process these memories in a healthy way. We know it sounds crazy, but the science is very clear that it works.

EMDR is especially powerful for treating PTSD, but it’s also incredibly effective for anxiety, phobias, depression, and many other issues that keep people feeling trapped in their past. What we love most about this approach is that it truly heals rather than bandaging the problem for now. You can truly feel freed from the pain you’re in.

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Our Los Angeles EMDR Therapists

All our Los Angeles EMDR therapists have completed an intensive EMDRIA-approved training program and participate in ongoing professional consultation with EMDRIA-approved consultants and expert trainers to ensure we offer our clients the best care.

Why Choose Us For EMDR Therapy?

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We prioritize a thorough preparatory phase.

We want to ensure you feel fully equipped for trauma processing without becoming overwhelmed. Trauma therapy can be intense, but adequate preparation is key to enhancing your ability to manage it effectively. We are committed to avoiding the frustration experienced by clients who don’t received proper preparation from other EMDR therapists.

Our team specializes in addressing complex trauma and attachment issues.

Unlike many EMDR training programs that focus on single-incident traumas, we understand that trauma is often complex and ongoing. Our extensive experience equips us with advanced tools and strategies for healing complex trauma that may challenge even well-trained EMDR therapists.

Our EMDR therapists engage in continuous professional training and consultation with experts in the field.

EMDR is a nuanced modality that requires ongoing practice and refinement. We integrate regular consultations and trainings to ensure you receive the highest quality of care.

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Imagine not feeling disturbed by a reminder of your trauma.

That’s completely possible with EMDR therapy.

Experience Calm in Your Body After Trauma with EMDR Therapy

Los Angeles EMDR therapist Alexis Harney, LMFT explains how EMDR therapy can help people after experiencing trauma.

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Why is EMDR Therapy Effective?

Research is conclusive that EMDR therapy works by tapping into your brain’s innate healing power. Just as we sometimes need medical intervention like a cast to set a bone or antibiotics to clear an infection, the brain sometimes needs an external boost. The bilateral stimulation used in EMDR helps your brain process and store traumatic memories more like typical memories so your brain doesn’t incorrectly keep accessing them in ways that disrupt your life.

So even though what happened won’t ever be okay, you can feel okay inside and out now that it’s over.

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What Issues Can EMDR Address?

The specific challenges of living in Los Angeles can bring up a wide range of emotional struggles, and I want you to know that you don’t have to face them alone. EMDR therapy is a highly adaptable treatment that can help you with:

  • PTSD from accidents, violence, sexual trauma, or other traumatic events

  • Anxiety and panic attacks

  • Phobias and other outsized fears

  • Medical trauma or stress related to medical treatments

  • Childhood trauma and attachment issues that still affect you today

  • Stress from life transitions, relationship difficulties, or career pressures

  • Performance anxiety and self-esteem issues common in LA’s competitive entertainment and business industries

If any of these challenges resonate with you, know that EMDR therapy can help you let go of the emotional burdens you’ve been carrying and give you the tools to move forward with more confidence and ease.

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We can’t change what happened, but we can change how you feel even though it did.

Benefits of EMDR Therapy

  • Immediate, Personalized Feedback: EMDR therapy allows for real-time adjustments based on your actual responses during each session. This hands-on support ensures the therapeutic process feels effective and tailored specifically to your needs.

  • Stronger Connection: Our EMDR therapy approach includes ample preparation and resourcing to foster a deeper level of trust and understanding between you and your EMDR therapist. This trust is essential for the meaningful work we’ll do together. Building this connection helps create a conducive environment for processing trauma and achieving lasting results.

  • Customized to Your Needs: No two individuals are alike, and your EMDR therapy should reflect that. We address your specific challenges and life circumstances, including those tied to life in Los Angeles.

  • Faster Results Compared to Traditional Therapy: Most clients find EMDR therapy to be a more focused and efficient approach to processing trauma compared to traditional talk therapy. The research confirms this. While there’s no quick fix, EMDR’s structured nature often leads to significant improvement within a shorter time frame.

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The Top Questions People Ask Our Los Angeles EMDR Therapists About EMDR Therapy

  • 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, but you get to leave the distress and discomfort behind. Sounds pretty good, right? Here's how it came to be:

    Dr. Francine Shapiro discovered EMDR therapy while walking through a park in Brooklyn in the 1980s. 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 next 40 years of her career developing and understanding EMDR therapy. Decades of research support her findings, and EMDR therapy is now considered an evidence-based treatment. It is used on combat veterans, first responders, survivors of violence and natural disasters, and many other people who have experienced something that overwhelmed their ability to cope. Today, EMDR therapists in Los Angeles use these same principles to help clients heal from trauma.

    EMDR therapy is scientifically proven to 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.

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

    β€’ Anxiety disorders (including phobias, panic disorder, and test anxiety)

    β€’ C-PTSD (Complex trauma and attachment wounds)

    β€’ Depression and mood disorders

    β€’ Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

    β€’ Substance use disorders

    β€’ Somatoform disorders and chronic pain

    β€’ Eating disorders and sexual dysfunction

    β€’ 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 is a treatment that works directly with the brain’s memory networks. It looks and feels very different than 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 or 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 deeply than insight-based therapy alone.

  • 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 Los Angeles EMDR therapist. A reprocessing session typically begins with your EMDR therapist helping you identify a target memory or distressing belief, 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 deeply relieving. 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. But the timeline depends on your goals, how much resourcing you need, the level of 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 supports your nervous system’s capacity for healing. Our Los Angeles EMDR therapists focus on creating treatment plans 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.

  • You don’t have to go into explicit detail. EMDR therapy asks you to recall memories, but you don't have to share everything. A well-trained EMDR therapist will ensure 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 on the other end of a long tunnel in a clear, bright light of healing.

  • Yes. EMDR therapy is backed by decades of research and recognized by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and 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.

  • Absolutely. Virtual EMDR therapy is highly effective when facilitated by a trained EMDR therapist. Our clients across California, concentrated in in San Francisco and Los Angeles, 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.

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

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

  • Yes. When done properly, the effects of EMDR therapy are permanent. 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-certified consultant. At Laurel Therapy Collective, our EMDR therapists in Los Angeles provide personalized, evidence-based care for clients healing from stress, trauma, and burnout. We approach EMDR as a science and an art; following evidence-based protocols is important, but it's equally important to build a trusting, secure relationship with your EMDR therapist. We believe that great EMDR therapy doesn't have to feel clinical or mechanical. It can feel relational, personal, and deeply moving.

    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.

The Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy

EMDR is an proven, well-researched therapy that unfolds over eight carefully structured phases. Often, people think EMDR is only about the bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements), but that’s just one part of the process. In reality, only a few phases involve this technique; the other phases are equally important for fully processing trauma.

The journey begins with building a foundation of trust and connection with your EMDR therapist. Next, you’ll learn self-soothing techniques to help you feel safe and grounded during processing. From there, you and your therapist will explore your history to understand the roots of your experiences. Then, you’ll focus on specific traumatic memories and begin reprocessing them. In the final stages, you’ll integrate what you’ve learned, helping you move forward with renewed strength and resilience.

Keep scrolling for more about the 8 phases. You can also watch an in-depth video of our EMDR therapists explaining the 8 phases of EMDR here.

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Healing your trauma transforms everything: your relationships, your health, your productivity, and your overall well-being.

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How does EMDR Therapy Work?

What is Bilateral Stimulation in EMDR?

EMDR therapy is a proven, effective approach to healing trauma, and its uniqueness lies in a technique called bilateral stimulationβ€”or side-to-side movement. This can involve guided eye movements, rhythmic sounds, or gentle tapping.

While bilateral stimulation may seem unusual at first, the science is clear: engaging both sides of your brain helps create new neural connections. This process allows your brain to β€œre-wire” itself, reducing the emotional charge of traumatic memories. It’s a fascinating, research-backed approach to trauma recovery that has helped countless people reclaim their lives.

Want to dive deeper into the science? Visit EMDRIA to explore the research behind bilateral stimulation and its impact on trauma processing.

How Does Bilateral Stimulation Work in Online EMDR Therapy?

Online EMDR sessions provide a focused, secure environment for processing trauma. During sessions, your EMDR therapist will guide you through various forms of bilateral stimulation, tailoring the approach to what feels most effective and comfortable for you.

The most common method for our video sessions is guided self-tapping , where you follow your EMDR therapist’s verbal directions tapping side to side. For some clients, auditory tones played alternately in each ear may work better. These options allow us to find the method that suits you best while ensuring a safe and supportive environment.

Online sessions also create a sense of comfort and safety by logging in from home. Your comfort items, pets, and a place to relax can make trauma therapy easier. Plus not having to jump back onto one of Los Angeles’ crowded freeways decreases the stress associated with going through trauma therapy.

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FAQs: Trauma and EMDR Therapy Los Angeles

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  • 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, but what truly matters is how your brain processed it and stored those memories.

  • Traumatic memories are stored differently in the brain than everyday memories. Unlike neutral experiences, like a recent trip to the grocery store, which 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 works to help you reprocess these memories so they’re stored in a way that no longer triggers such reactions. When EMDR therapy is successful, you can think about what happened without experiencing the same physiological response. It’s incredible to witness how resilient the mind can be with the right support, and our EMDR therapists have seen this transformation happen time and time again. It’s incredibly rewarding for us to witness!

  • That’s absolutely normal. Trauma can disrupt the brain’s language centers, making it difficult to put thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations into words. The good news is that with EMDR therapy, you don’t need to say much about your experience. What matters is accessing the memory and allowing yourself to feel it. Describing it in detail isn’t necessary for effective healing and processing. Your EMDR therapist can help you reduce the charge associated with it without knowing a lot of detail.

  • Your EMDR therapist will begin by understanding how your trauma affects your life. From there, they’ll create a personalized, structured plan to guide your healing process. Since everyone’s journey is unique, the specifics will vary, but the goal remains the same: to help your brain reprocess and store traumatic memories differently. This can be achieved through various approaches, with EMDR therapy being one of our most effective and frequently used methods.

  • 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. waythere.

    • Your therapist’s expertise: Your therapist is well-trained in trauma-focused approaches. For EMDR, that means undergoing a lengthy formal training program and engaging in ongoing consultation with certified EMDR therapist trainers.

    • 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 undergone extensive mental health training in graduate school, along with additional specialized trauma training. Avoid processing trauma with a coach, 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 unique needs. Your treatment plan is always tailored specifically to you. If you have questions or want more clarity about your plan, we encourage open communication with your EMDR therapist. Your voice and self-advocacy are key to your healing process.

  • We understand how important it is to have a clear answer to this question, and we truly wish it were that simple. However, because trauma impacts neural networks in complex ways, it wouldn’t be ethical to provide a one-size-fits-all timeframe. Once you’ve had a few sessions, your EMDR therapist may be able to give you a more personalized estimate based on your progress and needs.

  • 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 situationβ€”such as a toxic relationship or unsafe living environmentβ€”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.

  • Oh, we have a lot to say about what you can expect after a positive trauma therapy experience on our blog.

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What Do The Different Phases of EMDR Therapy Look Like?

History taking: First, your therapist will ask broad questions about your history and the traumas you’ve experienced. This step is essential for creating a safe and effective treatment plan. If your therapist skips this crucial history-taking phase, you may not be getting complete care.

Preparation & resourcing: During the 2nd phase, your EMDR therapist will equip you with coping strategies and ways to self-sooth during trauma processing. They’ll also help you identify positive resources, both internal and external, that can support your healing. This phase may take one session or many, depending on your needs. It’s a crucial step that should never be rushed or overlooked. Never skip resourcing!

Assessment: In the third phase, your therapist will work with you to determine which traumas will be the focus of your treatment. Don’t worry, you get a say in this. You may have one target or many; some of your traumas may be connected and can even be processed in a batch. We like to call this this β€œdomino effect” of treating trauma. It’s one of the more satisfying things we get to witness as trauma therapists.

Desensitization: The fourth phase is the core of EMDR. In this stage, your EMDR therapist will guide you in processing specific traumas using bilateral stimulation. In our practice, we often use tactile stimulation, where you tap your arms alternately, but other methods are available if needed. The primary goal is to slowly eliminate distress, allowing you to recall the trauma without being flooded with intense emotions.

Installation: In the fifth phase, your EMDR therapist will work with you to replace negative beliefs stemming from the trauma with empowering, positive beliefs about yourself (e.g., "I am worthy" or "I am a good person").

Body scan: In the sixth phase, you’ll tune into your body to identify any lingering physical sensations related to the trauma like tightness in your chest or shoulders. These can be a sign that there’s still something small to process.

Closure: In the seventh phase, your EMDR therapist will work with you to develop a plan to address any lingering symptoms so that they do not conflict with your functioning. Not all targets get processed to completion in a single session, so this can look different depending on if you completed a target or not.  

Revaluation: In this last phase, you and your EMDR therapist will review your progress, check back in on your processed targets, and determine if more sessions are needed based on your target and goals.

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Los Angeles EMDR Therapy Healing Stories

EMDR for Teens in Los Angeles

Teenagers face specific challenges on their journey to adulthood, often encountering real-world struggles for the first time without the coping skills adults typically have. EMDR therapy is an excellent option for helping teens handle these difficulties. Their natural neuroplasticity means they often reprocess trauma much faster than adults. Our resourcing-focused approach equips Los Angeles teens with tools to manage social pressures, life challenges, trauma, and anxiety. EMDR therapy empowers them to process emotions safely and build lifelong coping strategies, promoting resilience and well-being.

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Quiz: Could You Benefit From Working With a Los Angeles EMDR Therapist?

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Our Trauma-Informed and Holistic Therapy Services in California & Florida

Discover the possibilities of online therapy at Laurel Therapy Collective. Our dedicated team of therapists is well-versed in addressing a wide range of mental health issues, ensuring tailored support for each person. From anxiety to LGBTQ queer and lesbian therapy, couples' therapy, therapy for lawyers, holistic therapy, EMDR therapy, trauma therapy, Enneagram therapy, therapy for burnout, therapy for young adults, and the challenges faced by teenagers, we've got you covered. We serve Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and all of California and Florida. Our approach is rooted in affirming your identity, promoting anti-racism, body positivity, and sex positivity. You deserve to reclaim your happiness and find comfort in your own skin.