EMDR THERAPY SAN FRANCISCO
Integrative, grounded, and science-backed trauma therapy
Online EMDR Therapy for San Francisco Professionals, Couples & Teens
In San Francisco, a lot of trauma shows up in high-functioning form. People keep working, keep producing, keep problem-solving, and their nervous system quietly pays the bill. We often see perfectionism that looks like competence on the outside, paired with sleep disruption, irritability, health anxiety, or a baseline sense of urgency that never really turns off. Many clients are used to analyzing feelings rather than feeling them, and EMDR can be a way to help the body catch up to what the mind already understands.
Your brain is processing more than you think. On top of work demands, it’s quietly processing earthquakes, tech-industry upheaval, the astronomic cost of living, and the homelessness crisis.
On top of your personal trauma, these things all leave a mark. With our San Francisco EMDR therapy approach, we translate trauma into something you can leave behind. Because you don’t just deserve relief; you deserve to thrive.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a structured, research-backed therapy that helps your brain finish processing experiences it got stuck on — whether that's a single traumatic event or years of accumulated stress that never fully resolved.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
Here's the short version of how it works: when something overwhelming happens, the brain sometimes stores it in a raw, unprocessed form. The memory stays charged, triggering the same fear, shame, or hypervigilance every time something reminds you of it, even when the original event is long over.
For a tech lead who's been running on adrenaline for three years, that might look less like flashbacks and more like a baseline sense of dread that never fully turns off, even on vacation.
EMDR works by using bilateral stimulation (typically guided eye movements, tones, or vibrations) to help the brain reprocess those stuck experiences so they lose their emotional charge. The memory doesn't disappear. It just stops running your nervous system.
Does EMDR Really Work Online?
Absolutely. Your therapist guides the process through a secure video session, using on-screen visual cues or audio tones to create the bilateral stimulation. Research consistently shows that online EMDR produces the same outcomes as in-person — with the added benefit that you're already in a safe, familiar space when the session ends. Learn more about how we do EMDR →
Our San Francisco EMDR Therapists:
Serving San Francisco, Marin, Oakland, and Berkeley
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Alexis Harney, LMFT
she/her
EMDR for adults and teens, complex trauma
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Daniella Mohazab, AMFT
she/her
Bay Area native
Culturally attuned, LGBTQ+ affirming EMDR for adults, couples, and teens
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Laurel van der Toorn, LMFT
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Tatevik Sarkisian, AMFT
she/her
Somatic and holistic EMDR
EMDR Therapy for San Francisco High Achievers
San Francisco can be an exciting place to live and work, but it is also high-pressure. Many clients come to therapy feeling exhausted, disconnected, or constantly on edge. Common stressors we see include:
Tech and startup culture pressure
Long hours and productivity expectations
Cost of living stress
Identity and relationship transitions in young adulthood
LGBTQ+ identity stress and minority stress
Medical, legal, and academic career burnout
For many SF professionals, what looks like burnout has a longer recovery arc than most people expect. Here's an honest look at what recovery actually takes. EMDR therapy can help reduce the emotional and physical impact of these stressors so you can feel more regulated, present, and connected.
What EMDR Therapy Looks Like in Our San Francisco Practice
EMDR therapy is a structured trauma treatment, but the most important part is preparation. We spend time helping you feel stable, grounded, and resourced before processing distressing memories. This may include:
Nervous system regulation skills
Grounding and resourcing exercises
Understanding triggers and stress patterns
Building emotional safety and trust in therapy
When you feel ready, EMDR sessions help your brain reprocess painful experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming. You do not have to relive trauma in detail, and you remain in control throughout the process. One of the most common concerns people have going in is whether EMDR processing will temporarily stir things up before they get better. Here's a direct answer to that.
Need faster results?
Some clients can't wait six months to feel better. If you're carrying something heavy and want to move through it more efficiently, our EMDR Intensives might be the right fit. Instead of weekly 50-minute sessions, Intensives are extended multi-hour sessions designed to go deeper, faster.
Clients often describe the experience as doing months of work in a concentrated period of time, without the stop-and-start rhythm of traditional weekly therapy.
EMDR Intensives work especially well for professionals with demanding schedules, people preparing for a major life transition, or anyone who's been in talk therapy for a while and feels ready to go further.
What We Treat With EMDR Therapy
Our San Francisco EMDR therapists work with:
Childhood trauma and attachment wounds
PTSD and complex trauma
Anxiety and panic attacks
Burnout and chronic stress
Grief and loss
Relationship trauma
Medical trauma and first responder stress
Phobias such as fear of flying
Performance enhancement
We also support clients who have tried therapy before and felt it moved too fast or did not feel grounding enough.
Our clinical director and Bay Area native, Laurel, recently joined Recovery.com’s video podcast series to discuss trauma, the healing process, EMDR therapy, and related topics. It’s a great deep dive into how meaningful change happens.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Therapy in San Francisco
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Online EMDR works through a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. Instead of following a light bar in an office, your therapist uses on-screen visual cues or audio tones to create the bilateral stimulation that drives the EMDR process. Sessions run 50 minutes and feel similar to in-person therapy — you just need a private space and a reliable internet connection. Research consistently shows that online EMDR produces the same outcomes as in-person treatment.
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It depends on what you're bringing in. A single-incident trauma (a car accident, a medical procedure, one specific event) can often be processed in 6 to 12 sessions.
Complex trauma, a web of linked experiences, or years of accumulated stress, typically takes longer. Most clients notice meaningful shifts within the first few months. We'll give you a realistic sense of the timeline after your first session.
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It's common to feel more emotionally activated in the days after an EMDR session — vivid dreams, heightened feelings, or memories surfacing that you weren't expecting. This is a normal part of processing, not a sign something has gone wrong. Your EMDR therapist will prepare you for this and give you tools to stay regulated between sessions. If something feels unmanageable, you can always reach out before your next appointment.
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You're already in the right place. At Laurel Therapy Collective, all of our therapists are trained in EMDR and work with San Francisco clients through secure online sessions. We'll match you with the right therapist based on your goals, your personality, and what the research says will be most effective for your specific situation. It starts with a free 20-minute consultation; no algorithms, no lengthy intake forms before you've spoken to a real person.
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Talk therapy works primarily through insight and understanding — you explore patterns, name experiences, and build awareness over time. EMDR works at a different level. Rather than talking about what happened, you process it. The goal isn't to understand your trauma better. It's to change how your nervous system responds to it. Many clients find that EMDR moves them through things they've been talking about in therapy for years without resolution. The two approaches aren't mutually exclusive; some clients do both.
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For most clients, yes — and the math often surprises people. Weekly talk therapy can stretch on for years. EMDR tends to move faster, which means fewer total sessions and a quicker return to actually living your life. Many clients who've spent years in therapy finally process the thing that was underneath everything else. If you're in San Francisco and paying out of pocket for your mental health care anyway, concentrated EMDR work is often a more efficient path than open-ended talk therapy.
Experience Safety in Your Body Again with San Francisco EMDR Therapy
San Francisco EMDR therapist Alexis Harney, LMFT explains how EMDR therapy can heal trauma.
Healing trauma transforms your life: relationships, health, productivity, and overall sense of balance and calm.
San Francisco EMDR Therapy Healing Stories
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![a smiling man rolling a suitcase down an airplane boarding tunnel representing someone who has overcome a phobia with EMDR therapy los angeles]()
Liam: Overcoming Fear Of Turbulence
Liam* had always loved exploring new places, but in his 40s, flying began to fill him with dread. What used to be an easy adventure became something he’d obsess over for weeks. He’d check turbulence reports, watch flight trackers, and lie awake imagining the worst. If travel couldn’t be avoided, he’d feel trapped in a spiral of anxiety leading up to takeoff.
Working with an EMDR therapist in San Francisco, Liam began to explore where this fear came from. During one session, he made an important connection known as a floatback. His mind connected the panic he felt on a turbulent flight years earlier to an even earlier memory: the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. At age 10, he’d been home alone when the shaking began, gripping a table while the room rattled around him. The feeling of helplessness during turbulence mirrored that same bodily terror from decades earlier.
Through EMDR, Liam was able to process the quake until it no longer carried the same emotional charge. He described feeling lighter, though physically tired, after each session.
A few weeks later, he booked a short flight to visit friends in Southern California. For the first time in years, he didn’t spend the days before in panic. The flight was smooth, and even when the plane hit a few bumps, his body stayed calm. Now, Liam travels regularly again, grateful to feel safe both on the ground and in the air.
* Names and identifying information have been changed.
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![a child peeking up from behind a white pillow representing someone who has witnessed domestic violence and healed from the trauma with a los angeles emdr therapist]()
Jasmine: Healing The Long Term Effects of Witnessing Domestic Violence
Jasmine* grew up in a home marked by constant tension. Arguments between her parents could escalate quickly, and she often felt unseen—like no one was paying attention to how scared or alone she felt.
As an adult, Jasmine built a life that looked steady and successful from the outside: a fulfilling career, close friendships, and plenty of interests. Yet beneath the surface, she lived with a quiet sense of fear. Intimate relationships were the hardest. Every time she started to feel close to someone, her body would tense, and she’d find herself pulling away or shutting down completely. Even when she wanted connection, her nervous system told her it wasn’t safe.
After several months of EMDR therapy in San Francisco, Jasmine began processing the memories that had shaped her sense of safety and trust. Gradually, her body felt calmer, and the walls she once put up began to soften. She started to recognize when fear was an old response rather than a reflection of the present moment.
Today, Jasmine is in a caring, stable partnership. The panic that once surfaced so easily has quieted, replaced with a steady confidence in her ability to stay present and connected.
* Names and identifying information have been changed.
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![an image of a woman's arm outstretched with a cluster of flowers taped to her wrist representing someone who has healed from medical trauma through trauma therapy with a los angeles EMDR therapist]()
Kelly: Healing Medical Trauma
Kelly* experienced a sudden medical emergency that left her rushed to the ER at UCSF Medical Center, disoriented and in severe pain. Hours passed as doctors ran test after test, none offering clear answers. Though she eventually stabilized enough to go home, the experience left her uneasy in hospitals, distrustful of medical staff, and triggered by anything that reminded her of that night.
After several months of EMDR therapy in San Francisco, Kelly began noticing subtle but meaningful changes. She no longer felt a spike of anxiety when passing the hospital on her commute or seeing ambulances downtown. The true turning point came when she scheduled her annual checkup without hesitation and realized she wasn’t panicking.
While medical visits still aren’t her favorite, they no longer bring flashbacks or fear. Today, she’s able to care for her health with confidence and calm.
* Names and identifying information have been changed.
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![a woman with dark curly hair with her arms outstretched in front of a cloudy ocean landscape representing someone who has overcome rape or sexual assault through EMDR therapy los angeles]()
Rachel: Healing Sexual Trauma
Rachel* had a comfortable, joyful connection to her body and sexuality, until a traumatic sexual assault changed everything. In the aftermath, she struggled with symptoms of PTSD: sleepless nights, intrusive memories, panic, and a constant feeling of disconnection from herself. She missed the parts of her life that once felt natural: intimacy, confidence, ease.
Cautious but hopeful, Rachel began EMDR therapy in San Francisco, working virtually from the safety of her own home. Guided by her San Francisco EMDR therapist, she began to process the layers of fear, shame, and grief she had carried for years. Each session helped her reclaim more of the sense of control and safety that trauma had stolen.
The process wasn’t quick or easy. There were tears, pauses, and moments of doubt. But slowly, the nightmares faded, the flashbacks softened, and her nervous system began to rest. More importantly, she started reconnecting with her body and her sense of worth.
Today, Rachel still remembers what happened, but it no longer defines her. She experiences intimacy with presence instead of panic, and self-compassion instead of shame. With the right support from a San Francisco EMDR therapist, healing is not only possible, but transformative.
* Names and identifying information have been changed.
EMDR for Teens in San Francisco
The teen years bring unique challenges: academic pressure, shifting friendships, family dynamics, and identity changes. Teens are still developing the emotional tools to handle them. EMDR therapy offers an effective, age-appropriate way to help teens process stress, trauma, and anxiety before those experiences become long-term patterns.
Because the adolescent brain is highly adaptable, San Francisco teens often experience faster progress with EMDR therapy than adults. Our San Francisco EMDR therapists use a resourcing-focused approach that helps teens build confidence, manage social stressors, and strengthen coping skills for life.
By combining emotional safety with evidence-based methods, EMDR therapy in San Francisco empowers teens to process big emotions, regulate their nervous systems, and develop resilience that lasts well into adulthood.
Quiz: Could You Benefit From Working With an EMDR Therapist in San Francisco?
Our Trauma-Informed and Holistic Therapy Services in California & Florida
Explore what’s possible through online therapy with Laurel Therapy Collective. Our compassionate team of licensed therapists offers personalized support for a wide range of mental health needs, from anxiety and burnout to trauma and relationship concerns. We provide EMDR therapy, trauma therapy, therapy for lawyers, Enneagram therapy, and LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy for queer and lesbian clients. We also specialize in therapy for young adults and teen therapy, helping clients build resilience and self-understanding at every stage of life. Serving San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, and all of California and Florida, our practice is rooted in values of inclusion, anti-racism, body positivity, and sex positivity. You deserve a space where you can feel seen, supported, and at home in your own skin. Healing and happiness are within reach.