EMDR Therapy in Orange County
In-person in Tustin, CA · Online throughout California
You've done therapy before. You can explain your childhood, name your patterns, identify your triggers with real precision.
And you're still having the same reaction in your body that you were having ten years ago.
This is the most common reason people come to us for EMDR. Not because talk therapy failed, but because it took them as far as insight goes — and the thing they're carrying isn't stored in language.
What EMDR actually is:
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987, it's now recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, and the Department of Veterans Affairs — which is to say it's among the most thoroughly researched trauma treatments that exists.
Here's the working idea behind it: when something overwhelming happens, the memory can get stored in a raw, unprocessed form — sensations, images, and beliefs about yourself, filed without the usual time-stamping that tells your brain this is over. Which is why a smell, a tone of voice, or a certain kind of silence can drop you straight back into it.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — guided eye movements, alternating taps, or tones — while you hold the memory in mind. That dual attention appears to let the brain reprocess the memory and file it properly. The event doesn't disappear. It stops being live.
Most people describe the shift the same way: I can think about it now without it taking over.
What a session looks like:
Phases 1–2 — History and preparation. We map what we're working on and build your resourcing skills first. You will not be reprocessing anything in session one. This groundwork is not a formality; it's what makes the rest safe.
Phase 3 — Assessment. We identify a target memory, the image that holds the most charge, the belief attached to it, and where you feel it in your body.
Phases 4–6 — Reprocessing. The bilateral stimulation phase. You hold the target in mind, follow the stimulation, and notice what comes. I say very little. You're not required to narrate the memories out loud — a significant relief for people who've dreaded that part.
Phase 7 — Closure. Every session ends with you regulated and back in the room. Non-negotiable.
Phase 8 — Reevaluation. We check what held.You stay awake, aware, and in control throughout. You can stop at any point. EMDR is not hypnosis, and you cannot be made to say or do anything.
What EMDR helps with:
Single-incident trauma — an accident, an assault, a medical event, a loss
Complex and developmental trauma from childhood
PTSD and post-traumatic symptoms
Anxiety and panic with a clear origin point
Medical and birth trauma
Body image distress rooted in specific memories
Eating disorders with trauma underneath — [more on that here →]
The stuck belief you can argue with intellectually and still believe: I'm too much. I'm not safe. It was my fault.
Am I a good fit for EMDR?
Likely yes if: you've done talk therapy and hit a ceiling; you can identify roughly what you'd want to work on; you have some stability in your daily life to do the work from; you're willing to feel things in service of not feeling them forever.
Not yet if: you're in acute crisis or active medical instability; you're in an ongoing unsafe situation — we stabilize first, always; you're in a period where you need every ounce of capacity for something else. There's no bad time to ask. There are times when we'd sequence it differently, and I'll tell you honestly.
A note if you have an eating disorder: EMDR and eating disorder treatment need to be sequenced carefully. Reprocessing trauma while restricting or actively symptomatic can destabilize you. I'll assess this openly and we'll pace accordingly. That care is a feature, not a delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Single-incident trauma often resolves in 6–12 reprocessing sessions. Complex or developmental trauma takes longer — months rather than weeks — because there's more to work through and more resourcing to build. I'll give you a real estimate after we've done the history-taking, not before.
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Yes. Virtual EMDR uses on-screen visual stimulation or self-administered tapping, and the research supports it. Some people prefer to reprocess from their own home. Some strongly prefer being in the room. Both are available — Tustin office or online anywhere in California.
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No. This is one of EMDR's real advantages. I need enough to identify a target, not a full account. Many people process memories they've never said out loud.
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It can be. Sessions can bring up strong emotion and body sensation, and you may feel tired or tender afterward. Every session ends with closure work so you leave regulated. Most people find it less depleting than the years of managing it alone.
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Often yes, with coordination. If you're working with a dietitian, physician, or higher level of care, I'll want to communicate with your team about timing.
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No. However, I'm out-of-network provider and can support out-of-network PPO reimbursement through Thrizer.
You've carried it long enough.
Book your intro call today → Fifteen minutes, free, no obligation.
Tell me what's going on and I'll tell you honestly whether EMDR is the right tool.