EMDR Therapy
Trauma doesn’t have to have the last word.
EMDR Therapy can help you feel more grounded.
Serving Santa Monica and greater Los Angeles. Online therapy offered to California residents.
When traditional talk therapy doesn’t feel like enough, EMDR therapy can help you process painful emotions with an evidence-based treatment.
COMMON MYTH: All trauma survivors feel better after “talking it out.”
But what if I told you… recovering from trauma sometimes requires multiple approaches? It requires certified and trained practitioners to help you process your trauma and manage the symptoms that have kept you stuck.
But what if you’ve tried different therapists and coaches and you just can’t seem to fully manage your trauma response?
Trauma is stored in the body. We carry it around with us and it can interrupt relationships, self-esteem, focus, and emotional health.
But, when trauma goes unaddressed it can lead to…
Feeling ashamed of your emotional responses to benign events
Feeling disconnected and worried about the state of your mental health
Feeling chronically unsafe in your environment, your relationships and your body
Feeling scared that you will always feel these unbearable and unmanageable symptoms
Worrying that you’ll get triggered again, causing you to avoid social interactions and other “risky” environments
We use a relational approach to EMDR. You can address your triggers and feel supported with a long-term relationship with your therapist.
Our EMDR Therapists
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Megan Johnson, PsyD
Dr. Megan specializes in complex trauma, codependency, and trauma within medical professions. If you have experienced trauma in your workplace environment or home life Dr. Megan can help you manage your triggers with EMDR.
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Ocean Shapiro, MSW
Ocean specializes in complex PTSD, LGBTQIA+ trauma, and dissociative disorders. If you’ve had a long history of trauma, Ocean can help you process your experiences and manage your triggers through EMDR.
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Lauryn Lucido, LMFT
Lauryn specializes in relational trauma, sexual abuse, and other complex trauma. If you have a difficult time participating in life because of your trauma triggers, Lauryn can help through EMDR Intensives.
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Helen Jun, PhD
Dr. Helen specializes in complex trauma, religious trauma, and racial trauma. If you have had a long string of difficult life experiences, Dr. Helen can help you process your trauma and reduce your triggers through EMDR.
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Danielle Wiggins, AMFT, APCC
Danielle specializes in grief & loss trauma, anxiety & depression, complex PTSD, and chronic illness. If you’re looking to process your trauma and help manage your anxiety, Danielle can help with EMDR.
How does EMDR work?
Dr. Quincee Gideon answers your questions.
The aftermath of trauma can feel like:
Frequent obsessive thoughts about the traumatic event
Dreams, nightmares or flashbacks about the traumatic event
Sudden shift in your world view, believing that most things are bad and most people have bad intentions
Avoiding all reminders of your trauma, including people, places, smells, and similar circumstances
Shutting down when things feel stressful because life feels too overwhelming most of the time
Difficulty having functional relationships because of the ever-present sense of lack of safety with others
You might also feel:
Upset stomach
Sweaty palms or underarms
Foggy thoughts or frequent dissociation
Depression and anxiety
Getting easily sidetracked with reminders of your trauma
Racing and un-welcomed thoughts
Unexplained physical symptoms
Did you know that trauma can be treated? It’s not hopeless. there are ways for us to manage your trauma symptoms and help you get your life back.
It’s estimated that over 224 million adults have experienced at least one trauma in their lives. It’s incredibly common, albeit horrifying. After trauma, your world can feel unsafe and then anxiety makes your body feel unsafe too.
The good news? It’s treatable and we specialize in helping you cope.
EMDR can help with
Want to learn more about EMDR?
Here are a few blog posts that might answer some of your questions.
EMDR Intensives
We offer daylong intensives where we process your most significant traumas over an 8-hour period. EMDR Intensives focus on the most disturbing trauma memories and help you to process those in a safe therapeutic environment with a trained professional. Intensives are most helpful for those with one-time trauma events, such as a car accident, sudden death or loss, sexual assault, or perinatal trauma. New research shows that intensive therapy for trauma and stress can be effective in symptom reduction in a short period of time. Our EMDR therapists use relational and attachment techniques along with EMDR and Flash Technique to help you process your traumatic experiences within the day.
Are EMDR Intensives right for me?
You might be a good fit for EMDR Intensives if:
You have PTSD.
You have a one-time traumatic event (rather than complex trauma) that continues to haunt you and cause significant distress.
You are a healthcare worker working with COVID patients.
Have experienced a sudden loss or death.
You are in weekly therapy but need to address trauma memories in order to gain better results from therapy.
You have Complex PTSD.
Benefits of EMDR Intensives
Sessions are completed in a one, two, or four-day format. This reduces the need to take off work or obtain weekly childcare for weekly sessions.
The upfront costs are greater for Intensives, but the shorter duration of therapy means that you save money over the course of treatment.
You can avoid waitlists for qualified and helpful EMDR practitioners in your area and get the immediate benefits of symptom relief.
Here’s a bit of how EMDR Intensives work:
