EMDR for adults

What an EMDR session is actually like

EMDR is a structured therapy that helps your brain file away a memory that is stuck, so it stops feeling like it is happening now. It is one of the therapies for PTSD recommended by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

First, we prepare.

Sessions one to three are history and preparation only.

We map what you want help with and practise ways to steady yourself: a calm-place exercise, slow breathing, and a “container” for anything that comes up between sessions. Reprocessing does not start until you have those skills and you say you are ready.

Tactile EMDR pulsers on a wood table in warm daylight

An 80-minute reprocessing session

Small sets. Your pace. No forced retelling.

You choose today’s memory with your therapist. You name an image, the belief that goes with it, and the belief you would rather hold. You also rate how upsetting it feels from 0 to 10.

Then, step by step.

Choose together

We check in and choose today’s memory together. You stay in charge of what is addressed and when.

Notice what comes up

For short sets of about 30 seconds, you follow a light bar with your eyes or hold two small pulsers that buzz left and right. You simply notice what comes up.

Say only a few words

Between sets, you say a few words about what you noticed. You never have to describe the memory in detail.

Pause whenever you need

You can stop at any moment by raising your hand. We end every session back in the calm-place exercise, even if the memory is not finished, with ten minutes to get steady before you drive home.

Afterward, keep the evening gentle.

You may feel tired, have vivid dreams, or notice new memories for a day or two. You get a short log sheet and a reminder to plan something gentle that evening.

How many sessions?

One event often takes 6 to 12 sessions, including preparation.

A car accident or medical emergency may take that long. Longer or repeated trauma takes longer, and we talk about the timeline honestly at the third session.

If you want focused time for one event, EMDR intensives may be worth discussing.

EMDR by video

The same careful steps, wherever you are in California.

During a video session, you can follow a dot across the screen with your eyes or tap your own shoulders. EMDR by video is available to anyone physically in California during the session.

Learn how online EMDR therapy works before you decide.

Talk with Bea first

Before your first session

Questions people ask before their first EMDR session

Do I have to describe what happened?

No. Between sets you say a few words about what you noticed, never the full story.

What if it gets to be too much?

Raise your hand and we stop, any time.

What if the memory is not finished when the session ends?

Every session still ends back in the calm-place exercise, with ten minutes to get steady before you drive home.

When does memory work start?

Not before sessions 1 to 3 of preparation, and only when you say you are ready.

What does it cost?

80-minute EMDR sessions are $280 with Rosalind or Mateo and $170 with Hazel. See fees and insurance details.