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Stop reliving the past. Start making the most of the present.
EMDR Therapy in Athens, Ohio
You’ve talked about your feelings, but no amount of talking has actually helped you feel better.
Logically, you know the anxiety you experience and how you react to certain things doesn’t really align with what’s going on in the present moment. You might know exactly where these emotions stem from, or you might just have a vague sense that something from the past is interfering with the person you want to be.
MAYBE YOU have…
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When you’ve been through something traumatic, it can feel like those moments still have a grip on you. Maybe you’re haunted by nightmares or flashbacks, constantly anxious, or afraid of it happening again. Even if it was a single event—like a car accident, loss of a loved one, an assault, or something else—it can seem impossible to let go of the fear and worry it’s left behind.
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Sometimes, people’s reactions to stories from your childhood make you realize that maybe things weren’t as normal as you thought. All those moments of fear, the ongoing stress of instability, or things you witnessed too young can linger into adulthood, leaving you on edge, anxious, or even panicking at times. You’re starting to realize there are pieces of your past that keep resurfacing no matter how hard you try to shove them down, making it hard to fully relax or feel safe.
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Maybe you feel like past therapy has helped a little bit, but you still haven’t gotten to the heart of what’s going on. You’ve dealt with the surface of your anxiety or depression, but there’s a deeper layer that’s still affecting you. Maybe you've even done EMDR before, but are ready to dig in further and discover what else might be getting in the way of the life you want.
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You might feel like you always end up in the same kinds of one-sided, unfulfilling relationships. It’s hard to trust, to feel safe being close to someone, or even to connect emotionally when patterns from your past keep repeating themselves. You often feel completely alone, even when you're surrounded by people who care about you.
EMDR can help you heal from what’s holding you back and move forward as your truest self.
What is EMDR?
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a way to help your brain heal from past experiences that felt too overwhelming to process as they occurred. Maybe you were too young to fully grasp what was happening, the situation was too frightening, or it was ongoing so you were forced to adapt and accept it as “normal.” Sometimes, in these cases, the feelings those events triggered can get stuck in your mind and body.
As a result, whenever something reminds you of that event (even subconsciously), the same fear, anxiety, or anger can come rushing back and interrupt your life. EMDR works by helping you reprocess those memories so they no longer have that power over you. Through bilateral stimulation techniques like eye movements or tapping on parts of your body, we’ll work to shift the way you react to these triggers, helping you feel more at ease and in control.
My approach
Creating space for your emotions, growth, & hopes for the future.
When we start the process of EMDR, we’ll focus on understanding how past experiences are still affecting you today. We won’t jump straight in, though. We’ll spend as much time as you’d like getting to know each other, establishing trust, and creating a space where you can truly feel safe expressing yourself.
Our preparation for the actual EMDR sessions will involve making sure you have tools to help you feel grounded and safe—both in and outside of our sessions. Together, we’ll practice coping strategies and identify the support systems in your life, so you can lean on them if and when you need them.
As we begin processing your memories,
We’ll explore what’s coming up for you now, and trace back to where those feelings started.
Even if you don’t remember the exact moment or event, we’ll focus on how your body and mind respond, and we can move through those responses together. If you do have a specific event in mind, you won’t have to describe every detail of your experience to process it, and we’ll move at a pace that allows for progress without overwhelming you emotionally. You’ll be in control and we can stop at any time if it starts to feel like too much.
The goal of EMDR is to help you feel like those painful memories are in the past, where they belong. Over time, you can feel safer, more confident, and able to handle whatever comes your way, so you can live your life without those old wounds holding you back.
EMDR therapy can help you…
Have fewer flashbacks and nightmares
Feel more comfortable socializing and being part of society
Improve your relationship with family, friends, romantic partners, and coworkers
Calm worrying thoughts and feel less fearful day-to-day
Feel in control of your reactions and confident you can handle stressful situations
You deserve to enjoy your life again.
You deserve to enjoy your life again.
You deserve to enjoy your life again.
Questions?
FAQs
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EMDR might not be the best fit if you're someone who prefers highly structured sessions and needs to know exactly what will come up each time. If that is the case, I am also trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) which is more structured overall. EMDR can also be challenging if you're not ready to explore how past experiences are affecting your present struggles, as a big part of this method involves processing those deeper roots.
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The length of EMDR really depends on what you're working through and how you respond to the process. Some people start to notice changes after a few sessions, while others may need more time, especially if there are multiple layers of past experiences to work through. We'll go at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
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EMDR has eight phases that guide us through the process. It starts with getting to know you and your history, then we move into preparing you for the work. From there, we identify the specific memories or feelings you want to focus on, process those memories, and then wrap things up with a check-in to see how you’re feeling. It’s a structured but flexible way of working through past experiences.
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There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. Some people feel significant changes after just a few sessions, while others may need more time depending on how deep the memories or emotions go. We’ll work together to figure out the best pace for you and check in regularly to make sure things are moving in the right direction.
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EMDR has been proven by studies like this one to help people move past difficult memories and feelings that have been holding them back. It’s been shown to be very effective, especially for processing trauma, and many people start to feel relief even after a few sessions. Of course, everyone’s journey is different, but it’s a powerful tool for healing.