Healing Wounds and Removing Blocks
I am an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist and an EMDR Consultant-in-Training. I provide telehealth EMDR therapy for adults in California and Nevada, consultation for clinicians, and EMDRIA-approved training workshops on specialized topics.
For Clients Looking for EMDR Therapy
EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for trauma, anxiety, depression, and other disorders. I work with adults in California and Nevada over telehealth.
Click here for more information on EMDR Therapy and whether it might be a good fit for you.
For Clinicians Looking for EMDR Consultation
EMDR Consultation is intended for therapists who have already completed Basic Training. I can offer consultation hours toward EMDRIA certification.
Click here to learn more about how consultation may benefit you.
For Clinicians Looking for EMDR Training
EMDR is a robust and powerful approach. Keep checking in as I update my training page with specialty EMDR trainings that enhance your practice while staying true to the model.
Please note, I do not currently participate in any Basic Trainings. If you’re interested in Basic Training, look at this list of EMDRIA approved Basic Trainings. I highly recommend that you look out for upcoming workshops by EMDR Professional Training.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This is an evidence-based psychotherapy that helps people who have experienced traumatic and distressing experience.
According to the AIP Model, our minds sift through the day’s events and encode those experiences into our long term memory banks. However, when especially disturbing things happen, our brains may struggle processing. These unprocessed experiences can become stuck points, distorting our perceptions and making our minds and bodies feel like we are constantly reliving those painful moments.
EMDR has been shown to reduce the emotional intensity connected with traumatic and distressing events. Believe it or not, the brain is designed to heal itself. Through EMDR, we can ease and remove these stuck points and help the brain– and you– start healing.
Here’s a more detailed explanation of EMDR according to the governing body, EMDRIA.
Who Can Benefit from EMDR
The World Health Organization (WHO) and American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognize EMDR as a front line treatment for PTSD and other trauma disorders. However, EMDR has also been shown to help with a wide range of issues, such as:
- Childhood or complex trauma
- Single incident trauma (accidents, assaults, loss)
- Panic and anxiety related to past experiences
- Performance or relationship blocks
- Core negative beliefs and self-criticism
Does EMDR Work Over Telehealth?
For a long time, people believed that EMDR couldn’t work over online video. The pandemic forced an industry-wide experiment and… it turns out this is a myth!
Research shows that for many people, EMDR can be similarly as effective as in-person. This has been great news, allowing people to more easily access life-changing treatment. At Holding Light Clinical Services, clients participate in EMDR over telehealth across California and Nevada.
For online EMDR therapy to work, one must have proper equipment and a stable internet connection. Sessions take place on a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. Please make sure to take these appointments in a safe and private space.
My Approach to Reprocessing
You can check out my general approach to psychotherapy here. This should give you a good idea of my basic style.
Sometimes I hear stories from clients about previous times they’ve tried EMDR and found it unhelpful or worse, retraumatizing. When I ask for more information about what they were doing, I usually learn that while the therapist advertised themselves as doing EMDR, what the client remembers doing in session does not at all follow the protocol. As an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist and Consultant-in-Training, I prioritize warm, client-centered care that meets the research backed standards.
Beyond that, I also call in other therapy modalities if they seem appropriate. I firstly assess every client to decide what the best course of treatment may be. The Academy of CBT recognizes me as a certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist and CBT Trainer Consultant. I am also trained in DBT and Interpersonal Therapy. Based on your lived experience and treatment goals, I may possibly recommend we begin somewhere else before starting with EMDR. On the other hand, I often import a wide range of other skills to improve your EMDR process.
If you’re interested more in EMDR Therapy with me, you can schedule a 15 minute consultation with me, or read more here.
Consultation for Clinicians
I provide individual and group EMDR consultation for clinicians who already completed Basic Training. As a Consultant-in-Training, I am a great fit for therapists who want to:
- gain the consultation hours needed to become an EMDR Certified Therapist through EMDRIA.
- seek guidance on case conceptualization and treatment planning
- get feedback from a clinician who has worked in multiple settings, such as community mental health, drug court, private practice.
If you’d like to learn more about my consultation approach, click here.
Training for Clinicians
I have begun developing trainings to help clinicians enhance their EMDR practice. I am especially interested in finding ways to connect my other specialties and interests, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and journaling, with the standard protocol. As mentioned above, I do not participate in Basic Training at this time.
Here’s the running list of upcoming and on-demand trainings I am a part of.