When Traditional "talk" therapy isn't enough - Call (919) 756-6210
You can remember what happened without having to relive it.
EMDR is a structured approach that helps your brain finish processing experiences that still feel present — reducing the intensity of the memories, beliefs, physical sensations, and reactions attached to them.
✓ In-person in Raleigh & telehealth statewide
✓ Most major insurance accepted
✓ Immediate appointments available
EMDR may be a fit if you notice:
Intrusive memories, nightmares, or emotional flashbacks
Strong reactions to reminders of past experiences
Feeling “stuck” even though you understand the problem
Persistent shame, guilt, fear, or negative beliefs about yourself
EMDR may be helpful when you experience
Your reactions are not evidence that you are weak or failing to move on. They may reflect the way your brain and body learned to protect you when an experience exceeded your ability to fully process it.
🌀Intrusive memories, nightmares, or emotional flashbacks
⚡Strong reactions to reminders of past experiences
🔒A sense of being “stuck” despite understanding the problem
🖤 Persistent shame, guilt, fear, or negative beliefs about yourself
🌫️ Avoidance of places, people, sensations, or conversations
💔 Anxiety after an accident, assault, medical event, or loss
🤝 Relationship patterns repeatedly activated by earlier experiences
🛡️ Physical activation or shutdown that feels difficult to control
EMDR does not ask you to erase the past. It helps the past become something you can remember without having to continually relive it.
How we understand the problem
What EMDR Is — and Isn't
Four things worth knowing before you start
EMDR is more than eye movements, tapping, or moving quickly into painful memories. Here is what treatment here actually involves.
Structure
It starts with preparation, not processing
Treatment begins with careful assessment, shared treatment planning, and building the skills and resources that support stability. Your therapist helps identify appropriate targets and determines together when you are ready to begin.
Bilateral stimulation
You stay awake, aware, and in control
During processing you may briefly notice aspects of a memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation — guided eye movements or alternating taps — while your therapist helps you stay oriented to the present as your brain makes new connections.
Collaborative
You don't have to tell every detail
You can pause at any time. Your therapist continually assesses pacing, readiness, safety, and whether EMDR remains the right approach for your goals — adjusting with you rather than pushing through.
Outcome
The goal is not to forget
The goal is for a memory to feel like something that happened in the past rather than something your nervous system must keep responding to now. Distress may decrease, negative beliefs may soften, and you gain more choice in how you respond. Ready to start? Susan Stephens, LCMHCA has immediate EMDR openings this week — free 15-minute consult.