EMDR Online in Oakland, CA

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

What Is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps people process distressing memories and experiences that continue to affect their lives. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or alternating tapping, while working with memories in a structured, supportive way.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to describe every detail of what happened. Instead, it helps your brain reprocess difficult experiences so they can become less emotionally charged and have less influence over how you feel, think, and respond in the present.

How Can EMDR Help?

Difficult experiences don't always stay in the past. Sometimes they show up as anxiety, self-doubt, emotional overwhelm, or physical tension. You may understand intellectually why you feel a certain way, but still struggle to change your emotional response.

EMDR can help you work through experiences that contribute to these patterns, creating space for new perspectives and more flexibility in how you respond.

EMDR is particularly effective for treating trauma and PTSD, and may also be helpful for people experiencing:

Anxiety and overwhelm: Reducing distress connected to past experiences that contribute to present-day anxiety.
Grief and loss: Processing painful or traumatic aspects of loss that may complicate the grieving process.
Low self-esteem and self-doubt: Exploring experiences that contributed to negative beliefs about yourself.
Relationship difficulties: Working through painful experiences that continue to shape how you connect with others.
Distressing memories: Reducing the emotional intensity of experiences that still feel upsetting, even years later.

You don't need to have experienced a single major traumatic event to explore whether EMDR might be helpful. Sometimes it's the accumulation of smaller, painful experiences that leaves a lasting impact.

How Somatic Therapy and EMDR Work Together

Our minds and bodies are constantly communicating. When something overwhelming happens, we don't just remember it through thoughts and images. We may also experience physical sensations, emotional reactions, and nervous system responses that become associated with the experience.

This is where somatic therapy and EMDR complement one another.

EMDR helps the brain reprocess distressing memories, while somatic therapy brings awareness to how those experiences are felt and expressed in the body. By paying attention to sensations, tension, breathing, and other physical cues, we can better understand how your nervous system responds to stress and what helps you feel more grounded.

In our work together, I integrate somatic awareness into the EMDR process. We'll pay attention not only to what you're thinking and feeling, but also to what your body is communicating. This helps us recognize when you need more support, slow things down when necessary, and build your capacity to stay connected to yourself as difficult material arises.

The goal isn't to force your body to relax or make uncomfortable feelings disappear. It's to help you develop a more compassionate relationship with your internal experience, so that past events have less power over your present.

What to Expect From EMDR Therapy Online in Oakland

EMDR is a collaborative process, and we move at a pace that respects your needs and capacity. We won't jump straight into processing difficult memories. First, we'll spend time understanding your history, identifying what you'd like to work on, and developing tools to help you feel supported throughout the process.

During EMDR sessions, I'll guide you through a structured process that may involve recalling aspects of a distressing experience while engaging in bilateral stimulation. We'll notice what comes up, including thoughts, emotions, images, and body sensations, without needing to analyze or explain every response.

As processing progresses, many people find that memories that once felt overwhelming become easier to recall without experiencing the same level of distress.

Moving Forward With Greater Ease

You can't change what happened in the past, but you can change how those experiences affect you today. By combining EMDR with somatic therapy, my goal is to help you feel less caught in old patterns, more connected to your body, and more able to respond to life from a place of choice rather than automatic reaction.

I offer EMDR-informed, somatic psychotherapy through secure teletherapy to adults throughout California. If you're curious about whether EMDR might be a good fit, I'd love to connect.

Ready to get started?

Schedule a free consultation to explore how we might work together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Somatic therapy works with both the mind and body. Along with talking about what you’re experiencing, we’ll pay attention to how anxiety shows up physically through tension, restlessness, shallow breathing, shutting down, or feeling constantly on alert. Over time, this awareness can help you recognize what your nervous system needs and develop new ways of responding to stress.
Yes. Sometimes trying to “think your way out” of anxiety only creates more thinking. Somatic therapy offers another way in by helping you notice what’s happening beneath the thoughts and reconnect with your body. This can make it easier to interrupt cycles of worry and feel more grounded in the present.

Yes, but our work goes beyond simply learning coping skills. We can explore practices that help you feel more grounded in moments of anxiety while also becoming curious about the root cause of your anxiety and what your anxiety is trying to communicate to you. The goal is to build a deeper sense of safety, capacity, and trust in yourself—not to make you responsible for perfectly regulating yourself all the time.
Yes. I offer teletherapy for clients throughout California, allowing you to attend sessions from the privacy and comfort of your own space. Somatic therapy can translate beautifully to virtual sessions because the work centers on developing awareness of your own body, emotions, and internal experience.
You’re not starting over. You may already have insight into why you feel the way you do but still notice that your body reacts as though it’s under threat. Bringing somatic and nervous system work into therapy can offer a different approach. It can build on what you already know while helping you experience change on a felt level.

How to get started with therapy for anxiety in Oakland, CA

1. Reach out

Start by filling out the brief form on my “contact me” page. Share a little about what’s bringing you to therapy and when you’re generally available to connect. I typically respond within 24–48 hours on business days.

2. Book a consultation call

We’ll find a time that works with your availability for a brief consultation. This is a chance for you to ask questions and for us to talk about what you’re looking for in therapy, along with practical details like fees and scheduling.

3. Schedule your session

If it feels like a good fit, we can schedule your first therapy session during our consultation. You’re also welcome to take some time to think it over and reach out by email when you’re ready.