TRAUMA THERAPY & ONLINE EMDR IN CALIFORNIA
You don’t just have to live with your trauma.
Common Symptoms of Trauma
Do you struggle with any of the following?
Hypervigilance or anxiety
Sleep issues and/or nightmares
Reactions and responses that seem disproportionate to whatever triggered them
Difficulty trusting yourself, trusting others, or believing good things will happen
These common responses to trauma are highly treatable.
You can reclaim your life and thrive after trauma.
Our Approach to Healing Trauma: EMDR Therapy
EMDR, also known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a revolutionary treatment supported by decades of research.
Whether you have medical trauma, grew up in a challenging home, experienced sexual trauma, faced adversity, or witnessed something awful, EMDR therapy can help remove your triggers and restore balance. A great EMDR therapist can help you separate your emotional responses from the reminders of your trauma, allowing you to live a more peaceful, grounded, and joyful life.
EMDR therapy has been used for decades to effectively treat:
Car accident trauma
Sexual trauma
Medical trauma
Relational trauma from abuse or neglect
Post-combat trauma and trauma in first responders
Trauma from natural disasters & terrorist attacks
Phobias and panic attacks
… and much more!
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy is a structured, proven trauma therapy. It has been extensively researched and found to be an effective treatment for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. The beauty of EMDR therapy is its versatility. It can help you with a wide range of experiences, from medical trauma and car accidents to relational trauma like abuse or betrayal. It can even assist with phobias, sudden loss, and panic attacks. Whether your trauma occurred recently or decades ago, EMDR therapy can decrease its impact and set you on the path to healing.
Imagine being reminded of your trauma and not feeling disturbed at all. With EMDR therapy, that’s possible.
Get A New Lease On Life Through Working With An EMDR Therapist
Get Unstuck From Your Past Faster Than You Might Think
Working with an EMDR therapist can bring about change faster than other therapies. Like with other modalities, EMDR is not a magic bullet, and you won’t see major results from only a few sessions. But for single-incident or simple traumas, you might feel much better in just a few months. More complex traumas may be a longer journey, but deep healing is worth it.
You Don’t Have To Share Every Detail Of What Happened With Your EMDR Therapist
Not many people want to discuss their trauma in detail. In EMDR therapy, you don't have to share every detail with your EMDR therapist unless you want to. EMDR therapy was first used for combat veterans and first responders who found it easier and more effective than traditional talk therapy. They liked that they didn't have to provide too many details about upsetting events or talk much about feelings.
Your EMDR Therapist: A Partner In Trauma Healing
The brain is incredibly capable of adapting and processing upsetting things. The human mind is resilient. Sometimes it need support and guidance to heal. Our team of trained EMDR therapists is here to guide you through each step with a structured, personalized plan.
We also offer adjunct EMDR therapy for clients who are already doing traditional talk therapy with another therapist. We believe in strong collaboration as you expand your support system. We are happy to coordinate care with other therapists, psychiatrists, and other health practitioners to give you comprehensive, holistic care.
You deserve to feel better than you do. Let us help you heal your trauma and become the most confident, calm version of yourself.
What happened wasn’t okay and will never be okay. But you can be okay even though it happened.
EMDR therapist Alexis Bibler explains what EMDR therapy can do for people who have experienced trauma.
EMDR Therapy Can Bring You Calm After Trauma
Our California & Florida EMDR Therapists
-
Coriann Papazian, LMFT
she/her
-
Alexis Bibler, AMFT
she/her
-
Laurel Roberts-Meese, LMFT
she/her
Long Term Effects Of Working With A Great EMDR Therapist
Elimination of triggers
Decreased anxiety
Fewer nightmares
Improved focus and better work productivity
Better emotion regulation
… and much more!
The Eight Phase Approach of EMDR Therapy
EMDR is an evidence-based, research-backed approach that consists of eight phases. But there’s a lot of misunderstanding about what it looks like. Most people hear only about the part that involves bilateral stimulation. In truth, there’s a lot more to it. Only a few of the phases involve bilateral stimulation. The other phases are equally important to effectively processing trauma.
The first phase is about building connection and trust with your therapist. The next phase helps you develop self-soothing techniques to use during processing. The next phase is about understanding your history. Then you start targeting specific traumas and reprocessing them. Finally, you work on integrating the experience into your current life.
Read more about these phases below. You can also watch a detailed video of our EMDR therapists walking through the 8 phases of EMDR here.
When you heal your trauma, you improve your relationships, your health, your productivity, and overall well-being.
How EMDR Therapy Works
Understanding Bilateral Stimulation
Aside from being a highly effective trauma therapy, EMDR therapy is unique and famous for one thing: bilateral stimulation. In other words, side-to-side movement. This can be done with eye movement, sounds, or tapping.
Bilateral stimulation looks and feels weird, and we understand if some people are skeptical. We were skeptical too, at first. But the science is clear: stimulating both sides of your brain helps you build new neural connections. This means you can re-wire your brain to heal your trauma.
If you want to learn more about the science behind why bilateral stimulation works, you can find more information from EMDRIA.
What Does Bilateral Stimulation Look Like With Online EMDR?
We love helping people process their trauma from the comfort of their home. For many people, it makes revisiting trauma easier and feel safer. We still have all methods of bilateral stimulation available to us through technology. But most of the time, we rely on manual bilateral stimulation, aka the “butterfly hug.” The butterfly hug is done by holding your arms right below the shoulders and tapping your hands side to side. Your EMDR therapist will tell you when to start and stop. If this doesn’t work for you, we’ll try sounds or visual stimulation.
Rest assured, EMDR therapy and bilateral stimulation are still effective when done remotely.
FAQs: Trauma Therapy and EMDR
-
In short, trauma is anything that overwhelms your ability to cope. It can be one big, disastrous thing. It can also be a stressful experience that has unfolded over time. It can be a painful relationship or a toxic work environment. It can be many things. What matters is how you experienced it and how your brain stored it.
-
Absolutely, trauma therapy is effective when done via teletherapy. Research has proven this.
We see some people process trauma even better than in an office because they are in the comfort and safety of their home. After an deep session, the last thing you want to do is go out and battle LA traffic or San Francisco transit. You can put your computer, play with your pet, get a snack, or rest and let your brain keep building new neural pathways.
-
Trauma memories get stored in your brain differently than most memories. When we think of traumatic memories, we feel upset or numb in a way we don’t feel about most memories. Think of a trip you made to the grocery store recently. Do you feel anything strongly in your body? Most likely not. But with something traumatic, you would have a physiological reaction to thinking about it. Trauma therapy helps you reprocess the trauma so the memory gets stored differently. When successful, you no longer have a physiological reaction when you think about what happened. We’ve seen it happen many times. It’s remarkable how resilient our minds can be with the right support.
-
That’s completely normal. Trauma often disrupts our language center and makes it hard to verbalize our thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Luckily, if you’re doing EMDR, you don’t have to say too much about what you experienced. What’s important is that you’re accessing the memory and feeling it. Being able to fully describe it isn’t important for effective processing.
-
First, your trauma therapist will get an understanding of how your trauma is impacting your life. Then, your trauma therapist will make a detailed, structured plan to help you process the trauma. This looks different for everyone, so it’s hard to give details specific to you. But the purpose of the treatment plan is to get your brain to store your trauma memory differently. This can be done in a variety of ways—one of our favorites is EMDR therapy.
-
Trauma therapy is effective in the following circumstances:
You are ready and able to address challenging things
Your therapist is well-trained
You feel like your therapist is a great match and feel a high level of trust with them
-
No! Please don’t try to process trauma with anyone but a specialized trauma therapist. Trauma is a complex neurological process that takes a long time to understand. A comprehensive training in mental health during graduate school, plus additional training in working with trauma, is necessary. Don’t process trauma with a coach, app, or anyone you don’t trust.
-
There are many different types of trauma therapy, all research-backed and tested over years. At our practice, we most often use EMDR therapy. We also sometimes use TF-CBT, somatic techniques, and holistic approaches. Your treatment plan is highly customized to your individual needs. If you’re not sure about your plan or want to know more, we encourage you to talk to your therapist. Self-advocacy is so important.
-
We sure wish we had a simple, concrete answer for this question. You deserve to know. But given how complex rewiring neural networks affected by trauma can be, it would be unethical to give a timeframe that applies to everyone. You are welcome to ask your therapist once you’re a few sessions into trauma therapy, and they might be able to give you an estimate.
-
Unfortunately it can. Here are some of the most common situations that make trauma worse:
You don’t have effective coping and self-soothing techniques yet. You can start therapy without them, but your therapist should spend plenty of time helping you build these before processing trauma.
You’re still in a situation that is traumatic, such as a toxic or dangerous relationship or living situation.
You are in a rush to process trauma.
You don’t trust your therapist.
-
We’ve got lots of say about what to expect after a good trauma therapy experience here.
What Do The Different Phases of EMDR Therapy Look Like?
History taking: In the first phase of EMDR therapy, you EMDR therapist will ask you questions about your social, developmental, emotional, and mental health history and the traumas you have experienced. If your EMDR therapist skips history taking, proceed with caution.
Preparation and resourcing: In the second phase, your EMDR therapist will teach you some coping and self-soothing techniques to use during processing sessions, as well as identify positive influences, experiences, and resources that will help you. This might take one session or many sessions. It is vitally important to the success of EMDR therapy and shouldn’t be skipped.
Assessment: In this phase of EMDR therapy, your EMDR therapist will assess which trauma or traumas will be targeted during treatment. You’ll get a say in where you start.
Desensitization: This 4th phase is the heart of EMDR therapy. During this phase, your EMDR therapist will help you process the targeted trauma or traumas with bilateral stimulation. At Laurel Therapy Collective, we usually have you do your own tactile stimulation, aka tapping your arms side to side, but have other options as well. The goal of this phase is to reduce your symptoms of distress so that you can eventually think about the trauma without feeling overwhelmed by negative emotions.
Installation: In the 5th phase of EMDR therapy, your EMDR therapist will help you develop positive beliefs about yourself to replace any negative beliefs that resulted from the trauma (e.g., "I am not a bad person").
Body scan: In the 6th phase of EMDR therapy, you will check in with your body to see if there are any residual physical symptoms remaining from the trauma (e.g., tightness in your chest).
Closure: In the 7th phase of EMDR therapy, your EMDR therapist will help you develop a plan for managing any residual symptoms so that they do not interfere with your daily life.
Revaluation: In this final phase of EMDR therapy, you and your EMDR therapist will assess your progress to see if any additional sessions are needed based on your goals.
FAQs: Online EMDR
-
Absolutely. EMDR and trauma therapy is effective when done via teletherapy. Research has repeatedly proven this. Anecdotally, we’ve seen people process trauma even better than they might in an office because they are in the comfort and safety of their own home.
After an intense and productive session, the last thing you want to do is go out and battle traffic in Los Angeles or San Francisco. You can put your computer away and play with your pet, get a snack or glass or water, or rest until your next activity.
-
It works great! At our practice, we usually start with the “butterfly hug” method of tapping your own arms side to side. If that doesn’t work, we can use sounds or visual stimulation your therapist controls to trigger the same powerful, brain re-wiring effect.
-
There are many different types of trauma therapy, all research-backed and tested over years. At our practice, we most often use online EMDR. We also sometimes use TF-CBT, somatic techniques, and holistic approaches.
Your treatment plan is highly customized to your individual needs. If you’re not sure about your plan or want to know more, we encourage you to talk to your therapist. Self-advocacy is so important.
-
Before your online EMDR session, avoid alcohol and other controlled substances for at least 24 hours. Get good sleep, and eat and hydrate properly. Unless you have been instructed to do otherwise, take your medications as prescribed. Be sure you have a quiet, private place to log into your online EMDR session.
See here for some other ideas about enhance EMDR sessions done via teletherapy.
-
Most people feel a little tired or spacey after an EMDR session. That’s totally normal. Plan to rest and nourish yourself after online EMDR. We’ve got a more detailed overview of what to do after an EMDR therapy session here.
EMDR Therapy Healing Stories
-
![a woman with dark curly hair with her arms outstretched in front of a cloudy ocean landscape representing someone who has overcome rape or sexual assault through online EMDR with a los angeles emdr therapist]()
Emily: Healing Sexual Trauma
Emily used to have a robust and satisfying sex life. But she experienced a traumatic event that haunted her, manifesting as PTSD symptoms after a sexual trauma. For years, she battled the effects of anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks. But Emily's like got easier hen she started working with an EMDR therapist
With healthy skepticism, Emily started online EMDR therapy. In the safety of her own home, Emily confronted her trauma, untangling the emotions and beliefs that her trauma caused.
Over the course of her online EMDR sessions, Emily faced her darkest memories, guided by her EMDR therapist. The intensity of her nightmares lessened, and the intrusive thoughts began to fade. As she progressed, Emily also gained a newfound sense of empowerment and self-compassion. She shed the weight of shame and guilt that had burdened her for years.
While the trauma will always be a part of her story, Emily has learned to wield it as a source of strength rather than a defining factor. Her recovery has empowered her to face the future filled with hope and renewed purpose. She even started loving sex again! Emily's story can be yours too. With the right support and therapy, you can reclaim your life and rebuild your sense of self after even the most harrowing of experiences.
**Names and identifying information have been changed.
-
![an image of a woman's arm outstretched with a cluster of flowers taped to her wrist representing someone who has healed from medical trauma through online trauma therapy with a san francisco EMDR therapist]()
Sarah: Healing Medical Trauma
Sarah had a scary medical incident where she was in the ER for hours, in pain, and fading in and out of consciousness. Doctors and nurses couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. They performed many uncomfortable tests, all of which came back negative. She eventually stabilized enough to go home, but avoided hospitals and anything that reminded her of her experience for a long time. She didn't trust medical professionals and didn't like to be reminded of being so scared and uncomfortable.
Sarah did a few months of online EMDR therapy and wasn't sure if it had been helpful. She noticed she wasn't upset when she thought about her ER visit anymore, but other than that couldn't feel any difference. Then, one day she realized that she had scheduled her annual physical without getting panicked about going to the hospital. When she arrived for her appointment, she was surprised that she didn't feel anxious or distrustful. While she doesn't look forward to medical appointments, she doesn't dread them either, and can take care of her health without feeling like she's back in the ER in agony again.
**Names and identifying information have been changed.
-
![a child peeking up from behind a white pillow representing someone who has witnessed domestic violence and healed from the trauma using online EMDR therapy with a los angeles emdr therapist]()
Geneva: Healing The Long Term Effects of Witnessing Domestic Violence
Geneva grew up in a household where she witnessed her parents fighting frequently. Sometimes these fights would get physical, and she felt like no one was watching out for her or protecting her.
As an adult, she found herself feeling constantly hypervigilant and unsafe, even though she had a successful career and good friends. Her hypervigilance was especially difficult when dating, as she wasn't sure she was capable of having a safe, sustained, and healthy partnership. She would get panicked and overwhelmed and shut down, ghosting on people she actually liked because the thought of getting into a relationship was too scary. She sometimes felt like she was a little girl, even though she had all the trappings of a successful adult life.
Geneva did online EMDR therapy for six months and processed multiple incidents from her childhood that contributed to her feeling unsafe. Over time, she started feeling more open to dating, and more confident in communicating what she wanted and needed in a partnership. Today, she is happily partnered and rarely feels those feelings of panic and overwhelm, and never feels like she suddenly became a little girl again.
**Names and identifying information have been changed.
-
![a smiling man rolling a suitcase down an airplane boarding tunnel representing someone who has overcome a phobia with online EMDR therapy with a san francisco emdr therapist]()
Jake: Overcoming Fear Of Flying
​Jake used to LOVE traveling in his early 20s, but over time he developed a debilitating fear of flying. He would do just about anything to avoid going on a plane, and would be panicked for days ahead of time if he had to fly. He would obsess about how much turbulence the plane was going to experience, looking up the weather in the flight path, and debating driving for days instead of taking a short flight.
Jake did a few online EMDR sessions and with the help of his EMDR therapist, identified a specific flight with bad turbulence that marked the start of his fear of flying. He processed the feeling of turbulence and fear of dying with his EMDR therapist. The EMDR processing was very intense, and he really felt like he was in a plane he thought was about to go down. After processing, he was tired and had a little headache, but otherwise felt fine.
A few days later, he wanted to test if the EMDR therapy had worked, so he booked a short flight to see a friend. He was a little anxious while booking the flight, but was able to sleep in the nights before his trip. He was absolutely thrilled to discover that his fear of flying had decreased significantly. Jake now travels frequently and rarely gets anxious about flights.
**Names and identifying information have been changed.
EMDR for Teens
Teenagers deal with a lot on the way to adulthood. They often face some real world struggles for the first time, with fewer ways to cope than adults. EMDR therapy is a great treatment option for teens. Our resourcing-heavy approach to EMDR is effective in helping teens cope with emotional struggles related to social pressures and life difficulties, as well as managing trauma and anxiety. It can give them tools to cope safely and productively for life.
Quiz: Can Online EMDR Help You?
OUR THERAPISTS WHO SPECIALIZE IN ONLINE EMDR & TRAUMA THERAPY
Laurel Roberts-Meese, LMFT
Specializing in adults and EMDR
Alexis Bibler, AMFT
​Specializing in adults, couples, and EMDR
Our EMDR therapists have all completed an extensive EMDRIA-approved training course and engage in ongoing consultation with EMDRIA-approved consultants to be sure we are offering the absolute best care.
Other Teletherapy Services in California
Discover the possibilities of online therapy at Laurel Therapy Collective. Our dedicated team of therapists is well-versed in addressing a wide range of mental health issues, ensuring tailored support for each person. From anxiety to LGBTQ concerns, couples' therapy, therapy for lawyers, holistic therapy, EMDR therapy, trauma therapy, and the challenges faced by teenagers, we've got you covered. We serve Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and all of California and Florida. Our approach is rooted in affirming your identity, promoting anti-racism, body positivity, and sex positivity. You deserve to reclaim your happiness and find comfort in your own skin.