Services
Individual Therapy
55 min Intake - $195
55 min Session - $175
EMDR Intensives - available by request
Family Therapy
55 min Intake - $215
55 min Session - $195
Clinical Supervision and EMDR Consultation
60 min Supervision - $175
60 min Consultation - $100
My Specialties
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a type of psychotherapy that's especially helpful for people who have experienced trauma. Trauma is essentially a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, it can be anything that’s too overwhelming for our system to handle causing symptoms such as hypervigilance, anxiety, depression and negative beliefs about self. If left untreated, the effects of trauma can stick around for a long time. It can change the way you think, feel, and act. For example, you might have flashbacks, nightmares, or feel anxious and on edge all the time. Think of trauma as an emotional wound. Just like a physical wound needs care to heal properly, emotional trauma needs attention and support to heal over time.
EMDR uses the principles of the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP), which is a theory about how our brains process and store memories. Our brains are naturally wired to process experiences in a way that helps us adapt and function well in life. When this process works smoothly, we can handle life's challenges effectively. However, sometimes memories, especially traumatic ones, get "stuck" and aren't processed properly. This can lead to ongoing emotional distress and problems. EMDR Therapy helps the brain reprocess the traumatic memory, integrating it in a healthier way. This reduces the emotional impact of the memory and helps the patient develop more adaptive responses.
How does EMDR Therapy work?
In EMDR therapy, the client is asked to focus on a distressing memory while simultaneously performing a specific eye movement, such as following the therapist's finger back and forth, tapping and guided whole body movement. The idea is that by focusing on the traumatic memory and moving your eyes, your brain can process and reframe the memory, reducing the emotional impact it has on you. It’s a bit like re-organizing a cluttered room so you can move around more easily.
EMDR typically involves eight phases, including taking a history, preparing the client, assessing the trauma, and then using the eye movements to reprocess the memory and strengthen positive beliefs about self. Following the reprocessing, there's a final check to ensure the traumatic memory has been resolved.
Over time, this process can help reduce the emotional distress associated with the traumatic memory and improve mental health. It's like your brain is cleaning up and healing the emotional wounds that were caused by the trauma, helping you to move forward more freely.
EMDR in conjunction with other therapies
EMDR is a robust psychotherapy that allows for flexibility and the ability to adjust to various characteristics of what makes us different as humans. While remaining fully aligned with the specific protocols provided by EMDR, I often incorporate other therapeutic modalities that complement or enhance client outcomes. Other modalities include: DBT, Attachment Theory, Somatic Approaches, IFS and Sand Tray.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is a type of therapy that can help people manage their emotions and improve their relationships. The word "dialectical" means balancing opposite ideas. In DBT, that often means finding a balance between accepting yourself as you are and making changes to improve your life. DBT teaches practical skills in four main areas: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. The skills learned in DBT are designed to be used in everyday life, helping people cope better with stress, improve their relationships, and make more balanced decisions. Think of DBT like a toolkit for life, filled with strategies to help you navigate emotions, relationships, and stressful situations more effectively.
Attachment Theory
Attachment theory helps us understand how the bonds we form with our primary caregivers (usually our parents) shape the way we connect with others throughout our lives. As babies, we rely on our caregivers for comfort, safety, and our basic needs. The way our caregivers respond to us helps form our attachment styles. There are generally four types of attachment styles: secure, anxious, avoidant and disorganized.
These attachment styles can influence how we interact with partners, friends, and even our own children. For example, a secure attachment style tends to lead to healthier, more stable relationships, while anxious or avoidant styles might cause challenges in forming and maintaining close connections. Think of it as a blueprint for how we connect with others. The experiences and relationships we have as children lay the foundation for how we relate to people throughout our lives.
Somatic Approaches
Somatic modalities aim to help people process and heal from trauma or stress by paying attention to physical sensations. The cells in our bodies can store stress and trauma, causing physical sensations, like tightness in the chest or knots in the stomach; these can be signs of unresolved emotional issues. Somatic modalities promote increased awareness of bodily sensations and releasing emotional and physical tension. The goal is to help people process their experiences in a holistic way—by integrating what they feel in their bodies with their thoughts and emotions. Think of somatic therapy like a tune-up for the mind and body, helping everything work together smoothly by addressing both physical sensations and emotional feelings. This approach can be particularly helpful for those who have experienced trauma or stress and find that talk therapy alone isn't enough.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is a type of counseling that involves the whole family rather than just an individual. Think of family therapy as a workshop where the family learns to function better as a team, improving the overall health and happiness of all its members.
In supporting families, I will primarily work with the parents or primary caregivers to help them understand their own attachment styles and how that has shaped their relationships and attachments with their own children. Parents play an essential role in creating a family environment that promotes safety, trust, love and belonging. I utilize Attachment Theory, the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model and Family Systems in helping parents adjust and gain new capacity in strengthening secure attachments with their children.
Clinical Supervision & EMDR Consultation
I am a board approved clinical supervisor in Arizona, EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDR Consultant in Training. In addition to therapy, I offer supervision, consultation and mentoring for other fellow therapists invested in continuous learning and growth. Throughout the years, I have greatly enjoyed mentoring and helping other therapists gain confidence in their counseling and EMDR skills. My style balances warmth and collaboration with encouraging critical thinking and continuous learning. In working with therapists, I will bring passion and inspiration in empowering them to refine their EMDR skills and become powerful agents of change.
