And, I love you!
And, I love you!
EMDR &
Somatic Therapy
Reprocessing Trauma.
Reconnecting with the Body.
Reclaiming the Self.
Reconnecting with the Body.
Reclaiming the Self.
Trauma doesn’t just live in our thoughts — it lives in the body, the nervous system, and our subconscious. Even long after the event has passed, the emotional imprint can remain — affecting how we feel, think, behave, and relate.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Somatic Therapy are two powerful, evidence-based approaches that help resolve the root causes of trauma — not just the symptoms. Together, they support healing at the neurological, emotional, and somatic (body-based) levels, allowing clients to process distressing memories, regulate their nervous system, and reconnect with their authentic self.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Somatic Therapy are two powerful, evidence-based approaches that help resolve the root causes of trauma — not just the symptoms. Together, they support healing at the neurological, emotional, and somatic (body-based) levels, allowing clients to process distressing memories, regulate their nervous system, and reconnect with their authentic self.
What Is EMDR?
A Research-Backed Path to Emotional Resolution
EMDR is a structured, eight-phase psychotherapy approach developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro. It is best known for its ability to help individuals recover from PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, grief, and phobias — often with more rapid results than traditional talk therapy.
During EMDR, the client is guided to recall a traumatic memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation (typically through eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones). This dual attention process helps the brain reprocess stuck traumatic material in a way that allows it to become less emotionally charged and more integrated.
During EMDR, the client is guided to recall a traumatic memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation (typically through eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones). This dual attention process helps the brain reprocess stuck traumatic material in a way that allows it to become less emotionally charged and more integrated.
Scientific Foundation:
- EMDR stimulates the brain’s natural adaptive information processing (AIP) system, allowing fragmented traumatic memories to be stored more like ordinary memories.
- Studies using fMRI and EEG have shown changes in amygdala (fear center) and hippocampus (memory integration) activity after EMDR treatment.
- Research has consistently shown EMDR to be effective in treating PTSD, depression, anxiety, and dissociative symptoms — even in treatment-resistant cases.
What Is Somatic Therapy?
Listening to the Wisdom of the Body
Somatic therapy recognizes that trauma is not only a psychological experience — it's a physiological imprint stored in the nervous system and body tissues. It draws from neuroscience, polyvagal theory (Dr. Stephen Porges), and body-oriented psychotherapy to help clients feel safe in their bodies, release stored tension, and complete unresolved survival responses like fight, flight, or freeze.
Somatic practices can include:
- Body scanning and interoceptive awareness (noticing sensations)
- Touch work (when appropriate, with consent)
- Titration and pendulation (modulating intensity of emotion safely)
- Grounding and orienting exercises
- Breathwork and micro-movements
Scientific Foundation:
- Trauma alters autonomic nervous system function, often keeping people stuck in hyperarousal (anxiety, agitation) or hypoarousal (numbness, fatigue)
- Somatic therapy helps regulate the vagus nerve and restore nervous system flexibility, which is essential for emotional balance and resilience
- Studies show that somatic therapies increase heart rate variability (HRV), reduce cortisol levels, and support post-traumatic growth when integrated with psychotherapy.
Why Combine EMDR and Somatic Therapy?
Trauma isn’t healed just through insight — it’s resolved through integration. While EMDR helps resolve the cognitive and emotional impact of trauma, somatic therapy ensures the body has a voice in the process.
Together, these modalities:
Together, these modalities:
- Help regulate the nervous system
- Address trauma stored at both the brain and body level
- Empower clients to reconnect with sensations, emotions, and self-trust
- Allow for more complete, embodied healing
Who Might Benefit from This Work?
- PTSD and complex trauma
- Dissociation or numbness
- Anxiety, panic, or chronic hypervigilance
- Somatic symptoms with no clear medical cause
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Grief, developmental trauma, or emotional overwhelm
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Feeling “stuck” despite years of talk therapy
What to Expect in a Session
Your sessions are personalized to your pace, history, and nervous system. Together, we create a grounded, attuned, and supportive environment that prioritizes safety, connection, and consent.
I integrate:
I integrate:
- EMDR reprocessing (with either eye movement and/or bilateral stimulation)
- Somatic tracking, breathwork, and body awareness
- Nervous system education
- Integration practices to help translate healing into daily life
You won’t be pushed — you’ll be gently guided toward the wholeness that already exists within you.
Healing is not about erasing the past — it’s about no longer being owned by it.
If you’re ready to experience a deeper, more embodied path to trauma recovery, I invite you to begin this work.