EMDR Therapy in Denver
Do you ever feel like you know something intellectually, but it feels different?
Like no matter how many times you’ve talked something through, you can’t help but feel overwhelmed/anxious/upset/scared etc, whenever something similar happens?
For example, maybe you know constructive criticism is helpful, but you still want to cry when you receive it? Which makes you feel even worse.
Or maybe you know it’s okay to say no in theory, but every time you try your heart races, your hands and voice shake, and you just want to run away and hide?
There is a reason for the disconnect between what you know and what you feel…
…but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
That’s where EMDR comes in.
EMDR isn’t like regular ‘talk therapy’. I’m a huge fan of talk therapy, but sometimes it hits a wall. When you’ve read the books, done the exercises, journaled, and talked things through ad nauseim and things still aren’t changing? It’s not because you’re doing something wrong, or because you’re broken beyond repair. It’s because there’s likely something in your past that’s keeping you stuck. The good news is that EMDR can get you unstuck, so you can start feeling better quickly.
And the best part? EMDR is actually a MUCH faster way to make progress than traditional therapy. You can feel better in just a few sessions as opposed to spending months working on the same things, over and over again.
EMDR stands for “Eye Movement Densensitization and Reprocessing”. EMDR therapy helps your brain reprocess upsetting or impactful memories so they no longer trigger intense anxiety or emotional reactions. It uses guided eye movements to reduce the impact of past experiences.
It’s fast, effective, and doesn’t require you to rehash every painful detail.
What is EMDR?
How does EMDR work?
Think of your brain like a filing cabinet. When something stressful or painful happens, sometimes your brain doesn’t file it away properly. Instead, it gets ‘stuck’, so even years later you can feel the same stress, fear, or shame as if it’s happening right now. That’s part of what drives people-pleasing, perfectionism, and anxiety.
In EMDR, we use a process with eye movements or other bilateral stimulation to help your brain re-file those memories in the right drawer. The memory doesn’t disappear, but it loses its emotional intensity. You remember what happened, but it stops feeling like it’s happening right now, and without the emotional charge. That shift helps you let go of trauma responses, perfectionism, anxiety, and other patterns that were being fueled by the past.
EMDR Can Help With:
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People-Pleasing
Are you always putting others’ wants and needs ahead of your own? Doing backflips to keep everyone happy while you suffer in silence and resentment continues to build?
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Relationship Issues
Bad breakup? Having the same fights over and over, or feeling triggered or upset by the same things in your relationship? In couples therapy and trying to work on your own reactions to things?
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Phobias
Afraid of flying? The dentist? Water? Spiders? EMDR can be highly effective at treating phobias. Wouldn’t it be great to no longer feel so intensely afraid all the time?
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Perfectionism
Overthinking every decision, replaying conversations in your head, procrastinating because the pressure to get it ‘just right’ is paralyzing, or pushing yourself so hard you burn out. Even when you succeed, it doesn’t feel like enough—you just raise the bar higher.
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Anxiety & Panic Attacks
Racing thoughts, heart pounding, rapid breathing or feeling like you can’t catch your breath...and more, are all are treatable. No matter how long you’ve suffered from anxiety or panic attacks, relief is possible, and faster than you think.
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Trauma
I explain trauma as anything that happens that changes the way you view and feel in the world. It doesn’t have to be something ‘horrible’ like a car accident, violence, abuse..sometimes it’s just hard experiences that still bother you now, even though they happened a long time ago.
FAQ about EMDR Therapy in Denver:
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Yes! EMDR has been heavily researched for 30 years and is internationally recognized for it’s effectiveness by the WHO, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), The American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI) to name a few. EMDR been proven to be effective in treating PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, OCD, Depression and many more.
Here are links to some of the research:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25101684/
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Talk therapy is great for insight; you can understand where your patterns come from and why you feel the way you do. But insight doesn’t always change the nervous system, and that’s where EMDR is different. Instead of just talking about the past, EMDR helps your brain actually reprocess those stuck memories so they stop triggering you in the present. And because it works directly with the brain’s natural healing process, many people notice changes faster than they do with traditional therapy—often in days or weeks, instead of months or years.
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Have you ever noticed that sometimes you do your best thinking or problem-solving while you’re in the shower or on a walk? That’s because the brain processes differently when we are engaged in a physical task while thinking. EMDR is kind of like that. In EMDR, you’ll be thinking about a specific thing, while also following bilateral stimulation, which is in the form of a moving light or buzzers that you hold in your hands.
EMDR feels different for everyone, but most people describe it as surprisingly calm or even a little weird at first. You might notice your mind going through memories or emotions while your body starts to relax. Some people feel tingling, warmth, or shifts in their body, and others just notice that thoughts and feelings that used to feel huge start to lose their intensity. It’s not like reliving trauma—it’s more like your brain is quietly doing its own filing and processing behind the scenes
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No! What’s really cool about EMDR is you don’t have to remember things in great detail, or verbally recall everything about an event or memory in order for it to be effective.
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The number of EMDR sessions varies, but many clients notice improvement within 6–12 sessions, or 1-2 intensive sessions. The exact timeline depends on your history, goals, and how your brain processes during therapy.
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EMDR is safe for most people. You’re always in control during the process, and a properly trained therapist guides you through it step by step. Some people notice temporary emotional or physical reactions, like feeling tired, emotional, or a bit off-balance, but that’s normal and part of your brain processing the memories. Sometimes you might remember things you had forgotten, both positive and negative, but this is normal. With proper support, these effects are short-lived, and the overall experience is healing rather than harmful.
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You won’t develop huge gaps in your memory, but a lot of times certain details about an upsetting experience become fuzzier or ‘far away’ after going through EMDR. This is common and is a result of the brain starting to heal itself.
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You are always in control and are able to stop at any time if it feels like too much. Additionally, before starting reprocessing we will work on specific coping skills to help you feel more contained and calm so that if you do get overwhelmed either in session or in between sessions, you’ll be able to soothe yourself and feel grounded again.
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Yes, EMDR therapy is highly effective for anxiety and PTSD, and it can also help with perfectionism. With anxiety and PTSD, EMDR helps your brain reprocess painful experiences so you’re no longer stuck in the same emotional loop. For high-achievers who struggle with perfectionism, EMDR can uncover where those “never enough” beliefs came from and release the emotional charge that keeps driving burnout and people-pleasing. Instead of just managing symptoms, EMDR helps you shift the root cause so you can feel calmer, more confident, and less trapped by old patterns
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Most EMDR therapy sessions last 50–60 minutes. I offer longer intensive sessions depending on your needs and treatment goals.
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Yes! Many EMDR therapists in Denver, including myself, offer virtual EMDR therapy online. Research shows EMDR can be just as effective via telehealth as it is in person.
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In your first EMDR session, we’ll review your history, explain how EMDR works, and identify the areas you’d like to focus on. The actual eye movement reprocessing usually begins in later sessions once you’re comfortable.
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EMDR therapy is best for people struggling with trauma, anxiety, or panic attacks. It’s also helpful for high achievers dealing with perfectionism, people-pleasing, and burnout.
There are some medical or mental health conditions where EMDR is not recommended, or could be tricky, which is why we always do an initial consultation and screen for issues that would indicate that EMDR isn’t appropriate.