EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

in Raleigh, NC + virtually across North Carolina and Ohio

YOUR LIFE HAS MOVED FORWARD BUT YOUR MIND IS STUCK IN THE PAST… you find yourself drawn again and again back to memories of your birth, your miscarriage, your loss, or a time period in your life that is over.

YOU’RE FINALLY SAFE, BUT CAN’T GET YOUR FEELINGS TO BELIEVE IT… logically you’ve never been safer, you’ve come through the worst of it. So why do you feel even MORE anxious now? It’s like your brain is stuck in danger mode.

YOUR BRAIN KNOWS THE LOGICAL RIGHT ANSWER BUT…your body can’t seem to accept that it’s true. Rationally, you know that everything is fine, that it wasn’t your fault, that you didn’t make the wrong decision. But your nervous system is on edge. Continuing to tell yourself “the truth” about the situation doesn’t seem to actually make a significant shift in how you feel.

YOU’VE BEEN DOING TALK THERAPY AND IT’S HELPFUL BUT…it doesn’t seem to be reaching the depth of the trauma that is stored in your body from what you went through. You’ve reframed the situation. You’re using your coping skills. But you can’t seem to move past this event and the anxiety that stems from it.

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"It is that first trauma that you need to process to find your peace. Like a sick tree with diseased roots, if you treat the leaves, it will help on the surface, but if you treat the roots, you will cure the tree."

How EMDR Therapy Can Help

EMDR stands for Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for trauma and PTSD. It is highly effective and clients often see improvement and/or resolution of symptoms in 3-12 sessions.

“EMDR therapy has even been superior to Prozac in trauma treatment (Van der Kolk et al., 2007).”

For more information on EMDR please visit: https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/Clients often pursue EMDR therapy with the following

My clients often enter EMDR treatment with one or more of the following goals in mind…

  • You want to feel a sense of gratitude instead of sadness on your child’s birthday or when looking back on past photos.

  • You want to walk into your medical provider’s office without having a panic attack.

  • You want to have another baby someday, but feel scared to go through the process again.

  • You want to keep trying for a baby, but feel defeated by infertility and loss.

  • You have intrusive fears of something happening to your child.

  • You find you can’t set boundaries with family members even if it’s in the best interest of your child.

  • You have intrusive memories of your own childhood.

  • You worry you will hurt your child in ways you were hurt or repeat harmful family patterns.

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FAQs

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain process distressing experiences that may feel “stuck.” Instead of endlessly retelling what happened, EMDR helps reduce the emotional intensity, intrusive thoughts, body tension, and triggers connected to painful memories.

    For many moms, this can mean:

    • Thinking about the birth without spiraling

    • Looking at photos or anniversaries with less distress

    • Feeling more present with your baby

    • Reducing “what if” thoughts, panic, or hypervigilance

    • Moving from survival mode to peace and clarity

  • Not at all.

    Trauma isn’t defined only by what happened — it’s also about how your nervous system experienced it.

    EMDR can help with:

    • Traumatic birth or medical trauma

    • Emergency C-sections

    • NICU stays

    • Miscarriage or pregnancy loss

    • Infertility grief

    • Postpartum anxiety

    • Panic attacks

    • Health anxiety

    • Childhood trauma impacting motherhood

    • Feeling dismissed, powerless, or unheard during pregnancy/birth

  • This is incredibly common.

    You can feel deeply grateful for your baby and still be grieving, overwhelmed, angry, or traumatized by what happened to you.

    Many moms struggle because they think:
    “I should just be thankful.”

    But your nervous system may still be carrying fear, loss, helplessness, or shock — even when everything “turned out fine.”

    Both can be true:
    You love your child.
    And your experience may still need healing.

  • No.

    EMDR does not require you to repeatedly retell your story in graphic detail. You’ll work at a pace that feels safe and supported. Many clients appreciate that EMDR can be deeply effective without feeling re-traumatizing.

  • Every story is unique, but many clients begin experiencing meaningful relief within a relatively short period of focused treatment.

    For birth-related experiences, many women notice significant shifts in distress, triggers, and clarity in around 12 sessions, though this varies depending on your history, goals, and whether other trauma is involved.

  • This fear makes sense — especially if you already feel overwhelmed.

    Good EMDR therapy should prioritize safety, pacing, and nervous system regulation first. The goal is not to flood you. The goal is to help your brain process what feels unresolved so it no longer controls you.

  • Yes.

    Whether your difficult birth was 6 weeks ago or 16 years ago, unresolved experiences can still affect your nervous system.

    You do not have to keep carrying it simply because “it’s been a long time.”

  • You do not need to “earn” support.

    If you:

    • Avoid thinking about what happened

    • Feel panicky at appointments

    • Replay events constantly

    • Feel intense guilt, grief, or anger

    • Struggle around anniversaries

    • Feel disconnected from yourself

    …it may be worth exploring.

    You deserve support whether your story feels “serious enough” or not.

  • Absolutely.

    Many women seek EMDR when:

    • They’re pregnant again after miscarriage

    • They fear giving birth again

    • Medical appointments feel triggering

    • They feel stuck between hope and fear

    • They’re constantly bracing for something to go wrong

    EMDR can help reduce anticipatory anxiety and create more emotional space for the present.

  • Healing doesn’t mean forgetting.

    It often means:

    • Remembering without reliving

    • More peace

    • Less fear

    • More confidence

    • Feeling emotionally present

    • Greater trust in yourself

    • Clarity on next steps

  • In most cases, yes — when provided by a properly trained clinician who understands perinatal mental health and tailors treatment appropriately.

    Your therapy should always consider:

    • Ruling out more severe postpartum diagnoses

    • Sleep deprivation

    • Hormonal shifts

    • Current stability

    • Medical context

    • Emotional bandwidth

  • Yes.

    EMDR can also support:

    • General anxiety

    • Panic

    • Perfectionism

    • Childhood wounds

    • Medical anxiety

    • Relationship triggers

    • Hypervigilance

    Many women discover their current anxiety makes more sense when they begin connecting it to earlier experiences.

  • There is such a spectrum to “being ready.” Some clients come to therapy almost immediately after the loss or traumatic birth. Some clients are experiencing regular panic attacks or are in the thick of grief. EMDR with proper coping and containment exercises can help reduce the intensity present.

    Conversely, you do not have to feel like you’re falling apart to deserve healing.

    Many clients start because they’re functioning… but exhausted.
    They look okay on the outside, but internally feel stuck, reactive, anxious, or emotionally hijacked.

    If part of you is wondering whether things could feel lighter, calmer, or less consuming — that may be enough.

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Let’s heal from trauma & be present for joy.

Begin today