Desiderata Counseling

I’ve been offering EMDR since 2022, working with clients both in person and virtually. I’ve found it to be just as effective in a virtual setting, and it adapts easily to online sessions. While EMDR was originally developed as a trauma therapy, it’s a versatile approach that addresses anxiety, depression, and many other mental health concerns. At its core, EMDR works by shifting the negative core beliefs people hold about themselves and the world—beliefs that often took root during past trauma or difficult experiences. EMDR is recognized with the highest recommendations across major clinical practice guidelines, including standards from the Veterans Affairs, for its effectiveness in treating post-traumatic stress.
EMDR differs from traditional talk therapy in a few ways. It has more structure and specific steps, allowing us to work deeply more quickly, while prioritizing client autonomy.

The process begins by establishing a foundation of emotional regulation and self compassion, which creates safety for the work ahead. From there, we identify a timeline of memories that have contributed to building negative beliefs. Then comes the reprocessing phases, where through bilateral stimulation and my guidance as your therapist, you’ll reprocess traumatic events and rebuild the meaning you’ve made around them into more positive, adaptive beliefs. Bilateral stimulation during virtual sessions can take many forms including auditory stimulus through headphones, physical stimulus like self tapping that you control, or visual stimulus like following a moving object on your screen. All of these work seamlessly in a virtual setting.

Research demonstrates that EMDR achieves significant reductions in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms, and notably, EMDR accomplishes these results using approximately half the number of sessions compared to other evidence-based trauma therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy. Studies also show that approximately ninety one percent of clients treated with EMDR were PTSD-free at follow-up compared to medication-based treatment alone. As clients move through EMDR, they typically report less activation and hypervigilance, reduced anxiety and self criticism, increased confidence, and a sense of relief. I work with teenagers ages thirteen and up, and while the core EMDR process remains consistent with younger people, I keep parents informed of notable progress while being mindful of confidentiality and provide ways to support their kids through this meaningful work.

Research Citations:

• EMDR Institute. Research Overview. emdr.com: Source for EMDR’s efficiency compared to CBT, achieving results in approximately half the sessions.
• National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for PTSD: Source for EMDR holding the highest recommendation across major clinical practice guidelines.
• South Denver Therapy. (2026). EMDR Statistics 2026: Success Rates, Research & Effectiveness: Source for the ninety one percent PTSD-free rate at follow-up compared to medication-based treatment.
• EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). Recent Research on EMDR Therapy. emdria.org: Source for EMDR’s broader applications beyond PTSD including depression, anxiety, and phobias.