Some things don't respond to talking it through: they're stored differently, in the body and the nervous system, not just the mind. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works with that directly. Using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sound), it helps your brain finish processing something that got stuck, so a memory that used to feel like it's happening now can start to feel like something that happened, and is over.
Traumatic events
Moments that we can't seem to move past.
PTSD
The past keeps intruding on the present, even when you're safe.
Betrayal
Your body is still on high alert, long after the truth has come out.
Small-t traumas
Small moments and wounds that shape how you move through the world.
And more
EMDR is used for more than this. Tell us what you are carrying and we will say honestly whether it fits.
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Cassi Fitch
MA, LPC Associate
Supervised by
Sarah Osmer, LPC-S
We don't start with processing. We start with making sure you're ready for it. Before any memory work begins, your therapist will spend time building safety, teaching regulation skills, and making sure you have tools to stay grounded when things get hard. From there, EMDR itself uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sound) while you bring a difficult memory to mind, letting your brain do what it does naturally with the rest of your experiences: file it away as something that happened, rather than something that's still happening. It's not about reliving the memory in detail or explaining it at length. It's about helping your brain finish something it got stuck partway through.
Twenty minutes, free. You share at a high level what you want to work through, and we'll guide you on whether EMDR is a good fit and who on the team fits best. It ends in a recommendation, not an assignment. You decide from there.
First few sessions are history and preparation: building enough resourcing, support, and containment that processing becomes something you are ready for. We go at the pacing that works for your nervous system.
During EMDR, memories may shift, feelings may move through you, and negative beliefs about yourself can begin to dissolve. It's designed to decrease the distress tied to your trauma and help a more positive belief about yourself take its place.
Being straight with you
It is a well studied approach, but it is not for everyone. If it is not the right fit for you, that is okay. No judgement. There are other ways to process trauma and move towards healing.
Find out if it fitsEMDR might not be the best fit for you if there is a more urgent need, if a different approach fits better, or when a higher level of care is necessary. Your therapist can guide you honestly through these options.
Sometimes talking it through is enough, and that's fine. EMDR doesn't replace talk therapy; it can work alongside it, or on its own.
Start wider
If you are less certain about the method than about what you are carrying, start here. EMDR is one of several things that might be used.
Trauma and PTSD therapy
Go faster
The same work concentrated into a few longer sessions rather than spread across months.
About intensives
Not in the way people usually fear. EMDR works on how a memory is held rather than requiring you to narrate it from the beginning, and the early sessions are about regulating rather than detail. How much you say, and when, stays yours.
No. EMDR is one of several evidence-based approaches we use, and it's not the right fit for everyone or every kind of trauma. Depending on what you're working through, your therapist might also draw on talk therapy, somatic and polyvagal-informed approaches, or other trauma-focused methods. What matters most is finding what actually fits you, not fitting you into one method.
It varies more than anyone wants it to, and a number given before meeting you would be a guess. What it depends on is worth talking through on the consultation, and an intensive exists partly because some people would rather compress it.
Yes. EMDR adapts well to telehealth: bilateral stimulation can be done through guided eye movements on screen, tapping, or audio tones through headphones, and it's just as effective as in-person for most clients. Your therapist will help you figure out what setup works best for you, and if virtual doesn't end up being the right fit, in-person is always an option too.
That's no problem. We are happy to pivot; whether that's a different kind of therapy with the same clinician, or helping you get connected to a different clinician who better suits your needs.
Appointments Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, in person in Central Austin (across from Pease Park) or virtually across Texas. Weekends are sometimes available, so please ask if that works better for you.
No. The practice does not bill insurance directly. We can check your out-of-network benefits for you, by hand, before you commit to anything, and plenty of plans reimburse part of the cost of an out-of-network therapist.
Say so on the consultation call. Some clinicians on the team are working under supervision toward full licensure and see clients at a reduced rate. It's a normal thing to ask about, not an awkward one.
Twenty free minutes with someone who knows the team. You say as much or as little as you want, and we tell you honestly whether EMDR is the right fit for what you're carrying. Rates, insurance, and timing are all part of that conversation, not a surprise later.
Book a free consultYou tell us what is going on, in whatever words you have for it.
We talk through whether EMDR fits, and answer your questions.
You leave with a recommendation to work with someone on our team, or a referral to another resource in the area. Either way, you won't be back at square one.
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