EMDR therapy for what talking about it hasn't fixed

Some memories don't fade the way they should. You understand what happened, you've talked about it, and it still hits your body like it's happening now. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was built for that gap between knowing and feeling.

EMDR is one of the most-studied trauma treatments available. It is recommended in the American Psychological Association's and the VA/DoD's clinical guidelines for PTSD, and there is growing use of it with betrayal trauma, where intrusive images of a partner's behavior behave a lot like other traumatic memories.

How it works, briefly

You bring a specific memory or image. While holding it in mind, you follow a set of bilateral cues (eye movements, taps, or tones). Over a series of sets, the memory tends to lose its charge; it stays a memory but stops being an alarm. Most people describe it as less "reliving" than they expected. A typical course for a single-incident trauma is a handful of sessions; more layered histories take longer, and we'll tell you honestly which yours looks like.

EMDR is not hypnosis, and it is not a shortcut around the relationship work if that's what brought you here. It is usually one part of a treatment plan, not the whole plan.

Who it's for

Single-incident trauma, accidents, medical trauma, childhood experiences that still shape how you react, and the intrusive images and body reactions that follow discovering a partner's betrayal. We'll assess whether EMDR fits before starting it.

Who you'll work with

Adam Jelloian, LMFT, and Spencer Posey, LMFT, both trained in EMDR. Westlake Village office, Spencer also in Ventura one day a week, telehealth throughout California.

Start with a 15-minute call