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Therapy for Women
EMDR Therapy
EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing, is a form of therapy that aims to help you unlock stuck or frozen memories so that you can process them and they won’t have a negative impact on your life anymore. It uses a structured protocol to facilitate the reprocessing of trauma so that painful memories no longer cause the same level of traumatic disturbance.
Get StartedWhat is EMDR therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In plain terms, it’s a structured therapy that helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they stop running your life. When something overwhelming happens, your brain stores that memory differently. It can’t digest what happened. So the memory stays stuck in your nervous system, and it feels like it’s still happening now. That’s why a smell, a song, or an anniversary can set off flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or a wave of panic out of nowhere.
During EMDR, your therapist guides you through brief sets of bilateral stimulation, usually eye movements or tapping, while you hold a difficult memory in mind. This gives your brain another chance to finish the job it couldn’t finish before. Once the memory is stored the right way, you can recall it without the emotional gut punch. You start living in the present instead of the past.
How effective is EMDR treatment?
EMDR has been lauded for its efficiency in alleviating the symptoms associated with trauma. Many people who have tried EMDR report sustained improvements in their symptoms long after finishing therapy. Today, EMDR is considered one of the most effective forms of trauma treatment in the world. It’s recommended by the Department of Defense, World Health Organization, and American Psychiatric Association.*
What makes EMDR unique is that it’s very different from traditional talk therapy. While traditional talk therapy is great and our practice uses it often, talking through problems only engages the mind. In order to fully heal from trauma, you need to involve both the brain and body in some capacity. This is what EMDR does. Because it incorporates both somatic awareness and bilateral stimulation, EMDR promotes holistic healing. It also allows people to work through trauma without having to discuss it extensively, which is a huge advantage for those who are uncomfortable talking about their trauma.
At the Therapy for Women Center, we utilize EMDR to treat trauma of all kinds. We’ve used EMDR to help people suffering from Big T-Trauma (e.g., car accidents, sexual assault, various forms of abuse) as well as little t-trauma (interpersonal conflict, financial stress, difficult relationships with parents), which often leads to complex PTSD. There are so many overlooked aspects of little-t trauma, since it can often compound over time and affect your emotional functioning in subtle ways. EMDR can help you overcome the accumulated effects of such experiences so that you can achieve full symptom resolution.
Get StartedHow does EMDR therapy work?
EMDR follows a structured protocol that is designed to help clients ease into the process of working through trauma. You’re not just going to jump into EMDR in the first session—instead, we’ll start by helping you prepare for the reprocessing stage by equipping you with a bevy of tools, skills, and resources. This way, you’ll be able to stay grounded and regulated as you engage with traumatic memories throughout treatment.
Once you are ready, we will begin the reprocessing phase of therapy. Your therapist will ask you to identify a “target” memory while they lead you through a series of bilateral stimulation techniques, such as tapping or moving your eyes from side to side. These exercises can help your brain and body form new associations with traumatic memories, bringing the emotional charge of the memories down over time.
Essentially, the bilateral stimulation phase can help you unlock previously unprocessed experiences and give your brain another chance to finish the job it wasn’t able to finish before. When this happens, your disturbing experience finally gets stored in the brain correctly, as a fully processed or “digested” memory. And when that happens, symptoms resolve, unhelpful behaviors change, and the experience no longer has an emotional “gut punch” when it’s remembered. The goal is to get you to a place where you can recall what happened without feeling upset or overwhelmed.
Get StartedEMDR Therapy in Philadelphia and the Main Line
Our team is one of the largest groups of EMDR-trained clinicians in the city. More than 15 of our therapists trained through EMDRIA, the EMDR International Association. For you, that means shorter wait times and a real choice of trauma specialists, rather than one provider with a six-month waitlist.
You can start EMDR therapy in Philadelphia at our Old City or Center City offices, at our Bala Cynwyd office serving the Main Line (including Ardmore, Haverford, and Wynnewood), or at our Collingswood office in South Jersey. We also offer EMDR online throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and 43 states online. Research supports virtual EMDR, and many of our clients do their entire course of treatment by video.
Get StartedFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, EMDR sessions can be effectively conducted online through secure video platforms. Many therapists, including our team at Therapy for Women Center, have successfully adapted EMDR protocols for virtual sessions, especially since the pandemic increased demand for telehealth services. We currently offer online EMDR in the following states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, South Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida and Vermont.
Online EMDR works similarly to in-person sessions, with some modifications to accommodate the virtual format. Instead of following a therapist’s finger with your eyes, you might follow a cursor or object on your screen, use self-administered bilateral stimulation like tapping your knees alternately, or use audio tones through headphones. Many clients, and studies, find these adaptations just as effective as traditional in-person methods.
Virtual EMDR offers several advantages, including increased accessibility for those who have transportation challenges, live in remote areas, or feel more comfortable processing trauma in their own safe space. It also allows for more flexible scheduling and eliminates travel time to appointments.
However, online EMDR isn’t right for everyone. Your therapist will assess whether virtual sessions are appropriate based on factors like your trauma history, current support system, technology comfort level, and ability to create a safe, private space for sessions. Some clients with complex trauma or dissociative symptoms may need to start with in-person sessions before transitioning to online work.
No, EMDR therapy is not hypnosis, although this is a common misconception. While both may involve eye movements, they work very differently.
The key difference is that during EMDR sessions, you remain fully awake, alert, and in complete control. You’re conscious of your surroundings, can speak freely with your therapist, and can stop the process at any time. Hypnosis typically involves an altered state of consciousness where you’re less aware of your environment.
EMDR doesn’t put you into a trance or relaxed state. Instead, it activates your brain’s natural healing processes while you’re fully present and engaged. You’ll actively process memories with your therapist’s guidance, discussing what comes up throughout the session. However, there may be silence in session at times.
EMDR follows a specific, evidence-based protocol and is recommended by major health organizations for trauma treatment. During EMDR therapy at our Philadelphia offices, you’ll always maintain full awareness and control in this collaborative healing process.
Preparing for EMDR therapy is an important step that happens both before your first session and throughout the early phases of treatment. Your therapist will guide you through this preparation process, but there are several things you can do to get ready.
Before starting EMDR: Create a stable living situation and ensure you have a strong support system in place. It’s also important to address any substance use issues and maintain basic self-care routines like regular sleep, meals, and exercise.
During the preparation phase: Your EMDR therapist will teach you various coping skills and grounding techniques to help you manage emotions that may arise during processing. This might include breathing exercises, visualization techniques, or other self-soothing strategies. We’ll also work together to identify your personal resources and strengths.
Practical preparation: For the day of your EMDR session, wear comfortable clothing and plan for some downtime afterward, as processing can be emotionally intensive. Avoid scheduling stressful activities immediately before or after your appointment.
Building readiness: Remember that you won’t jump into processing traumatic memories right away. The preparation phase ensures you feel safe and equipped with tools before beginning the actual reprocessing work. At our Philadelphia-area offices, we take as much time as needed in this phase to ensure you’re fully ready for successful EMDR treatment.
We offer EMDR therapy at four convenient locations throughout the Philadelphia region. Our offices are located in Bala Cynwyd on the Main Line (near CVS), Logan Square/ Center City Philadelphia (near Trader Joe’s), Old City, Philadelphia (near Plough and the Starts in the Corn Exchange Building) and Collingswood, South Jersey. All of our locations provide both in-person and online EMDR therapy sessions to best serve clients throughout Philadelphia, the Main Line, and South Jersey areas.
Yes! We offer EMDR therapy online for clients who live in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida, North Carolina, Utah, Missouri, Texas, Vermont and South Carolina.
Yes, EMDR therapy can be very effective for treating anxiety and depression, especially when these conditions are rooted in past traumatic experiences or difficult life events. Many people don’t realize that their current anxiety or depression may be connected to unprocessed memories from their past – whether it’s childhood experiences, relationship trauma, or other challenging situations.
During EMDR treatment, we target these root memories so they no longer have the same emotional charge. As a result, many clients experience significant reduction in their anxiety or depression symptoms.
The length of EMDR therapy varies depending on several factors, including the type of trauma you’ve experienced, how many traumatic memories need processing, and your individual healing process. However, here are some general timeframes:
For single-incident trauma (like a car accident or one-time event), many clients see significant improvement in 6-12 EMDR sessions.
For complex trauma (childhood abuse, multiple traumatic experiences, or long-term difficult situations), EMDR therapy typically takes longer – often several months to a year or more.
Each EMDR session lasts 60-90 minutes, and we usually meet weekly or biweekly depending on your needs and schedule.
It’s important to remember that EMDR therapy includes a preparation phase before we begin processing traumatic memories. This means your first few sessions will focus on building coping skills, establishing safety, and preparing you for the memory processing work. This foundation is crucial for successful EMDR treatment.
Many clients in Philadelphia notice some positive changes within the first few processing sessions, such as decreased intensity when thinking about their trauma, better sleep, or reduced anxiety. However, everyone’s healing journey is unique, and we’ll work at a pace that feels safe and comfortable for you.
Let us help you let go of trauma and move forward.
We’ve been providing EMDR to trauma survivors since 2018, and we’ve watched hundreds of women get their lives back from memories that once ran the show. Whatever happened, your world can get bigger again instead of shrinking around it. Contact Therapy for Women in Philadelphia today to start EMDR therapy in Philadelphia, on the Main Line, or online, and get matched with the right therapist for you.
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Click here to get startedTherapy for Women is a clinician-founded practice offering therapy, psychiatry, and nutrition built around the female experience. Serving Philadelphia, South Jersey and 43 states online.
