EMDR Therapy
in Durham, NC
EMDR can help your brain stop constantly telling you that you’re a disappointment, failure, or a burden to others.
You may be here because you feel like…
You’re not in control of your life
You’re the cause of all your suffering.
There’s something deeply wrong with you that you don’t understand
What Can EMDR Therapy Help With?
Who would you be if you didn’t believe your were damaged or defective?
You may find yourself…
Feeling anxious a lot of the time
Having heavy sadness tied to past events
Feeling worthless or defective
Replaying past events thinking “I should have known better”
Not trusting yourself
Not trusting others, even if they seem reliable
Believing that you are incompetent, unlovable or a burden to others
Feeling like you’re in danger, even when you’re safe
Viewing yourself as “not good enough”
Overreacting way out of proportion to the problem you’re facing
EMDR offers a way to get unstuck, so you can see yourself and the world differently
What Is EMDR?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy that helps people heal from upsetting and traumatic memories. The goal is help the memory become something you remember as part of your past rather than something that continues to affect how you react, view yourself or see the world.
While the notion of moving your eyes back and forth in a therapy session may sound odd, peer-reviewed research has shown EMDR is an effective way to improve mental health for people who have experienced trauma.
Trauma is not just what happened to you: It’s lasting effects of what your nervous system had to do to survive it
EMDR is based, in part, on the idea that some distressing experiences can remain insufficiently processed and continue to influence how we respond in the present. These memories sometimes don’t even seem like memories. They can appear more like overreacting to a minor event. This often leads to self-blame and negative beliefs about yourself. These beliefs can become tightly connected to the memory and the way your body responds to it. EMDR helps loosen those connections so that the memory can be experienced differently. EMDR helps your brain and nervous system process the experience differently, so the memory can become less distressing and less controlling.
What is an EMDR Session Like?
Starting EMDR can feel intimidating, especially if you've heard that you'll be asked to revisit traumatic experiences. Understanding what happens in therapy can make the process feel much less mysterious.
First, we build safety.
Early sessions focus on getting to know one another, understanding what brings you to therapy, and establishing a foundation of trust and safety. Before processing difficult memories, your therapist will make sure you have ways to manage distress and return to the present when needed
During processing, your therapist guides, but you remain in charge.
Your therapist will guide you while you briefly bring the memory to mind and engage in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, alternating taps, or sounds. Your therapist's role isn't to tell you what to think or what the memory means. Instead, they help you stay oriented to the present and allow your own mind to make new connections.
You remain in control throughout the process. Your therapist will check in with you, help you stay within a manageable level of emotional intensity, and adjust the pace or approach whenever needed.
When you're ready, you'll identify what you'd like to work on.
Together, you and your therapist will identify a memory or experience that continues to affect you in the present. You'll explore how you remember the experience, what you believe about yourself because of it, and how it affects you emotionally and physically.
What You Do
Talk with your therapist about what's bringing you to therapy
Learn strategies for staying grounded and managing distress
Identify memories or experiences you'd like to work through
Notice what comes up as you think about the experience
You don’t have to force yourself to remember or feel something, simply notice what comes up.
Allow your mind to make its own connections during processing
Let your therapist know when something feels like too much
What Your Therapist Does
Helps you understand the EMDR process
Makes sure you're prepared before beginning trauma processing
Helps you develop resources for managing difficult emotions
Guides you through bilateral stimulation
Monitors your level of distress and helps you stay oriented to the present
Adjusts the pace and approach based on your needs
Helps you understand what you're experiencing without imposing their own interpretation
You don't have to go through difficult memories alone. Your therapist is there with you throughout the process.
Why we take EMDR preparation seriously
EMDR can involve revisiting painful memories. Before processing begins, we want you to have enough stability, support, and resources to engage with difficult material without becoming overwhelmed.
Some people may be ready to begin processing relatively quickly. For others, building safety and stability takes more time. Neither is a problem.
We don't believe that moving faster means making better progress. Our therapists pay close attention to your responses throughout treatment and adjust the pace accordingly.
What if EMDR isn't right for me?
EMDR can be a highly therapeutic experience for many people, but no single therapy is right for everyone. Our therapists take the time to understand your history, needs, goals, and what you're experiencing now before deciding how to approach your work together.
We also recognize that therapy isn't always a straight line. You may benefit from EMDR, from another therapeutic approach, or from a combination of modalities. Some clients prefer alternating EMDR one session, and talk therapy in the next. You and your therapist can adjust the pace, structure, and approach of therapy as your needs evolve.
Our goal isn't to fit you into a particular therapy. It's to find the approach that best supports you. And if you've had a difficult or unhelpful experience with therapy in the past, you don't have to assume that it means therapy can't work for you. We can start where you are and work together to find a way forward.
Tamarasa Therapy’s Approach to EMDR
Expertise gives therapy its foundation. Collaboration makes it responsive. Compassion makes it human.
Grounded in Evidence
Our therapists practice EMDR with care based in evidence. We have post-graduate training from experts in the field and continuously stay on top of the latest research for best practices. We use EMDR principles to guide the way we understand and work with you.
Responsive to You
We will never force you into a particular therapeutic approach. We pay attention to what’s helping, what’s not, and what you need as your work evolves. Sometimes that means adapting EMDR; sometimes it means using another approach entirely.
Collaborative by Design
We don’t practice in isolation. We regularly consult with our colleagues and participate in supervision. This gives our clinicians opportunities to think deeply about their work, learn from one another, and remain accountable to high standards of care.
What Trauma-Informed Care Means to Us
For us, being trauma-informed isn't simply about understanding trauma. It's about how we practice.
We don't believe therapy should require you to override your own boundaries, push through experiences you're not ready for, or continue with an approach simply because it's the therapist's preferred modality. We pay attention to your responses, collaborate with you about the direction of therapy, and adjust our approach when something isn't helping.
You are not here to fit yourself into a therapy. The therapy should be responsive to you.
Meet our EMDR Therapists
Our therapists bring different specialties, personalities, and perspectives to their work. Explore their profiles to learn more about their approach and find someone who feels like the right person to begin with.
Common Questions About EMDR
-
While EMDR is known for being effective in treating PTSD, it can also be helpful for people with anxiety, grief, depression, childhood trauma, attachment wounds, panic attacks, and even negative core beliefs like feeling that you're not good enough.
-
More than anything, we want to make sure the therapist is someone you feel safe being open, honest and vulnerable with. Having a consultation call is a great way to see if the therapist is the one you want to work with.
-
Yes we do! EMDR can be done safely and effectively via telehealth. We recommend a quiet, uninterrupted space and a screen large enough for eye movements. (Phones and tablets are typically too small.)
-
No. You do not have to describe your traumatic experiences in detail for EMDR to be effective.
You may briefly identify a memory or experience you would like to work on, but you only need to share enough for your therapist to understand what you are targeting. You do not have to tell the whole story or explain everything that happened.
In fact, one of the differences between EMDR and many other forms of therapy is that there is often less talking during the reprocessing itself. Rather than spending the session analyzing or retelling what happened, your therapist guides you through the reprocessing process while you notice what comes up for you.
And your target does not have to be your worst or most painful memory. Sometimes a seemingly small moment carries a strong emotional charge or connects to a larger pattern of how you see yourself. That can be a meaningful place to begin.
You are always in control of what you share. Your therapist will work with you to find an approach and pace that feels manageable, without pushing you to disclose more than you are ready to discuss.
-
Not a problem! EMDR focuses more on the impact of the trauma (like your emotional or somatic responses) than a chronological or narrative details of how the trauma happened.
-
EMDR does not erase your memories or make you forget past events. EMDR works to desensitize you to past memories, so there is more of a mindful distance when you recall them. This means that reminders aren’t as triggering and you don’t “relive” the memory when you remember it.
The Therapy Process: What to Expect
Starting therapy is a big step. Here’s what you can expect as you begin your work with us.
Schedule your free consultation
Reach out to us to share what you’re looking for. Click the “Get Started” button to take the first step to getting support
Meet with your therapist
Talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, what you’ve been experiencing, and what you hope to change
Create a plan together
Your therapist will work with you to find an approach tailored to your needs, goals and pace.
Begin your work
Build insight, develop skills and create meaningful change with ongoing support
Not sure where to start?
You don't have to know which therapy is right for you before reaching out. These approaches can be helpful for different concerns, and your therapist can help you figure out where to begin.
| If you're looking to... | You might explore... |
|---|---|
| Understand internal patterns and feel more whole | IFS |
| Process and recover from traumatic experiences | EMDR |
| Change patterns in your thoughts and behaviors | CBT |
| Reconnect with your body and feel more grounded | Somatic Therapy |
| Build skills for navigating intense emotions | DBT |
Ready to Explore What’s Possible with EMDR?
You don't have to know exactly what you need before reaching out. We're here to help you find a therapist and approach that feel right for where you are.
You don't need to have the perfect words.
You don't need to know exactly where to start.
You only need to take the next step.
Schedule a free consultation today.
How to Get Started
Ready to meet with a therapist?
Click the button below to Schedule an Appointment or Free 20 Minute Consultation online
Do you have any questions or need help finding a therapist?
Fill out the contact form below. We will respond within 24 hours.
We are conveniently located at
6 Consultant Pl. Ste 100B, Durham, NC 27707
In-person visits by appointment only.