How EMDR Helps When Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough
Why deeper healing sometimes requires a different approach
You’ve read the books. You’ve done the journaling. You’ve spent years in talk therapy, and you get it — intellectually. But despite all your insight, something still feels stuck.
This is one of the most common stories I hear from the women I work with. Many are high-achieving, insightful, emotionally aware — and still struggling with the same patterns they thought they’d outgrown. That’s where EMDR therapy comes in.
When Insight Isn’t Enough
Traditional talk therapy is powerful. It can help us understand ourselves, name our patterns, and make meaningful changes in how we relate to others. But sometimes, especially when trauma, attachment wounds, or deeply ingrained beliefs are involved, understanding alone doesn’t create lasting change.
If you find yourself saying things like:
• “I know this isn’t my fault, but I still feel like it is.”
• “I understand why I shut down, but I can’t stop doing it.”
• “I can name the trauma, but it still lives in my body.”
…you may be ready for a different kind of work.
What Makes EMDR Different
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy approach that helps the brain process stuck or unprocessed memories. It’s not about talking through every painful moment — it’s about shifting how those memories live inside you.
Instead of repeating the same story over and over, EMDR helps you complete the story. You might begin a session feeling stuck in shame, perfectionism, or hyper-independence — and leave feeling a deeper sense of clarity and compassion toward yourself.
Who Is EMDR For?
You don’t need a capital-T trauma to benefit from EMDR. Many of the women I work with use EMDR to work through:
• People-pleasing that leaves them depleted
• Perfectionism that keeps them from feeling “enough”
• Relationship patterns that feel safe but unfulfilling
• Work stress or burnout rooted in identity and self-worth
• Childhood emotional neglect or subtle forms of relational trauma
If you’ve tried traditional therapy and felt like it only took you so far, EMDR can help you go deeper — safely and effectively.
I offer EMDR therapy online to adult women located in Michigan, Colorado, South Carolina, Missouri, and Texas. Whether we’re working on resourcing and grounding or reprocessing difficult memories, my approach is collaborative, trauma-informed, and affirming.
Curious if EMDR might be the missing piece for you?