EMDR for Anxiety That Doesn’t Respond to Talk Therapy Alone
When you understand your anxiety—but still feel stuck in it
You’ve done the work. You’ve journaled, read the books, unpacked your childhood in therapy. You know why you feel anxious. You’ve named the patterns.
But still—your body won’t let you exhale.
Your thoughts race, your stomach tightens, your sleep is disrupted, and your nervous system stays on high alert. You’ve outgrown survival, but your anxiety hasn’t caught up yet.
If that sounds familiar, talk therapy isn’t failing you. It just might not be reaching the part of you that needs the most support.
When Insight Isn’t Enough
Talk therapy helps you make sense of your anxiety. You understand your triggers, the stories you carry, and the impact of your past.
But anxiety isn’t just cognitive—it’s somatic. It lives in the body.
If your anxiety is rooted in trauma, emotional neglect, or chronic stress, your nervous system may still be stuck in survival mode—even if your mind knows you’re safe.
That’s where EMDR comes in.
What Is EMDR—and How Does It Work?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-focused therapy that helps you reprocess distressing memories and emotional patterns stored in the brain and body.
Using bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements or tapping), EMDR activates your brain’s natural healing process—like REM sleep, but in a therapeutic context.
It helps you:
Target the root experiences that drive your anxiety
Release stored emotional and physiological tension
Shift beliefs like “I’m not safe,” “I’m too much,” or “I have to stay alert”
Build internal calm that isn’t dependent on external circumstances
It’s not about logic. It’s about healing what your body never got the chance to fully process.
Signs EMDR Might Be Right for You
You’ve done talk therapy but still feel anxious in your body
You understand your trauma but can’t seem to move past it
You feel anxious without a clear trigger
You struggle with sleep, irritability, or restlessness
You’re exhausted by how “on” you have to be—even in safe spaces
EMDR helps go beyond insight and into integration—so healing happens from the inside out.
How Sessions Work (And What to Expect)
In EMDR, you don’t have to retell your entire trauma narrative. We focus on how it lives in your body today.
Sessions might involve:
Identifying a target memory or emotion connected to your anxiety
Noticing physical sensations, images, or beliefs that come up
Using bilateral stimulation to support reprocessing
Tracking shifts as your brain begins to release old responses and form new ones
It’s gentle, structured, and paced based on your readiness—not pressure.
What Healing Looks Like
Your body feels less tense, even under pressure
You don’t catastrophize every moment of uncertainty
You stop looping through “what ifs”
You feel present—not just prepared
You trust that you’re safe, even when you’re not “in control”
You’re Not Too Much. Your Anxiety Is Just Too Burdened.
If talk therapy hasn’t given you the full relief you’ve hoped for, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck—it means it’s time to try a different door.
I help high-achieving women of color heal the deeper roots of anxiety with EMDR, so they can finally feel the calm they’ve been working so hard to earn.
Let’s take the next step together
Learn more about how EMDR can help your anxiety find peace
Your anxiety isn’t your identity. It’s a signal—and we can help it soften.
