EMDR Therapy
Find relief from intrusive memories and reclaim control with compassionate, trauma-informed care.
You might look fine on the outside—managing work, family, and daily routines—but inside, you're stuck. A sound, a memory, a moment can send you spiralling back into something you thought you'd moved past. Trauma doesn't just live in your memories—it lives in your body, in your reactions, in the way you relate to yourself and others.
Left unaddressed, these experiences can lead to anxiety, strained relationships, poor sleep, and a sense that you’ll never truly feel peace. The cycle of reliving the past over and over is exhausting.
At Foothills Psychotherapy, our EMDR Therapy Services in Burbank offer a different path forward. Using a structured, evidence-based approach, EMDR helps you reprocess painful experiences so they no longer control your present. It’s not about forgetting—it’s about healing.
How Individual Talk Therapy Helps
Trauma isn’t just a memory—it’s a moment your brain couldn’t fully process. That’s why certain images, sounds, or emotions can feel just as intense today as they did back then. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps the brain complete the process it couldn’t finish when the trauma occurred.
Through structured sessions with a trained EMDR therapist, you’ll revisit the memory in small, safe steps while using bilateral stimulation—like tapping or following a moving finger with your eyes—to engage both sides of the brain. This unique approach helps "unstick" the trauma and allows your mind to reprocess it more adaptively.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR isn’t about explaining what happened again and again. It’s about changing the way those memories live in your brain—so they lose their emotional charge and become less distressing.
Whether you’ve been through a single event or years of distress, EMDR can help you feel more in control and less defined by the past.
What EMDR Therapy Can Help You Overcome
Our EMDR therapists support people who feel burdened by painful experiences—whether recent or long past. You may not always label these experiences as “trauma,” but if they continue to affect your daily life, they matter.
At Foothills Psychotherapy, we’ve supported clients facing:
Intrusive memories that won’t go away
Nightmares and flashbacks that disrupt sleep and peace of mind
Emotional neglect or childhood wounds that still hurt
Abuse recovery, including verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual harm
Bullying or aggressive treatment that left deep emotional scars
Traumatic incidents, like car accidents, medical trauma, or witnessing violence
You don’t need to justify your pain for it to be valid. If something still affects you, EMDR can help you begin to heal.
What to Expect in Your EMDR Sessions
EMDR therapy is structured, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. In your first session, your EMDR therapist will help you develop tools for staying grounded and emotionally regulated. Before we even begin memory reprocessing, we make sure you have coping skills that feel steady and reliable.
Coping Skills Before Processing
You'll learn calming techniques to manage emotional distress so that when you begin working with painful memories, you feel supported, not overwhelmed.
What Happens During EMDR
When you’re ready, your therapist will guide you through the trauma using bilateral stimulation—this may be tapping, eye movements, or sounds that alternate between both sides of the body. This helps your brain “unstick” the memory and begin to process it in a healthier, more adaptive way. Most clients report a noticeable shift in their feelings about the memory—even after just a few sessions.
Online Options
We offer virtual EMDR therapy sessions in California. Whether you’re across town or in the comfort of your own home, the EMDR healing process remains just as effective.
Benefits of EMDR Therapy
Relief doesn’t have to take years. EMDR works by getting to the root of the pain so the healing can be deep and lasting.
Clients who complete EMDR sessions often notice:
Trauma relief that feels more permanent
Control over thoughts that once felt intrusive or overwhelming
Long-term relief from anxiety, flashbacks, or emotional triggers
A stronger sense of emotional stability and resilience
Greater clarity, confidence, and calm in day-to-day life
More energy for connection, creativity, and the future
EMDR doesn’t erase the past, but it can free you from being trapped by it.
Get Started with EMDR Therapy in Burbank
If you’ve been living with the weight of trauma—whether it's from years ago or something more recent—know that it doesn’t have to define your life anymore.
At Foothills Psychotherapy, our EMDR Therapy Services in Burbank are designed to help you reprocess what’s holding you back and move forward with greater freedom, clarity, and calm. Begin your healing by scheduling your first session with an EMDR therapist.
FAQs About EMDR Therapy
-
It depends on your history and your goals. Some clients experience noticeable relief within a few months. Others with more complex trauma may benefit from longer-term work. EMDR is often faster than traditional talk therapy, but lasting change still takes time and care.
-
During the most active parts of trauma processing, you might experience vivid dreams, emotional waves, or temporary increases in distressing memories. These are part of the healing process, and your therapist will guide you through it safely.
-
Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is a core element of EMDR. It activates both sides of the brain—often through left-right eye movements, alternating taps, or audio tones. This mimics the brain’s natural processing state during REM sleep and helps “unstick” traumatic memories. As you focus on the memory while engaging in BLS, the brain reprocesses the experience, reducing its emotional intensity and allowing more adaptive, balanced responses to emerge.
-
EMDR involves eight structured phases, starting with history-taking and preparation to ensure you’re ready for the work. You’ll then identify specific memories and beliefs, reprocess them using bilateral stimulation, and replace negative beliefs with more adaptive ones. The process includes checking for lingering distress and reviewing progress regularly. Each phase is designed to support healing safely and effectively.
H3: Is EMDR therapy covered by insurance?
In many cases, yes. EMDR therapy is widely recognised and often covered by insurance plans under mental health benefits. Coverage can vary depending on your provider and plan, so we recommend checking with your insurance company directly. If you have questions, we’re happy to assist you with understanding your options and providing documentation if needed.
Find the Right Therapist for Your Needs
Foothills Psychotherapy offers online therapy across California and in-person counseling in Burbank and La Crescenta. Schedule your free 15-minute consultation to get matched with a therapist and start your path toward deeper healing.