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Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Melissa W Cooper

California # 141326

Trauma Informed Therapy with EMDR in Culver City and virtually throughout California

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing

Transform Your Life with Evidence Based EMDR Trauma Therapy

EMDR Therapy for Trauma: How It Works and Why It’s Effective

Discover how EMDR therapy helps reprocess trauma and PTSD. Learn how Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) works, its benefits, and whether it's right for you.

Unpleasant, traumatic, or distressing events happen to us all the time. Memories of these events can get stuck in our brain and impact us even without us realizing it. In the ideal brain process, an event happens and it gets linked appropriately in your memory. Something reminds you of the event and you have positive or neutral thoughts and feelings about your self. “I did the best I could”. Sometimes, an event happens and it gets stuck in your memory, due to the brains fight or freeze response or because of other past experiences. Something reminds you of the event and you have negative thoughts and feelings about yourself. “I’m such a failure.” EMDR is an evidence based practice that has been proven to help those unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and sensations fade away. They become just a memory.

What is EMDR?

  • The framework of EMDR is a 3-prong protocol used to address past, present, and future aspects of PTSD symptoms.

  • A combination of guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory stimulation are used to facilitate reprocessing of memories, reducing their emotional charge.

  • EMDR is an effective evidence based approach that has been shown to help people recover from trauma without having to talk at length about the experience(s).

  • EMDR is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for trauma treatment.

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Graphic showing how EMDR therapy can help

How Many Sessions Does It Take

  • EMDR reprocessing takes a number of sessions and can be done either in person or remotely via telehealth. 

  • At the end of each session I will help you return to a calm place and talk to you about how to “close” down the work until your next session.

  • The number of sessions you might need with EMDR therapy depends on many factors such as the number of incidents of trauma, how long ago it occurred, and how much support was received after the trauma.  

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FAQs about EMDR

  • EMDR is an eight-phase, structured approach:

    1. History & Treatment Planning – Identifying target memories.

    2. Preparation – Building trust and teaching coping strategies.

    3. Assessment – Pinpointing thoughts, emotions, and body sensations related to trauma.

    4. Desensitization – Bilateral stimulation is used while focusing on traumatic memories.

    5. Installation – Positive beliefs are introduced and reinforced.

    6. Body Scan – Detects any residual tension or distress.

    7. Closure – Ensures stability after each session.

    8. Reevaluation – Tracking progress over time.

    The theory is that traumatic memories are stored in the brain in a “stuck” state. EMDR helps the brain process these memories and store them like ordinary ones — reducing emotional distress.

    • Rapid symptom relief: Often faster than traditional talk therapy

    • Doesn’t require detailed retelling of trauma

    • Effective for single-incident and complex trauma

    • Useful for adults, teens, and children

    • Can treat related conditions like anxiety, panic disorders, grief, and chronic pain

  • What Does the Research Say?

    EMDR has a strong base of clinical research:

    • Multiple studies have shown it to be as effective as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for PTSD.

    • Clients often experience significant relief in fewer sessions.

    • A 2013 meta-analysis found that EMDR produced faster symptom reduction than trauma-focused CBT in some cases.

    • EMDR is recognized internationally as a frontline treatment for trauma.

  • An EMDR session typically lasts 60–90 minutes. You’ll be guided through the process in a safe, controlled environment. You don’t have to go into detail about your trauma — just focus on what comes up while engaging in the bilateral stimulation.

    Your therapist may use:

    • Eye movements

    • Tapping (on hands, shoulders, or knees)

    • Audio tones

    The goal is to desensitize you to the memory and replace negative beliefs (like “I’m not safe”) with empowering ones (like “I survived, and I am strong”).

    • PTSD

    • Childhood abuse and neglect

    • Sexual assault

    • Grief and loss

    • Anxiety and panic attacks

    • Phobias

    • Chronic illness or pain

    • Performance anxiety

    • Depression (in some cases)

As a licensed psychotherapist and trauma informed and trained level 1 and level 2 EMDR practitioner it is important to me to answer any questions you might have. The following are some that I am most commonly asked:

Ready to Heal From Trauma?

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EMDR is a well-researched, highly effective therapy that could help you finally move forward.