EMDR Made Me Feel Again: A Therapist’s Journey
…and why I’m offering it in my practice
Once I started training in EMDR, I knew it would change my practice forever. I’ve spent years helping clients make sense of the emotional echoes they can’t quite shake—the patterns that make sense on paper but still take over in real time.
The moment their body reacts to before their brain catches up.
And the shame spiral that follows doing the thing they swore they wouldn’t do again.
It’s what drew me to EMDR: the idea that healing doesn’t have to come only through insight or perfectly articulated words.
That healing could come through the body. Through the nervous system. Through what we don’t always have language for.
I began formal EMDR training this spring. Now, in my final week, I’m offering this work in my practice—blending the theory, the practice, and the lived experience I’ve gained along the way.
What I didn’t expect was how much EMDR would shift something in me—as a client.
Because part of training means practicing. We don’t just learn the theory—we do the work.
In this training we take turns being the therapist… and being the client.
And the timing? A little ironic.
Because the night before I was set to spend 8+ hours practicing EMDR with my cohort—my dog bit me in the face.
From Shock to Softness: What EMDR Gave Me
Real life doesn’t pause for healing.
Archie—my emotional support dog and occasional chaotic gremlin—snapped in a high-stress moment.
It wasn’t an intentional attack, but it broke the skin.
We ended up needing to take a trip to the ER at midnight.
And it broke something else:
My sense of safety. My reflex to reach for him without hesitation.
That night, something small but sacred cracked open—and I didn’t know how to close it again.
The next morning, my nervous system was lit up. I felt foggy, tender, and unsettled. I almost skipped training.
But I showed up.
Because this is the work:
Learning to show up with the activation.
Not in spite of it. Not to override it.
But to let it move—safely, intentionally, and with someone guiding the process.
During that training day, we didn’t target my deepest wound.
We chose something manageable.
Because that’s how EMDR works—it meets you where you are.
We decided to target the guilt. The fear. The belief that I should’ve seen it coming. That I should’ve done something differently. That maybe he wasn’t safe.
The night before, I’d had flashes of the bite. His teeth. The moment I flinched away from my own dog.
Even though I knew he didn’t mean to hurt me, my body didn’t know that yet.
The Process
Tired, vulnerable, and hopeful, we began reprocessing.
We used simple bilateral stimulation—just someone’s fingers moving side to side in front of me while I followed with my eyes while holding the images of the attack and the feelings of guilt in my mind.
And slowly, something shifted.
I started seeing different images:
His teddy bear face.
The time he got his head stuck in a jar of peanut butter.
The way he fell asleep above my head.
The tiny tuxedo he wore at our wedding.
And then I felt it:
He didn’t mean to hurt me.
I couldn’t have prevented it.
He’s still my slightly chaotic, unconditionally loving dog.
And I exhaled.
Not all the way. But enough.
Enough to play fetch with him after training.
To sleep that night.
To see him the next morning and feel love, not just fear.
That’s what EMDR can do.
Not by talking about it in circles—but by helping your nervous system reprocess what got stuck.
What EMDR Actually Looks Like
First: We don’t jump straight into trauma.
EMDR starts with resourcing—a preparation phase to help regulate your nervous system and build the internal tools you’ll need when we begin processing harder material.
Before we go anywhere deep, we make sure you have:
- Coping strategies that actually fit your life
- Grounding techniques tailored to your stress response
- Sensory tools in session (essential oils, cozy textures, weighted items, fidgets)
- Visualization exercises (safe place imagery, memory recall)
- Creative rituals and gestures that soothe your system
And these aren’t just for session.
They’re designed to help you hold what surfaces between sessions, too.
Because sometimes this work brings things up—old emotions, new clarity, unexpected dreams.
You deserve to feel like you can hold what comes up.
And we build that foundation together.
What Reprocessing Can Look Like
Once we’re ready to begin reprocessing, here’s what that might look like:
We identify a memory, belief, or emotional imprint that still feels unresolved—and that your system is ready to approach.
Then, we use bilateral stimulation (BLS) to help your brain do what it’s wired to do: move toward healing and integration.
You might:
- 👐 Hold small buzzers that alternate in each hand
- 🎧 Listen to tones that shift between ears
- 🔦 Follow a light bar across your line of sight
- 🤲 Use light self-tapping (like a “butterfly hug” on your chest)
Even the BLS is customized to you.
We choose what feels grounding, accessible, and right for your nervous system.
It’s not about reliving or rehashing.
It’s about letting your body finish what it didn’t get to finish back then.
EMDR Isn’t Just for “Big T” Trauma
Most people associate EMDR with trauma—and it is incredibly effective for that.
But trauma isn’t always a single, life-altering event.
Sometimes, it’s quiet.
Chronic.
It’s the accumulation of unmet needs, subtle shame, or the pressure to hold it all together.
It’s not just for the memories that scream.
But for the ones that whisper, echo, and repeat.
The ones that seemed small—but shaped everything.
Some clients carry one memory. Others carry a thousand.
EMDR meets both with the same care, precision, and power to soften what still hurts.
EMDR can help with:
- Chronic shame and self-criticism
- Relational wounds that never fully healed
- Anxiety, panic, and phobias
- Perfectionism and performance pressure
- PTSD and complex trauma
It’s one of the most well-researched trauma therapies available—recommended by the WHO and APA and backed by decades of studies.
Why I Trust It
Because I did it in a moment that felt raw.
Not in crisis, but not okay either.
I was somewhere in between.
And that’s exactly where EMDR met me.
I’ve felt the shift:
From fear to softness.
Guilt to integration.
From freeze… to something that could finally let go.
Healing doesn’t have to come through perfection or performance.
Sometimes it comes from the smallest moment—when something inside you finally exhales.
Whether your pain traces back to one big event or years of subtle, repeated hurt—EMDR can meet you there.
It’s not about how “bad” the moment was.
It’s about how deeply it still lives in your body.
Want to Explore?
I’m now offering EMDR as part of my therapy practice.
Sessions are in-person and include full access to:
🔦 Lightbar for visual bilateral stimulation
🎧 Noise-cancelling headphones for auditory BLS
👐 Wireless handheld buzzers for tactile BLS
🌿 A soft, sensory-attuned space designed for nervous system care
You don’t have to be in crisis.
You just have to know something’s still stuck.
And you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Learn More
EMDR + EFT in Couples Therapy – Article on combining EMDR with relational work
EMDRIA – The international association for EMDR, with research and general info
EMDR Institute – Official site of Dr. Francine Shapiro, founder of EMDR
EMDR Introduction Video for Clients
World Health Organization Article: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/post-traumatic
Check out our related blog posts on: inner bonding, internal family system (parts work), toxic relationship patterns, and brainspotting.
If you’re considering working with a therapist in Arvada, Rocky Mountain Relational Therapy serves Denver and surrounding communities including Alta Vista Area, Arvada Plaza Area, Scenic Heights, Lamar Heights, Allendale Area, Rainbow Ridge, Club Crest, Highlands, Northwest Arvada, Wheat Ridge. The first step is to schedule a free initial consultation; that way you can get a feel for us and decide whether we’re best placed to help you. Simply visit our booking page to schedule your consultation.