Attachment Focused EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) Therapy
Could Attachment-Focused EMDR be right for you?
What this is…
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a therapy originally developed to treat trauma by helping the brain reprocess disturbing memories and events at a neurological level, healing your nervous system and helping it feel safe in the here and now. Attachment-focused EMDR adapts this approach specifically for attachment trauma: the kind that doesn't come from a single catastrophic event, but from the cumulative experience of growing up without consistent emotional safety, atunement, or care. This is relational trauma — often invisible, rarely validated, and deeply encoded in how you experience yourself and other people.
Who this is for…
You might be in the right place if:
Your childhood wasn't marked by one dramatic event, but by a chronic absence — of warmth, atunement, emotional safety, or reliable care
You find yourself cycling through the same patterns in relationships — withdrawing, clinging, pushing people away, or tolerating less than you deserve — and can't think your way out of them
You carry a body-level sense of shame, unworthiness, or danger that doesn't respond to logic or reassurance
Intimacy feels threatening even when you want it
You've done talk therapy and made real intellectual progress, but something hasn't shifted at the level where it lives
You startle easily, go numb under stress, or find yourself reacting to present relationships as if they were the ones that hurt you
What we work on…
Attachment trauma is stored not just in memory but in the nervous system and in relational patterns that operate below conscious awareness. EMDR works by engaging the brain's natural processing mechanisms through bilateral stimulation — typically eye movements, tapping, or sound — while you hold a distressing memory or belief in mind. This activates the brain's information processing system in a way that allows stuck material to move, integrate, and lose its grip.
The attachment-focused adaptation means we don't rush straight into reprocessing. We begin by building the internal resources and therapeutic relationship you need to feel safe enough to do this work — because for people with attachment trauma, safety itself is what was missing. We move carefully, at your pace, with attention to what your nervous system can hold.
When we begin reprocessing we may focus on negative core belief you have about yourself instead of one single memory. It is a very adaptable and effective tool to fold into attachment trauma therapy.
How to get started…
Working together starts with a complimentary consultation call that lasts about fifteen minutes. It helps me to hear briefly what’s bringing you into therapy at this time. I can then answer any questions you may have and share more about how I work. From there you might decide to schedule a session. The best way to tell if we are a fit is to have a session or few. My wish is for you to find the best therapist for your needs, whether that’s me or someone else and we can discover that together by beginning the process and seeing what unfolds.