EMDR Therapy in New York

Treat your trauma Or PTSD with EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful evidence-based therapy practice to treat trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR is particularly effective for those whose traumatic memories still impact their present lives.

With EMDR therapy, you can overcome trauma and move towards a fulfilling and joyful life. Our EMDR Therapists can help you live a full life that isn't dictated by the impacts of trauma.

EMDR therapy is endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. It is currently used by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Israeli National Council for Mental Health and the United Kingdom Department of Health, among others, for the treatment of trauma-related symptoms.

How does EMDR Therapy Work?

Traumatic memories are stored in the brain differently than other kinds of memories. During a traumatic event, the fight-or-flight response kicks in to cope with the immediate situation. But the brain often cannot make sense of the event. The information processing system of the brain gets disrupted. As a result, the memory of the event gets stored in a fragmented and unfinished fashion that keeps reemerging in the present. The memory of the traumatic event seems frozen. The painful thoughts, feelings, sensations and images associated with the traumatic event seem to be locked in the nervous system.

EMDR therapy shifts how trauma is stored in the brain and reduces the disturbing emotions, sensations, symptoms, and beliefs associated with those experiences. Through the use of eye movements, EMDR therapy fundamentally changes the way the memory is stored.

The EMDR process can reduce sensitivity that you have around the traumatic memory, painful thoughts or feelings. The emotional charge associated with the traumatic memory is eliminated or reduced. Clients are often amazed that issues they’ve worked on for years in talk therapy become suddenly lighter after several EMDR therapy sessions.

What Issues can be Successfully Treated with EMDR Therapy?

EMDR therapy is proven to be highly effective and long lasting to treat trauma and PTSD.

EMDR has been successfully used to help with:

• PTSD (Learn more about PTSD Therapy) Trauma Childhood Trauma Sexual Abuse Disturbing Memories Anxiety (Learn more about Anxiety Therapy) Panic Attacks Phobias Peak Performance for artists and athletes

What happens during an EMDR session?

During the first few sessions, your EMDR therapist will begin with understanding your personal history and your current issues and symptoms. Once the EMDR therapist has a good lay of the land, you and the therapist will agree on key traumatic memories that you want to work on.

The EMDR therapist will guide you to recall the memory while you engage in rapid eye movement. Usually, the eye movement follow the moving finger of the EMDR therapist. Some EMDR therapists use tapping or musical tones instead.

It is during this time that stuck memory gets reprocessed and integrated. Many clients report that EMDR therapy is relaxing and enjoy the sense of relief from its effect.

The EMDR therapist will continue to work with you and focus on specific memories until the intense affect associated with them is eliminated or reduced.

EMDR and Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma can be successfully treated with EMDR therapy. It often takes longer to treat childhood trauma than trauma experienced as an adult. The good news is that EMDR has been proven to be effective to treat childhood trauma. Significant benefits are often observed within a few months of starting EMDR therapy for childhood trauma.


Choosing the right EMDR therapist can be a challenge, which is why we strive to make it as easy as possible to find top-rated EMDR counselors in New York. We are familiar with the many ways that trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder can affect a person’s life. Our New York EMDR therapists are featured below.

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    Meet Our EMDR Therapist

    Carol Black, LMHC

    EMDR Therapist near Times Square (38th Street)