EMDR & DBT therapy in Denver

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which is a very long name for something I promise I won't make you memorize.

It's a structured trauma therapy that uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, while working with distressing memories, beliefs, and body sensations. The goal isn't to erase what happened. You still know it happened. The goal is for the memory to become less emotionally overwhelming and less able to hijack the present.

And no, you don't necessarily have to narrate every detail of what happened for EMDR to be helpful. For people who have spent years avoiding a memory because telling the whole story feels unbearable, that can make a meaningful difference.

What is DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is basically a very structured set of skills for moments when knowing why you feel something isn't enough to help you know what to do with it. We work on things like emotion regulation, tolerating distress without making the situation worse, staying present, communicating effectively and setting boundaries without either exploding or disappearing.

I completed DBT Foundational Training through Behavioral Tech Institute and have experience teaching and using DBT skills clinically. You do not have to be in a comprehensive DBT program for individual DBT skills to be useful.

Why use them together?

Sometimes people are ready to understand their trauma before their nervous system is ready to tolerate what comes up when they touch it. That's where DBT can help. We can build skills for grounding, emotion regulation, boundaries and getting through intense moments first. Then, when it makes sense, EMDR can help us work more directly with the experiences underneath them. And afterward? We keep using the skills, because unfortunately life does not agree to stop being stressful just because you're in therapy.

You set the pace. We don't open something in therapy without also thinking about how you're going to take care of yourself when you leave the session.

EMDR for birth trauma

Maybe everyone told you the birth “went well,” but that's not how your body remembers it. Birth trauma can show up as intrusive memories, nightmares, panic around medical care, avoiding reminders of the birth, feeling disconnected from what happened, or intense fear about another pregnancy or delivery. You don't need someone else's permission to call an experience traumatic.

EMDR is one approach I may use when working with birth trauma. We'll decide together whether it's appropriate based on what happened, how you're doing now and what you need from treatment. More on this side of the practice is on the postpartum therapy page.

Can you do EMDR while pregnant?

EMDR may be appropriate during pregnancy for some people, but it's not something I approach with a one-size-fits-all rule. We'll look at what you want to work on, your current stability and support, your pregnancy, and the potential benefits and risks of trauma processing at that particular time. Sometimes we process; sometimes we focus more on preparation, stabilization and coping skills.

If a previous birth is affecting how you're experiencing a current pregnancy, we can absolutely make space to talk about whether or not EMDR ends up being the approach we use.

Is this the right fit?

I work individually with adult women, particularly around trauma, maternal mental health, ADHD, anxiety, burnout and difficult relationship patterns. My style is active and collaborative. I'll listen, obviously (occupational requirement), but I won't spend 50 minutes silently nodding at you. We'll learn skills, notice patterns, make connections, process what's underneath them and figure out what actually helps outside the therapy room.

If you need a higher level of care or a comprehensive DBT program with a skills group, phone coaching and a full DBT treatment team, I'll help you identify options. Individual therapy with me isn't a substitute for that level of treatment. If you're in crisis now, call or text 988.