EMDR-Trained Therapists in Jericho and Huntington for Trauma, PTSD, Anxiety, and More
Trauma doesn’t always announce itself with flashbacks or panic attacks. Sometimes it shows up as anxiety that won’t go away, relationships that feel impossible to navigate, or a sense of being stuck in patterns you can’t break. You might not even connect your current struggles to past experiences – but your nervous system remembers, and it’s still reacting as if those experiences are happening now.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a specialized therapy designed to help your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they no longer control your present. It’s one of the most researched and effective treatments for trauma and PTSD, and it works by targeting how memories are stored rather than requiring you to relive painful experiences in extensive detail.
Right Path Counseling offers EMDR therapy at our Jericho and Huntington locations, serving clients throughout Long Island. Our therapists are trained in this evidence-based approach and have helped countless individuals heal from trauma, reduce symptoms that have persisted for years, and finally move forward.
Ready to learn more about whether EMDR is right for you? Contact Right Path Counseling today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward healing.
What is EMDR?
When you experience anything – good or bad – your mind transfers it to different parts of your brain so that it can move on to normal long term memory and storage.
But during a traumatic event, rather than moving through that type of additional processing, the memory fragments – it breaks apart and gets stuck in other parts of your brain. Scientists and psychologists believe that this is why people respond to “triggers” as if they are still living in the event – because, in some parts of their brain, they ARE living it, as a fragmented part of the event got stuck there.
EMDR is a psychotherapy approach that was developed specifically to help people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences in a way that addresses this type of memory fragmentation.
Rather than focus on talking alone, like other forms of therapy, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation – typically guided eye movements, but sometimes taps or sounds – to help your brain reprocess traumatic memories in a way that reduces their emotional intensity and allows them to be stored as part of your past rather than feeling like your present.
EMDR is recognized by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and the Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. It has decades of research supporting its effectiveness.
For many people, EMDR produces significant results in a shorter timeframe than traditional talk therapy, though the exact length of treatment depends on the complexity of the trauma and individual circumstances.
How EMDR Works
EMDR follows a structured, eight-phase process that ensures you’re prepared for the work and supported throughout:
- History and Treatment Planning – Your therapist gathers information about your trauma history, current symptoms, and what you’re hoping to achieve. Together, you identify which memories or experiences to target with EMDR.
- Preparation – Before processing trauma, your therapist teaches you coping skills and grounding techniques to help you manage any distress that comes up during or between sessions. This phase ensures you feel safe and stable before moving into trauma processing.
- Assessment – You and your therapist identify the specific memory to work on, along with the negative beliefs associated with it (like “I’m not safe” or “It was my fault”) and the positive beliefs you’d like to have instead (like “I am safe now” or “I did the best I could”).
- Desensitization – This is the core of EMDR. While you briefly focus on the traumatic memory, your therapist guides you through sets of bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or sounds). Your brain begins to reprocess the memory, and the emotional intensity typically decreases over the course of the session.
- Installation – Once the memory feels less distressing, your therapist helps strengthen the positive belief you identified earlier, linking it to the memory so you feel more empowered and less burdened by what happened.
- Body Scan – Trauma often creates physical tension or discomfort in the body. Your therapist guides you through a body scan to identify and process any remaining physical sensations related to the memory.
- Closure – At the end of each session, your therapist ensures you feel grounded and stable. If processing isn’t complete, you’ll use the coping skills you learned in the preparation phase to manage any residual distress between sessions.
- Reevaluation – At the start of the next session, your therapist checks in to see how you’re doing and whether additional processing is needed for that memory or if it’s time to move to another target.
This structured approach ensures that EMDR is both effective and safe, allowing you to work through trauma at a pace that feels manageable.
What EMDR Can Treat
EMDR was originally developed to treat PTSD, but research has shown it’s effective for a wide range of conditions and symptoms related to trauma and distressing experiences.
EMDR can help with:
- PTSD and Trauma – Whether you’ve experienced a single traumatic event or complex trauma over time, EMDR can help reduce symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and avoidance.
- Anxiety and Panic Disorders – EMDR can address the underlying experiences or beliefs that contribute to chronic anxiety or panic attacks, helping you feel calmer and more in control.
- Phobias – If you have an intense, irrational fear that’s rooted in a past experience, EMDR can help desensitize you to the trigger and reduce the fear response.
- Depression – Particularly when depression is linked to unresolved trauma, loss, or painful life experiences, EMDR can help you process those experiences and reduce depressive symptoms.
- Grief and Loss – EMDR can help you process complicated grief, especially when a loss was sudden, traumatic, or occurred under difficult circumstances that left you feeling stuck.
- Performance Anxiety – For issues like test anxiety, stage fright, or fear of public speaking that stem from past negative experiences, EMDR can help reduce the emotional charge and improve performance.
- Childhood Abuse or Neglect – EMDR is particularly effective for processing early trauma and changing the negative beliefs about yourself that developed as a result of those experiences.
- Relationship Issues – If past trauma or attachment wounds are affecting your current relationships, EMDR can help you heal those wounds and develop healthier patterns of connection.
- Low Self-Esteem and Negative Self-Beliefs – If you carry beliefs like “I’m not good enough,” “I’m unlovable,” or “I’m broken” that stem from past experiences, EMDR can help reprocess those experiences and shift those beliefs.
EMDR isn’t just for “big” traumas. It can also be helpful for processing experiences that may not seem traumatic but still affect how you see yourself or navigate the world – things like humiliation, rejection, bullying, or difficult life transitions.
What to Expect During EMDR Sessions
Many people are curious – or even nervous – about what EMDR will feel like. Here’s what you can expect:
- You’re in Control – You can pause or stop processing at any time. Your therapist will check in with you regularly throughout the session to make sure you feel safe and supported.
- It May Feel Strange at First – The bilateral stimulation (eye movements or taps) can feel unusual, especially if you’ve never done anything like it before. Most people adjust quickly, and the sensation becomes less noticeable as you focus on the memory processing.
- Emotions May Come Up – As your brain reprocesses the memory, you may feel sadness, anger, fear, or other emotions. This is normal and part of the healing process. Your therapist will help you move through these feelings safely and won’t let you get stuck in them.
- It Gets Easier – The memory that felt overwhelming at the start of a session often feels much less intense by the end. Many clients describe feeling lighter, calmer, or like a weight has been lifted after processing.
- You Won’t Forget What Happened – EMDR doesn’t erase memories. Instead, it changes the way your brain holds onto them. You’ll still remember what happened, but it won’t feel as raw, intrusive, or emotionally charged. It becomes part of your past rather than something that feels present and threatening.
EMDR sessions typically last 60 to 90 minutes, and the number of sessions you need depends on the complexity of the trauma, how many memories need to be processed, and your individual treatment goals.
Please keep in mind that EMDR may not be the only recommended approach. Our therapists will work with you in an ongoing way to determine what else might be needed.
EMDR for Children and Teens
Trauma affects children and adolescents differently than it affects adults. Young people may not have the language to describe what they’ve been through, and their symptoms often show up as behavioral problems, nightmares, school difficulties, aggression, withdrawal, or physical complaints like stomachaches.
EMDR can be adapted for children and teens, using age-appropriate techniques and incorporating play, drawing, or other creative methods to help them process trauma safely. The bilateral stimulation can be adjusted to what feels most comfortable for the child – some kids do better with taps or sounds rather than eye movements.
Our therapists who work with children and adolescents are trained in these adaptations and know how to create a safe, supportive environment where young people can heal without feeling pressured or overwhelmed.
Why Choose Right Path Counseling for EMDR?
At Right Path Counseling, our therapists have specialized training in EMDR and extensive experience using it to help clients heal from trauma. We understand how to pace treatment, ensure your safety throughout the process, and adapt the approach to fit your unique needs and circumstances.
We have:
- Trained and Experienced EMDR Therapists – Our clinicians have completed advanced EMDR training and use it regularly in their practice. This isn’t something we offer occasionally – it’s a core part of our trauma treatment approach.
- Trauma-Informed Care – We understand trauma and how it affects the brain, body, and nervous system. From your first contact with us, you’ll be treated with compassion, respect, and an understanding of what you’ve been through.
- Individualized Treatment – We tailor EMDR to your specific experiences, needs, and goals. No two clients are the same, and your treatment reflects that.
- Safe, Supportive Environment – Healing from trauma requires feeling safe. We create a therapeutic space where you can process difficult experiences without judgment, pressure, or being rushed through the work.
With offices in both Jericho and Huntington, we make it easy for clients throughout Long Island to access EMDR therapy in a location that works for them.
Moving Forward with Right Path Counseling
Trauma can make you feel like you’re trapped in the past, reliving experiences that are long over but still feel present and overwhelming. EMDR offers a way forward – a way to process what happened, reduce the emotional and physical symptoms that are affecting your life, and reclaim your sense of safety, control, and hope for the future.
You don’t have to carry this alone, and you don’t have to stay stuck. Healing is possible, and EMDR can help you get there.
If you’re ready to explore whether EMDR is right for you, or if you have questions about how it works and what to expect, please reach out to Right Path Counseling today. Let’s start a conversation about how we can support your healing.
Contact Right Path Counseling or visit our Jericho or Huntington offices to schedule a consultation.