When EMDR May Be the Missing Piece
Many people seek EMDR after years of understanding their patterns but still feeling triggered, overwhelmed, or disconnected. They know why they react the way they do, but their body still responds as though the past is happening now.
EMDR is designed to help your brain reprocess experiences that feel stuck, so they can become memories of the past rather than something your nervous system continues to respond to in the present.
EMDR helps your brain process what happened so it no longer feels as emotionally immediate. You don't forget the memory, you stop reliving it.
Why Clients Work With Me
I'm Rachel Hansen, LCSW, EMDRIA Certified Therapist. I specialize in EMDR therapy for adults who feel stuck with painful memories, overwhelming emotions, anxiety, or reactions connected to experiences that still feel emotionally present.
EMDR is a structured trauma-focused therapy that helps your brain process experiences that feel emotionally stuck. I combine EMDR with careful preparation, nervous system support, and a pace that respects your readiness and sense of safety.
My approach may include:
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EMDR therapy for distressing memories, anxiety, and painful beliefs about yourself, and trauma-related experiences
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90-minute EMDR sessions that allow space for meaningful processing
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Virtual EMDR therapy for clients across Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Jersey
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A "blind to the therapist" approach for clients who prefer to process without sharing the details of a memory
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EMDR intensives for clients seeking focused, extended treatment
You do not have to force yourself to revisit painful experiences or explain every detail before you are ready. EMDR works by helping your brain and nervous system reprocess what has been holding you back, while you remain present, grounded, and in control.
What happens in an EMDR session?
EMDR looks different from talk therapy. Before processing begins, we spend time building safety, learning grounding skills, and identifying what you want to work on. This is a stabilization-first approach: your nervous system gets regulated and resourced before we touch anything at the level of memory. EMDR preparation is an important part of treatment, especially if you have experienced complex trauma, dissociation, or feel unsure about beginning trauma processing.
During processing, you remain aware of the present while using bilateral stimulation to help your brain reprocess the memory, belief, emotion, or body response connected to what happened. Much of this relies on pendulation, moving back and forth between the activated material and a felt sense of safety, so your nervous system never stays in distress longer than it can tolerate.
You stay in control throughout the process.
EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol: history taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. In practice, the preparation work described above, building safety, learning grounding skills, and identifying what you want to work on, covers the first three phases. Desensitization and installation happen during active processing, using bilateral stimulation to reprocess the memory and build a more adaptive belief in its place. Body scan and closure bring you back to a grounded, present state before the session ends. Reevaluation happens at the start of the next session, checking what's shifted and what's ready to be worked on.
Across the targets I've tracked, most resolve in a median of 2 hours, with 83% resolving within 3, and I schedule 90-minute sessions specifically so we have that room without rushing the close. We move through all the phases at a pace that feels manageable for your nervous system.
Why EMDR Works When Talking Isn't Enough
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works with the ways traumatic experiences can remain emotionally and physically activated in the nervous system, not just at the level of insight and understanding. Most therapies work through language and insight. EMDR uses the brain's natural information-processing system, helping stuck memories lose their emotional charge so the past can finally feel like the past. You stay present, grounded, and in control throughout the process.
Many people come to EMDR after experiences that changed how they see themselves, relationships, or the world. They may understand what happened but still feel the emotional and physical impact of those experiences.
Whether you're processing a traumatic memory, a distressing life event, a fear response, or a deeply held negative belief about yourself, EMDR helps your brain reprocess experiences that remain emotionally charged or continue to trigger strong reactions in the present. You do not have to describe every detail of what happened. We move at your nervous system's pace.
This Is What Changes
After EMDR processing, the most commonly reported emotional shifts were: peace, relief, calm, lightness, and warmth.
Here's what clients have said after EMDR sessions in their own words:
"I can see the future and I am hopeful."
"Energy flowing through my body freely."
"I deserve peace and safety."
"I'm allowed to take up space."
These are the words clients reach for when something that used to feel overwhelming finally loses its grip.
EMDR Without Sharing Every Detail: The "Blind to Therapist" Approach
One of the reasons people seek out EMDR specifically is that processing does not always require you to describe traumatic events in detail. You can share as much or as little as you want.
This approach is especially helpful if:
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You have experiences that feel too painful, private, or overwhelming to describe
You were taught to minimize pain or “forgive and forget”
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You have memory gaps from childhood
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You feel overwhelmed or ashamed when you try to talk about it
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Your experience involves sensitive or private content you do not want to describe in detail
In my practice, I offer a "blind to the therapist" protocol for clients who prefer it. This means you can process the memory without ever telling me its contents. Not every EMDR therapist is trained in or uses this approach, but it's something I offer intentionally because some of the most important healing happens when the words feel impossible or unsafe. Your nervous system can do the work even when your voice can't.
Healing doesn't require rehashing the story. It requires safety, pacing, and a nervous system that's ready to move.
EMDR Intensives in Las Vegas
For clients ready to move faster than weekly therapy allows.
For clients who want to make significant progress in a condensed timeframe, EMDR intensives offer extended sessions (typically half-day or full-day) instead of standard weekly appointments. This format allows for deeper processing without the stop-and-start rhythm of weekly therapy.
Intensives are designed for people who want focused, extended EMDR sessions while still moving at a pace that feels manageable. They're available for local clients in Las Vegas and for those traveling to Las Vegas from out of state.
Who This Work Is For
EMDR may be a good fit if:
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You have memories or experiences that still feel emotionally charged.
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Certain triggers create emotional or physical reactions that feel bigger than the present moment.
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You understand your patterns but cannot shift them.
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You feel stuck in fear, shame, guilt, or negative beliefs about yourself that no longer feel true.
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Talk therapy has helped you understand yourself but has not created the change you hoped for.
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You want a therapy approach that focuses on processing rather than only talking about what happened.
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You want to work on specific memories, beliefs, or experiences that continue to affect your present life.
EMDR Therapy FAQ
Honest Answers About EMDR
1. What makes your EMDR therapy approach different?
My EMDR approach combines structured EMDR processing with careful preparation, nervous system support, and a pace that respects your readiness. My standard sessions are 90 minutes, giving us time to do the work at a slower, more natural pace. I am EMDRIA Certified, which means I have completed advanced training, documented EMDR hours, and ongoing consultation requirements.
2. Can I do EMDR at home?
I offer online EMDR therapy for adults throughout Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Jersey. Virtual EMDR allows us to adapt bilateral stimulation while you remain in a familiar environment.
3. Do I have to talk about the trauma for EMDR to work?
No. You can process trauma without retelling the story. I offer a "blind to the therapist" approach for clients who prefer it, meaning you can process the memory without ever telling me its contents. This is especially helpful for experiences that feel too painful, private, or overwhelming to describe.
4. Will EMDR make me relive the trauma?
No. You stay present and grounded throughout the session. You may feel emotion move through, but you will not be pulled back into the moment as though it's happening again. EMDR helps you process what happened from a regulated, present-moment state, not from inside the memory.
5. How many EMDR sessions will I need?
In my tracked outcomes, most individual trauma targets fully resolve within two to three hours of processing, and I work in 90 minute sessions so we have real room each time. Total length depends on how many targets your history holds. The number of sessions depends on your goals, the experiences you want to process, and how much preparation and integration support your nervous system needs.
6. Can EMDR help with religious trauma?
Yes. EMDR can help process distressing experiences related to religious trauma, shame, fear, and identity disruption. Many clients use EMDR to work through painful memories and beliefs formed in high-control or harmful environments.
7. Can EMDR help with sexual trauma?
Yes. EMDR is one of the most well-researched and effective therapies for childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, and trauma stored in the body. You do not need to retell what happened in detail for EMDR to work. Many survivors choose EMDR specifically because it does not require verbal disclosure.
8. Is EMDR only for PTSD?
No. EMDR was originally developed to treat PTSD, and it has some of the strongest research support for trauma-related conditions. Over time, EMDR has also been used to help people process other distressing experiences and patterns connected to trauma, anxiety, grief, shame, and difficult life experiences.
Many clients seek EMDR because they feel stuck with memories, emotions, or body responses that they understand intellectually but still cannot seem to move past. EMDR may help the brain and nervous system process experiences that continue to feel emotionally charged in the present.
EMDR doesn't erase memories or pretend something didn't happen. It helps painful experiences feel more integrated, with less emotional intensity and less control over your life. Whether EMDR is the right approach depends on your history, goals, and current level of stability. We will determine together whether EMDR fits your needs or whether another trauma-focused approach may be a better starting point.
9. Do you accept insurance for EMDR therapy?
Thrive Well Therapy is a private-pay practice, and I don't bill insurance directly. If you have out-of-network benefits, I can provide a superbill on request. One note on that: insurance reimburses based on standard session-length billing codes, not the actual time or rate I charge, so a 90 minute EMDR session billed under a standard psychotherapy code is often reimbursed far below what you actually paid. I'd rather tell you that upfront than have a superbill turn out to be more symbolic than useful.
10. How do you pace therapy if I need to keep working full-time?
Most of my clients are high-functioning adults who can't afford to fall apart mid-week, so pacing is built into how sessions are structured, not something we figure out as we go. My standard 90-minute sessions leave room to fully close out processing before you leave, rather than ending mid-memory and sending you back into your day still activated. If your schedule or your history calls for something more concentrated, EMDR intensives let you do deeper work in a single extended session instead of spreading it across months of weekly appointments. Either way, you set the pace. Processing only moves as fast as your nervous system, and your life outside of session, can actually absorb.
How to Get Started
Book a free 20-minute consultation. It's a low-pressure conversation where you can ask questions, share what's bringing you in, and get a sense of whether we're a good fit. You don't have to know exactly what you need or have the right words to describe it. We'll talk, see what feels right, and figure out the path forward together.
I offer 90-minute EMDR therapy sessions in Las Vegas for in-person and online support throughout Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Jersey. I specialize in EMDR therapy for adults processing distressing memories, anxiety, trauma-related experiences, and patterns that continue to affect their present life.
Wherever you are, you deserve relief that lasts.