- 1920 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd #211, West Palm Beach, FL 33409
- Telehealth: Serving clients throughout Florida
Skip to content Do you find yourself reliving painful memories even when you are trying to move forward? Does a past trauma continue to affect your relationships, your sleep, your ability to feel safe, or your sense of who you are? Have you tried talk therapy before but felt like something was still unresolved deep inside?
If so, EMDR therapy may be exactly what you have been looking for.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — known as EMDR — is a powerful, extensively researched therapy that helps people heal from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and other distressing experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR works directly with the way traumatic memories are stored in the brain, allowing them to be processed and integrated so they no longer hold the same emotional charge.
At Whole Health Psychological Center, our therapists are trained in EMDR and use it to help clients in West Palm Beach and throughout Florida move beyond the pain of the past and reclaim their lives. We offer in-person EMDR sessions at our West Palm Beach office and telehealth sessions for clients throughout Florida.
EMDR was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro and has since become one of the most well-validated treatments for trauma and PTSD. It is recommended by the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, and the Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress.
The core idea behind EMDR is that traumatic experiences can become “stuck” in the brain’s memory networks in a way that prevents normal processing. When something triggers a traumatic memory, the brain responds as though the event is happening right now — flooding the body with fear, panic, shame, or pain. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, most commonly guided eye movements, to help the brain reprocess these stuck memories so they can be stored as past events rather than present threats.
The result is not that the memory disappears — you will still remember what happened. But the emotional intensity attached to it diminishes significantly, allowing you to think about and discuss the experience without being overwhelmed by it.
While EMDR was originally developed for PTSD, research has expanded its application to a wide range of conditions. At Whole Health Psychological Center, we use EMDR to help clients with:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) including trauma from combat, accidents, natural disasters, and violent crime. See our dedicated PTSD therapy page for more on how we approach PTSD treatment.
Childhood trauma and abuse including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse experienced in childhood.
Complex trauma resulting from prolonged or repeated traumatic experiences such as domestic violence, neglect, or chronic emotional abuse.
Anxiety and panic disorders where the root of the anxiety is connected to past frightening experiences.
Depression that is linked to unresolved loss, grief, or traumatic events. For more on depression treatment, see our depression therapy page.
Phobias including fears that developed following a specific frightening experience.
Grief and loss particularly when the grieving process has become complicated or stuck.
Low self-esteem and shame rooted in painful early life experiences or repeated criticism and rejection.
Performance anxiety in professional, academic, or athletic contexts.
EMDR therapy follows a structured eight-phase protocol developed to ensure that processing happens safely and completely. Your therapist will guide you through each phase at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Phase 1 — History Taking and Treatment Planning
Your therapist will gather a thorough history of your experiences, identify the specific memories or experiences to target, and develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs and goals.
Phase 2 — Preparation
Before any processing begins, your therapist will ensure you have strong coping skills and emotional stability tools in place. You will learn techniques for managing distress between sessions so you always feel supported throughout the process.
Phases 3 through 6 — Assessment and Processing
This is the heart of EMDR. Your therapist will ask you to bring a specific memory to mind — including the image, the negative belief about yourself connected to it, and the emotions and body sensations it activates. You will then engage in sets of bilateral stimulation, typically by following your therapist’s finger movements with your eyes, while allowing whatever comes up to simply arise without trying to control or analyze it. This process allows the brain to naturally reprocess the memory and reduce its emotional intensity.
Phase 7 — Closure
At the end of each session your therapist will help you return to a state of calm and equilibrium. You will debrief about what came up and use grounding techniques as needed.
Phase 8 — Reevaluation
At the beginning of subsequent sessions your therapist will check in on how you have been since the last session and assess the progress of processing before continuing.
Trauma does not discriminate by zip code, and Palm Beach County sees it in many forms — the car accident on I-95, the loss of a home or sense of security after a hurricane, the childhood abuse that quietly follows someone into adulthood, the experience of assault or domestic violence, the combat trauma carried by the veteran community throughout the county. For many people in West Palm Beach, the traumatic event happened somewhere else — in another city, another state, another life altogether — and the move to Florida was part of an attempt to start over. Sometimes that works. Often the trauma comes with you.
Our EMDR therapists work with clients from throughout West Palm Beach — including Northwood, Flamingo Park, El Cid, Southend, Grandview Heights, and Downtown — as well as from Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Wellington, Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, and Delray Beach. EMDR is particularly well-suited to the kinds of trauma that do not respond fully to talk therapy alone — the nightmares that keep returning, the startle response that will not settle, the sense that a part of you is still trapped in what happened. We have found it especially helpful for clients whose trauma intersects with other issues like hurricane-related anxiety, grief from sudden loss, or the emotional weight of living far from family support systems.
EMDR works whether the traumatic event happened last month or thirty years ago. We have seen clients carry something for most of their lives, believing nothing could touch it, and find meaningful relief in a timeframe they did not think was possible.
Your First Session
Your first session focuses on getting to know you — your history, your current symptoms, and what has brought you to therapy. Your therapist will explain the EMDR process in detail and answer any questions you have. There is no pressure to jump into processing immediately. Safety and readiness come first.
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
The number of sessions varies depending on the nature and complexity of the trauma being addressed. Some clients with a single-incident trauma experience significant relief in as few as 6 to 12 sessions. Clients with complex or developmental trauma typically benefit from a longer course of treatment. Your therapist will give you a realistic sense of the timeline based on your individual situation.
Will I Have To Talk About My Trauma In Detail?
One of the most common concerns people have about trauma therapy is that they will be required to describe their traumatic experiences in graphic detail. With EMDR, this is not necessary. You will bring the memory to mind internally, but you do not need to verbalize every detail of what happened. Many clients find this to be a significant relief.
We offer in-person EMDR sessions at our West Palm Beach office at 1920 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd #211, West Palm Beach, FL 33409. We also offer telehealth EMDR sessions for clients throughout Florida using secure, HIPAA-compliant video technology. Research supports the effectiveness of telehealth EMDR, and many clients find it equally helpful to in-person sessions.
We accept most major insurance plans for EMDR therapy, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield / Florida Blue, Cigna / Evernorth, United Health Care, Tricare East, and Medicare Part B.
Not sure if your plan covers EMDR? Call our office at (561) 721-6400 and our team will verify your benefits before your first appointment.
Is EMDR therapy scientifically proven?
Yes. EMDR is one of the most extensively researched psychotherapy approaches available. It has been validated in over 30 randomized controlled trials and is endorsed by major health organizations worldwide including the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Is EMDR the same as hypnosis?
No. EMDR is not hypnosis. You remain fully awake, aware, and in control throughout the entire process. You are never in a trance state and you can stop at any time.
Will EMDR bring up memories I have suppressed?
EMDR targets memories you are already aware of and distressed by. It does not typically surface completely new memories. Some clients do experience additional memories becoming more accessible as processing progresses, but this happens naturally and is always addressed with care and support.
Can EMDR be combined with other therapies?
Yes. EMDR is frequently used alongside other therapeutic approaches such as CBT, somatic therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. Your therapist will integrate EMDR into a broader treatment plan that addresses your full range of needs.
I have been living with trauma for many years. Is it too late for EMDR to help?
It is never too late. EMDR has been shown to be effective regardless of how long ago the traumatic event occurred. Many clients who have carried the weight of trauma for decades find profound relief through EMDR.
Do you offer EMDR for children and teenagers?
Yes. EMDR has been adapted for use with children and adolescents and is highly effective for young people who have experienced trauma. Our therapists are experienced in working with younger clients using age-appropriate EMDR techniques. Learn more about our child therapy and teen therapy services.
Trauma has a way of convincing you that what happened will always define you — that the pain, the fear, and the shame are simply part of who you are now. EMDR therapy offers a different possibility. With the right support and the right approach, it is possible to process what happened, reduce its hold on your daily life, and move forward with a genuine sense of freedom and peace.
Our team of licensed therapists at Whole Health Psychological Center is here to walk that path with you. We serve clients in person in West Palm Beach and via telehealth throughout Florida.
Call us today at (561) 721-6400 or schedule online to take the first step. New client appointments are typically available within one week. Evening and weekend sessions are available.
Call us at (561) 721-6400, email us at info@wholehealthpsych.com, or visit us in person at 1920 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd #211, West Palm Beach, FL 33409. Telehealth is available throughout Florida.
We provide EMDR therapy in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Delray Beach, and throughout Florida via telehealth.
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