Empowering You to Achieve Health & Healing

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of empirically based treatment that involves using bilateral stimulation (like taps or eye movements) to produce healthy processing for a negative event. The bilateral stimulation yields similar results as REM, which is where the brain integrates information during sleep. By stimulating this type of processing in the brain while awake, clients are able to more rapidly and intentionally process negative events in a healthy way. Put simply, EMDR is a catalyst for the brain healing itself. 

Negative experiences can create a “block” in the brain that limits healthy processing. We have to remove that block in order for us to return to healthy or adaptive processing. For example, we have to remove a splinter in order for our body to begin to heal. EMDR is effective in treating past negative experiences, current triggers or stressors, and future concerns. While it was developed for trauma, it is helpful in treating a variety of concerns including anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, etc. To learn more, check out this video.

Religious trauma can be defined as a religious experience that may have caused harm to someone's physical, emotional, sexual, or spiritual health and safety.  This is such a hard thing to navigate as it can cause a crisis of faith, relational difficulties, feeling isolated, etc. It can be difficult to know where to turn because survivors often feel a lot of self -doubt and helplessness. As a Certified Religious Trauma Specialist, I care deeply about providing a safe space for those who may have experienced religious trauma or feel that they need to process negative religious experiences. 

I would like to note that I am not anti-religion; this is sadly sometimes a misconception about therapists who work with religious trauma. I believe personally and professionally that religion can be a healthy, beautiful thing. Therapy for religious trauma is about validating the experiences of survivors and providing a safe space for them to heal from the harm that was done to them through unhealthy individuals or groups in the name of religion. 

Deconstruction is the difficult process of sorting through what you have been taught about faith (and everything connected to it) and deciding what you do and don't believe, recognizing harmful teachings and how they have impacted you, and finding acceptance and peace with what you decide about your faith and identity. One of the challenging parts of deconstruction is that it can be very hard to talk about with family and friends, which can make the process very isolating. This is why it's so important to have safe spaces to sort through everything.  There can be a lot of emotional turmoil that comes with deconstruction, but I want you to know it gets better! The main goal of my Deconstruction Coaching is to give you the tools to be able to navigate this season of life. I value creating a safe space for you and want you to know that I would never try to sway your beliefs. I would love to come along side you as you pursue peace and healing.