Ready for EMDR but Not Getting It? Here’s Why It Happens

Why Haven’t You Started EMDR Yet? What Clients Need to Know

You’ve done the research. You’re ready to start EMDR therapy. You find a therapist who seems like the right fit and they tell you they “do EMDR”…
Yet weeks—maybe even months—go by, and you still haven’t done any EMDR.
What’s going on?

EMDR Is Growing Fast—But Not All EMDR Therapists Practice the Same Way

EMDR has become incredibly popular, and for good reason. It’s evidence-based, it’s effective, and for many people it works more quickly than traditional talk therapy. As EMDR becomes a trend in the therapy world, more therapists are signing up for basic EMDR training.

This is wonderful—it means more providers are aware of trauma-informed approaches.
But it also means something important: not all EMDR clinicians use EMDR as their primary modality.

Some therapists complete the basic training, then integrate small pieces of EMDR into their work without using the full protocol. Others may feel unsure or nervous about using EMDR consistently, especially because it’s an intensive, structured therapy that requires confidence and skill to facilitate safely.

Why This Matters for Your EMDR Experience

If you’re truly ready to start EMDR, you want a therapist who:

• Uses EMDR as their main treatment modality

• Conceptualizes cases through an EMDR-informed lens

• Feels confident guiding clients through deeper trauma work

• Keeps EMDR sessions moving rather than delaying phase-based work

• Has additional training or consultation beyond the basic level

EMDR is powerful—and you deserve a provider who is comfortable, grounded, and experienced in offering it. If you’re showing up ready to do EMDR, you shouldn’t be left wondering why you’re not actually doing EMDR. Don’t wait months to start the trauma work you’re ready for. Learn more about EMDR or schedule a consultation to get started.

EMDR Therapy in Issaquah, WA | Serving Sammamish, Bellevue, North Bend & Snoqualmie

Virtual across Washington State.

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Why Your Therapist Might Not Jump Straight Into EMDR (And Why That’s Actually a Good Thing)

You finally found an EMDR therapist and you’re ready to dive in. You’ve heard about the healing potential—the relief, the freedom—and you’re eager to get started. But now your therapist is asking you to do all these other things first? You might be feeling frustrated or even a little confused. Totally fair.

Here’s the thing: EMDR is a powerful approach. It can stir up deep emotions and bring old pain to the surface. When done thoughtfully, it helps your system process and release what’s been stuck for years. But if it’s rushed—or if your therapist skips some important groundwork—it can actually leave you feeling destabilized.

That’s why a skilled EMDR therapist won’t just jump in. They’ll take time to make sure you have a strong foundation first. This might include work like ego state therapy or Internal Family Systems (IFS)—approaches that help all the different parts of you feel ready and safe to engage in the process. Without that prep work, you might find yourself feeling “stuck” or looping through the same material instead of moving through it.

Sometimes, your therapist will also help you build internal and external resources before starting EMDR. This can mean identifying a calm or safe place, practicing grounding skills, or strengthening your support system. EMDR sessions can bring up a lot—it’s normal to feel tender or raw afterward. Having tools in place helps you come back down, re-regulate, and feel secure again.

So if your therapist is taking their time before jumping into EMDR, it’s not because they’re holding you back. It’s because they want you to succeed. A solid foundation makes the work safer, more effective, and ultimately—more healing.

If you’re curious about starting EMDR—or wondering how to prepare for it—I’d love to help you figure out what you need to feel ready. Whether that’s traditional EMDR therapy or a focused EMDR intensive, we can create a plan that fits your goals and your pace.

Learn more about EMDR or schedule a consultation to get started.

EMDR Therapy in Issaquah, WA | Serving Sammamish, Bellevue, North Bend & Snoqualmie

Virtual across Washington State.

Ready to Begin?

Reach out to schedule a 15 minute consultation.

Contact Me

Trained vs. Certified EMDR Therapists: What’s the Real Difference?

By now, you’ve may have heard of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)—maybe from your therapist, or maybe from celebs like Prince Harry, Lady Gaga, David Beckham or Miley Cyrus, who’ve talked openly about how it helped them heal. EMDR is growing in popularity for a reason: it works.

Because of that, more and more therapists are getting trained in it—which is awesome. But here’s where things can get confusing: what’s the difference between someone who’s trained in EMDR and someone who’s certified?

Let’s break it down.

A trained EMDR therapist has completed the basic training. That means they’ve learned the core protocol and can use EMDR in their sessions. Some may have just finished training, while others might have completed it years ago and integrated EMDR into their practice ever since.

A certified EMDR therapist, on the other hand, has gone several steps further. They’ve completed the basic training plus ongoing consultation with an EMDR-approved supervisor, additional advanced trainings, and continuing education every year to maintain certification. In short: certification means more experience, more supervision, and more refined skill.

That doesn’t mean a trained therapist isn’t great—there are plenty of skilled, compassionate EMDR therapists who stop at the basic training. But a certified therapist has gone the extra mile to deepen their expertise and stay current with best practices in trauma treatment.

If you’re considering EMDR therapy, it’s worth asking your therapist about their training and experience. Whether they’re trained or certified, what matters most is that you feel safe, seen, and supported in the process.

Ready to learn how EMDR can help you move through what’s been holding you back? Take a look at my Trauma/EMDR page.

EMDR Therapy in Issaquah, WA | Serving Sammamish, Bellevue, North Bend & Snoqualmie

Virtual across Washington State.

Ready to Begin?

Reach out to schedule a 15 minute consultation.

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Why EMDR Works So Well for First Responders

First responders deal with cumulative stress—that slow build-up from years of exposure to intense situations. EMDR helps with both the big events (a critical incident, a loss, an accident) and the smaller ones that have quietly piled up over time.

It can help you:

• Feel less reactive or “on edge” all the time

• Get better sleep

• Let go of guilt or self-blame from difficult calls

• Reconnect emotionally with the people and things you care about

• Feel more grounded and confident at work

The best part? EMDR doesn’t require you to talk through every detail or relive painful memories over and over. It’s focused, effective, and respects the reality of your job—you’ve already lived through enough.

You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone

You spend your career taking care of others. EMDR gives you a way to take care of you.

If you’re a first responder in Issaquah, WA or anywhere in Washington State, I offer EMDR therapy both in-person and online. It’s a space to unpack what you’ve been carrying, find relief from the constant stress, and start feeling like yourself again.

You don’t have to keep pushing it down to keep going. Healing is possible—even after years of showing up for everyone else.

EMDR Therapy in Issaquah, WA | Serving Sammamish, Bellevue, North Bend & Snoqualmie

Virtual across Washington State.

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How EMDR Helps You Heal From Both Known and Hidden Memories

When people think about trauma or painful memories, they often imagine moments they can clearly remember—like a breakup, a car accident, or a specific childhood event. These are called explicit memories: experiences you can recall and talk about.

But some of the most powerful memories we carry aren’t conscious at all. They live deep in the body and nervous system, shaping how we feel and react, even if we can’t explain why. These are known as implicit memories, and they play a major role in patterns like anxiety, people-pleasing, emotional shutdown, or chronic tension.

That’s where EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) comes in. EMDR is a powerful, evidence-based trauma therapy that helps the brain process and heal from both explicit and implicit memories—whether or not you can fully recall the event.

Processing Explicit Memories with EMDR

When working with explicit memories, EMDR helps you safely revisit distressing experiences while using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, gentle tapping, or tones). This process activates both sides of the brain, helping it reprocess the memory so it feels less emotionally charged.

You’ll still remember what happened—but it won’t feel as overwhelming or triggering. This is one of the main reasons EMDR is so effective for PTSD, anxiety, and emotional trauma that stems from identifiable events.

Healing Implicit Memories and Stored Trauma

Sometimes, we don’t have a clear memory of what caused our emotional responses. You might notice strong reactions that don’t “make sense,” such as panic in safe situations, sudden irritability, or difficulty trusting others. These experiences are often tied to implicit memories—the body’s stored record of sensations, emotions, and survival responses from past experiences.

Even without a conscious narrative, EMDR can help your brain and body release these stored emotions. Through gentle guidance, you focus on sensations, feelings, or images that come up during reprocessing. Your nervous system naturally moves toward integration and healing, allowing you to feel calmer, more grounded, and more connected to yourself.

This makes EMDR one of the most effective tools for healing stored trauma and processing emotional memories—even when you can’t put them into words.

Why EMDR Works for Both Types of Memory

EMDR therapy doesn’t require you to remember every detail of what happened. Your brain and body already hold that information. The EMDR process simply helps connect the dots, allowing your nervous system to do what it couldn’t do at the time—fully process and release what was overwhelming.

This dual focus on explicit and implicit memory is what makes EMDR so unique. It supports both cognitive understanding and body-based healing, helping you move beyond just “talking about it” to actually feeling different inside.

The Bottom Line: Healing Beyond Words

If you’ve ever felt like something inside you remembers pain your mind can’t explain, you’re not alone—and it’s not “all in your head.” EMDR therapy can help bridge that gap, supporting both your mind and body in releasing old patterns, fears, and emotions.

Healing is possible—even if you don’t have all the details. EMDR offers a path toward freedom, peace, and connection by helping you process both what you remember and what your body has been holding onto.

Ready to Begin EMDR Therapy in Issaquah or Online in Washington?

If you’re ready to explore how EMDR therapy can help you heal both explicit and implicit memories, I’d love to support you. I offer EMDR therapy in Issaquah and online throughout Washington State, helping clients process trauma, anxiety, and the emotional patterns that keep them stuck.

EMDR Therapy in Issaquah, WA | Serving Sammamish, Bellevue, North Bend & Snoqualmie

Virtual across Washington State.

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Ready to Begin?

Reach out to schedule a 15 minute consultation.

Contact Me