Trauma Can Continue to Affect You Long After the Experience Has Passed

Difficult or overwhelming experiences can affect the way you think, feel, respond to stress, and connect with others. You may understand intellectually that an experience is in the past, yet still feel as though your mind or body reacts as if the danger is happening now.

Trauma therapy can help you better understand these responses, develop greater emotional stability, and process experiences that continue to interfere with your life.

I provide secure online trauma therapy and EMDR for adults throughout Utah. Treatment is personalized to your needs and may incorporate EMDR along with other evidence-based and evidence-informed approaches.

Trauma therapy may help if you experience:

• Distressing or intrusive memories

• Anxiety related to past experiences

• Feeling constantly on guard or unable to relax

• Avoidance of people, places, situations, or memories

• Strong emotional reactions or feeling easily triggered

• Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe

• Shame, guilt, or negative beliefs about yourself

• Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected

• Sleep difficulties related to stressful experiences

• Persistent effects of difficult or overwhelming life experiences

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured psychotherapy approach designed to help people process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional intensity associated with difficult memories.

During EMDR therapy, attention is given to troubling memories, thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations while bilateral stimulation is used as part of the processing experience. Bilateral stimulation may involve guided eye movements or other forms of alternating left-right stimulation.

The goal is not to erase memories. Instead, EMDR is intended to help the brain process experiences so that memories may become less emotionally overwhelming and negative beliefs connected to those experiences can begin to change.

How EMDR Therapy Works

EMDR therapy follows a structured process that begins with understanding your history, identifying treatment goals, and developing skills to help you feel prepared for trauma processing.

When you are ready, EMDR may involve focusing on aspects of a distressing experience while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or other alternating left-right stimulation.

Over time, this process may help reduce the emotional intensity connected to distressing memories and support the development of more adaptive beliefs about yourself and your experiences.

EMDR treatment may include:

• Understanding your history and identifying treatment goals

• Developing grounding and emotional regulation skills

• Identifying memories, beliefs, emotions, and physical sensations connected to distressing experiences

• Using bilateral stimulation during trauma processing

• Monitoring changes in emotional distress and beliefs

• Strengthening healthier and more adaptive perspectives

• Building skills for managing future triggers and stressful situations

What Can EMDR Help With?

EMDR is widely known for its use in trauma treatment, but it may also be incorporated into therapy when past experiences contribute to current emotional distress.

EMDR may be helpful for concerns such as:

• Trauma and posttraumatic stress symptoms

• Distressing or painful memories

• Anxiety connected to past experiences

• Panic or fear responses

• Negative beliefs about yourself

• Shame or guilt associated with difficult experiences

• Grief and loss

• Difficult relationship experiences

• Persistent emotional triggers

• Experiences that continue to feel unresolved

My Approach to Trauma & EMDR Therapy

Trauma therapy should move at a pace that respects your individual needs, experiences, and readiness. My approach is collaborative, practical, and focused on helping you develop a greater sense of stability and control throughout the therapeutic process.

EMDR does not mean immediately beginning to process your most difficult experiences. We first spend time understanding what brings you to therapy, identifying your goals, and developing resources and coping strategies that can help you manage distress.

When appropriate, EMDR can then be incorporated into treatment as part of a personalized therapy plan.

In our work together, we may focus on:

• Building emotional regulation and grounding skills

• Understanding how past experiences affect current thoughts, emotions, and behaviors

• Identifying triggers and patterns that continue to cause distress

• Processing difficult experiences using EMDR when appropriate

• Challenging negative beliefs such as “I’m not safe,” “I’m not good enough,” or “It was my fault”

• Strengthening healthier and more adaptive beliefs

• Developing practical strategies for managing anxiety and stress

• Helping you feel more confident moving forward

You remain an active participant throughout therapy. We can slow down, pause, or adjust the approach based on what you need. EMDR is one treatment option within therapy—not something that has to be used in every session.

Can EMDR Be Done Online?

Yes. EMDR can be provided through secure telehealth, allowing you to participate in therapy from a private and comfortable location without traveling to an office.

Online EMDR follows the same structured treatment process used in traditional therapy. Bilateral stimulation can be adapted for telehealth using approaches such as guided eye movements, alternating tapping, or other methods appropriate for the individual client.

Before beginning EMDR processing, we will discuss your needs, readiness, privacy, technology, and strategies for managing distress during and after sessions. Not every client or situation is appropriate for online EMDR, so we will determine together whether telehealth EMDR is a good fit for you.

Benefits of Online EMDR May Include:

• Receiving therapy from the privacy of your own home

• No travel time to and from appointments

• Access to specialized trauma treatment regardless of where you live in Utah

• Using familiar surroundings while developing grounding and regulation skills

• Greater convenience for busy work and family schedules

Online EMDR is currently available to appropriate adult clients located in Utah at the time of their appointment.

What to Expect When Starting Trauma & EMDR Therapy

Beginning trauma therapy does not mean you will be expected to immediately discuss every detail of difficult experiences. Treatment begins by understanding what brings you to therapy, what you would like to change, and what you need to feel prepared for the work ahead.

Early sessions may focus on understanding your history, identifying current concerns and triggers, developing treatment goals, and strengthening coping and emotional regulation skills.

As therapy progresses, we can determine together whether EMDR is appropriate and which experiences or concerns may be useful to address.

Your therapy may include:

• Discussing your current concerns and treatment goals

• Understanding how past experiences may affect you today

• Identifying emotional triggers and patterns

• Developing grounding and emotional regulation strategies

• Preparing for EMDR processing when appropriate

• Processing selected experiences at a manageable pace

• Checking progress and adjusting treatment as needed

• Strengthening healthier beliefs and responses

There is no requirement to move faster than you are ready to move. Trauma therapy is a collaborative process, and your questions, preferences, and responses help guide treatment.

Ready to Get Started?

You do not have to wait until the effects of trauma become overwhelming to seek support. If difficult experiences continue to affect your emotions, relationships, sense of safety, or ability to move forward, therapy may help.

I offer a free 15-minute consultation for adults considering trauma therapy or EMDR. This gives you an opportunity to briefly discuss what you are looking for, ask questions about the therapy process, and determine whether working together feels like a good fit.

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Steven Loader, PhD, CMHC

A Sound Mind Counseling

Online Trauma & EMDR Therapy for Adults in Utah