Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
Understanding EMDR | A Path Toward Feeling Safe Again
Sometimes life presents us with experiences that leave a lasting mark — moments that are too painful, too fast, or too overwhelming to process at the time. Even when time passes, parts of us can stay stuck in those moments. You might notice it as anxiety, flashbacks, panic, shame, or that feeling like your body is still “on alert,” even when you know you’re safe.
EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a proven, gentle way to help your brain heal from those experiences — so the past can finally stay in the past.
- How EMDR Works:
- Our brains are built to heal. However, when something traumatic happens, this natural process can be interrupted.
- Think of your mind like a filing cabinet — usually, it sorts things into “this happened, and I’m okay now.”
- But trauma can jam that drawer shut, leaving the memory — and all the fear, images, and emotions — floating around unprocessed.
- EMDR helps “re-file” those experiences.
- Using gentle, rhythmic left-right movements (such as eye movements, sounds, or taps), we activate both sides of your brain while revisiting the memory in a safe and supported manner.
- This helps your mind make new connections and store that memory properly — without the intense emotional charge.
- You don’t have to retell your story in detail.
- EMDR lets your brain do the heavy lifting — you just show up, breathe, and let the process unfold at your pace.
- What a Session Might Look Like:
- We start with grounding and safety.
- You’ll learn tools to calm your body and regulate your emotions before we begin any deeper work.
- We identify what feels “stuck.
- That could be a memory, a feeling, or even a belief like “I’m not safe” or “It was my fault.”
- We begin reprocessing.
- While engaging in bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones), we revisit the memory gently — not to relive it, but to help your brain file it away properly. We close with calm.
- Every session ends with grounding, so you leave feeling centered and in control.
- Many people describe EMDR as “unlocking something” — like finally being able to breathe again after holding it for years.
- What EMDR Can Help With:
- EMDR is backed by decades of research and used worldwide to treat:
- Post-Traumatic Stress (PTSD)
- Anxiety and panic
- Grief and loss
- Childhood trauma and attachment wounds
- Low self-worth or shame
- Phobias and fears
- Stress and burnout
- The Heart of This Work:
- You don’t have to talk about every detail to heal from it.
- EMDR honors both your story and your nervous system. It helps you move from surviving to living — from “I’m not safe” to “I am okay now.”
At Gabriel Vega Counseling, PLLC, EMDR is offered in a supportive, culturally affirming, trauma-informed space where all parts of you are welcome — mind, body, and spirit.
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) Therapy
Healing With Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) | What is DBR—in everyday language?
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a gentle trauma therapy that helps your nervous system unwind the very first moments of shock from painful experiences—so your body and emotions can finally stand down. DBR was developed by psychiatrist Dr. Frank Corrigan to address deep attachment wounds and other traumas that leave lasting symptoms.
- Why DBR? The “first-moment” idea
- When something overwhelming happens, your brainstem (the survival part of the brain) snaps online before you can think. Muscles in the eyes, forehead, jaw, and neck tense as your system orients toward the threat—like a micro-freeze/brace. Sometimes that early shock never fully releases, and later triggers can re-ignite it. DBR helps you track and soften that original “orienting tension,” so the body stops reacting like the danger is still here.
- How a DBR session works (simple & stepwise)
- Safety first. We build grounding skills, so your body knows it’s safe right now.
- Find the starting point. Together we notice subtle head/neck/face sensations that show where the old shock still lives. No need to retell every detail.
- Track and don’t force. I guide you to follow those sensations in tiny, tolerable steps while staying resourced and present.
- Release & re-orient. As the body completes that interrupted survival response, the charge lowers; people often feel clearer, softer inside, and more in control.
- What it’s like:
- The sessions are quieter than talk therapy, very body-aware, and paced to your nervous system.
- Many clients describe it as “unlocking something old” without being overwhelmed.
- What DBR can help with
- Single-incident or chronic trauma
- Attachment wounds (especially early/relational hurts)
- Anxiety, startle/alertness that won’t switch off, shame, grief
- Dissociation and body-based triggers (tight jaw, neck tension, gut drops)
- DBR vs. EMDR
- Both are evidence-supported trauma therapies. EMDR often uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements/taps) while recalling memories.
- DBR zooms in on the body’s initial shock sequence in the deep brain and the head/neck “orienting” pattern, letting that freeze/brace finally complete.
- Some patients do one or the other; many benefit from both at different phases of care.
- Is there research behind DBR?
- Yes—DBR is emerging with growing support. A randomized controlled trial (2023) reported significant PTSD symptom reduction with DBR.
- Leading trauma clinicians and educators are actively teaching and summarizing the approach as the evidence base expands.
- However, it is essential to note that DBR has not yet been extensively studied in adolescents, and its use with teens is considered an emerging practice.
- What you can expect with me
- Culturally affirming, LGBTQ+-welcoming, trauma-informed care
- Clear pacing and consent at every step
- Skills for regulation you can use between sessions
- Integration with other approaches (e.g., EMDR) when helpful
Bottom line: DBR helps your system recognize, “That was then—this is now.” You don’t lose the story; you lose the constant alarm.
