Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) in Houston
When you understand what happened but still feel its impact, EMDR can help you work with what’s underneath.
You may know you’re safe now, but still brace when someone goes quiet. A memory, conflict, or life change may bring up panic, shame, or numbness before you have time to think. Understanding the pattern doesn’t always make the reaction stop.
EMDR therapy can help you work with experiences that still feel distressing. At Rooted Therapy, we take time to understand what you’re dealing with, build a foundation for the work, and move at a pace that feels manageable.
What is EMDR therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy often used to treat trauma and PTSD. It involves recalling aspects of a distressing experience while following a therapist-guided pattern of eye movements, tapping, or sound. People’s experiences vary, but the goal is to help distressing memories feel less overwhelming and more connected to the past.
You don’t necessarily need to describe every detail of what happened. You and your therapist will decide together what feels relevant to the work.
What EMDR can help with
EMDR may be worth exploring when past experiences continue to affect how you feel or respond in the present. That can include:
Trauma or PTSD symptoms
Anxiety, panic, or distressing triggers
Childhood or relationship experiences that still shape how you see yourself
Grief, medical experiences, or other difficult life events
Shame, self-blame, or persistent negative beliefs
A consultation can help you and your therapist decide whether EMDR fits your needs and goals.
Our EMDR-trained clinicians
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Lauren Palmer
MA, LPC · Practice Owner
WHO SHE WORKS WITH
Works with thoughtful, high-functioning adults who understand themselves pretty well but still feel stuck in anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, or painful relationship patterns.
FOCUS AREAS
High-Functioning Anxiety
Trauma & Attachment
Perfectionism
Relationship Patterns
Burnout & Disconnection -
Alyssa Garcia
MS, LPC-Associate, Bilingual English/Spanish
WHO SHE WORKS WITH
Works with adults and couples navigating grief, relationship changes, and the tension between family or cultural expectations and figuring out what feels true to them.
FOCUS AREAS
Grief & Loss
Trauma & EMDR
Family, Culture & Belonging
Relationships & Attachment
Life Transitions & Identity -
Sana Maaz
MA, LMFT-Associate
WHO SHE WORKS WITH
Works with adults and couples feeling lost, disconnected, or unsure of who they are anymore, especially in the aftermath of trauma, anxiety, or major life change.
FOCUS AREAS
Trauma & Attachment
Anxiety
Couples & Relationship Patterns
Cultural Identity
Life Transitions
Self-Discovery & Identity Shifts
Safety before processingWhat to expect in EMDR therapy
At Rooted Therapy, EMDR is never one-size-fits-all. We begin by creating a strong foundation of trust, emotional regulation skills, and nervous system safety. We don’t rush into trauma processing, we move at a pace your system can tolerate.
Sessions may include:
Identifying and targeting the root of current distress
Developing internal resources to ground you during the process
Using bilateral stimulation to help reprocess painful memories
Replacing old, limiting beliefs with new, adaptive ones
Integrating the work so it sticks: emotionally, physically, and relationally
You don’t have to know exactly what you want to process when we begin. We’ll figure that out together.
Rooted Therapy offers in-person EMDR in Houston and virtual therapy for clients across Texas. In a consultation, we can talk through what virtual sessions involve and whether that setup feels right for you.
Start with a free 15-minute consultation
Tell us a little about what’s bringing you in. We’ll help you think through fit and next steps.
EMDR FAQs
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Insight is helpful, but sometimes your body doesn’t feel what your mind already knows. EMDR helps your brain reprocess stored memories so they no longer trigger the same emotional or physical reactions. It’s less about talking through it, and more about helping your nervous system release it.
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No. You don’t have to retell or relive every detail for EMDR to work. The focus is on your internal experience and what arises in the present moment, not on retelling the full story.
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Through guided bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones), EMDR activates the brain’s natural healing process. You revisit memories safely while your brain learns to file them in the “past,” where they belong.
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It depends on your goals and history. Some clients experience meaningful shifts after a few reprocessing sessions; others integrate EMDR into longer-term trauma or attachment work. We’ll move at your nervous system’s pace, not a timeline.
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Trauma and PTSD, anxiety, grief, chronic self-blame, low self-worth, phobias, and stuck emotional patterns. It’s especially helpful when you understand your triggers but still can’t get your body to calm down.
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Lauren Palmer, Alyssa Garcia, and Sana Maaz are EMDR trained and integrate EMDR into their work when it’s clinically appropriate.
