Trauma and EMDR Therapy in Maryland
You’ve worked hard to heal- so why does it still feel so far out of reach?
Healing from past trauma is so much more than “making sense” out of what happened. So often, just talking through things is only part of the work, and can leave you feeling frustrated. After all, you show up every week and put in the work, shouldn’t you be “over it” by now?
Trauma is a unique experience, and working through it requires unique tools. Let’s do it together.
How I Help
Many clients tell me, ‘I know I shouldn’t blame myself or let this get to me—but I still do.’ They’ve talked through their story, practiced coping skills, and worked hard to challenge unhelpful thoughts. And yet, they still feel stuck.
That’s not because they’re doing anything wrong. It’s because trauma doesn’t just live in our thoughts. It’s held in deeper parts of the brain and in the body itself. Talking alone doesn’t always reach those places.
That’s where I come in. I help clients release the lingering effects of trauma—mind and body—so they can reconnect with the parts of themselves that have felt blocked. Together, we create a safe, welcoming space for real healing and growth.
If this work sounds interesting to you, let’s find a time for a quick chat to see if we’re a good fit!
Nuts and Bolts
Want to learn more about the tools I use in session to help you find the best version of you?
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EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for trauma, but can also be useful for depression, anxiety, certain addictions, and other concerns. The basic idea behind EMDR is that your brain is incredible, and can process anything it needs to, even complicated or upsetting things. But, when you get into a highly distressed, fight-or-flight state, the parts of your brain you need to do that processing can’t do the work they need to do, and memories or emotions can get “stuck.” So, in therapy, we essentially give your brain a “redo” by targeting those stuck memories and symptoms while you’re not in fight-or-flight. This allows your brain to work through the material the way it always could, which leads to you feeling better and less controlled by these past experiences.
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Internal Family Symptoms, or IFS, is an evidence-based treatment for a variety of presenting issues. It is a newer therapy (only about 30 years old). In IFS, we view all people as made up of a variety of parts. All of these parts work together to keep you safe, healthy, and (to a slightly lesser extent), happy. All parts want good things for you, and they take on jobs they view as helpful or necessary. For example, anxious parts may work to help us plan for future problems or dangers, depressed parts may keep us from getting too hopeful or optimistic, addicted parts may work to keep us numb from feeling too intensely, and suicidal parts may give us an outlet to stop unbearable pain. When we slow down and listen to these parts, we learn about what motivates them, and we can help place you back in charge of your internal system instead of letting your parts run things. The result? More balance, more calm, and a more authentic you!
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While my two primary modalities are EMDR and IFS, I draw on a variety of other approaches to supplement and find the approach tailored to you and your concerns. Some of the other tools in my toolbox are:
Client-Centered Therapy: in Client-Centered Therapy, we believe that you know you best. My job as your therapist is to work my hardest to see, know, and understand you. This means that I work to genuinely care about you, root for you, and believe in you. This relationship is the fuel that helps us do the tough work of helping you heal.
Somatic Interventions: Trauma lives in the body as well as the brain. Many of us become slowly divorced from our bodies as we get older, and we miss out on the wisdom and insight we can gain from our somatic experience. I work to help you become more aware of what’s happening in your body and to release stuck body sensations.
Motivational Interviewing: When you’ve got a big decision to make, it’s easy to feel stuck or unsure. Motivational Interviewing helps you become more aware of your wants, needs, and values, so you can figure out what really matters to you. This gives you a sturdier base to figure out what comes next.
Rates and FAQs
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Yes! I am currently accepting virtual-only clients who are 18+ and live in Maryland (or can physically be in Maryland for all sessions).
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Unfortunately, unless you are able to physically be in the state of Maryland for all of our sessions, we are unable to work together. Therapists’ licenses only allow us to see clients if they are physically in the state in which we are licensed, and I am only licensed in Maryland.
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Our initial 15-minute consultation is free. This gives you a chance to get answers to any questions you might have before we start and lets both of us see whether our work together would be a good fit.
Therapy sessions with me are 60 minutes. The first session is $195, and each subsequent session is $175.
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I do not accept insurance, although, depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to use your out-of-network benefits to reimburse you for a portion of our session fees. See below for more info!
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Depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to use your out-of-network benefits to reimburse you for a portion of our session fees. Full payment for each session will be due at the time of the session.
I will provide you with a document called a superbill that you can submit to your insurance company. The insurance company will use this to determine how much they may reimburse you.
I partner with a company called Thrizer that helps people utilize their out-of-network benefits and get reimbursed for therapy. You may contact Thrizer directly or I can contact them on your behalf to check your benefits. There is no obligation for you to use Thrizer, and we can discuss pros and cons of doing so during our initial consultation if you like!
Please know that each insurance plan is different, and I make no guarantees as to whether you will be able to be reimbursed, or how much you may receive.
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Sessions last for one hour (although we will stop 3-5 minutes early to ensure we have time to wrap up and schedule our next session). I typically see clients either weekly or every other week. Unless in very very specific circumstances, I do not recommend we meet any less often than biweekly or any more often than weekly. I often find it’s best, if possible, to meet every week, at least in the beginning. This gives us a chance to really clarify our work together and build momentum. We can always adjust the frequency as we go!
As for how long therapy will take, that’s mostly up to you! Some folks are more interested in short-term work while others prefer a longer-term solution. I will say that trauma work, which is my speciality, tends to move at a slightly slower pace, and therefore take a little longer. My mantra is always “as fast as possible, but as slow as necessary.”
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The short answer is, “anything you want!” My goal is to work with you to develop a plan that targets exactly how you hope to feel better. Often, we explore how the things you dealt with in the past affect you in the present. We learn to pay closer attention to how the difficulties of the past are stored in your brain and body, and try to rewire those pathways to allow you to release that hurt, and feel better!