EMDR Therapy in Broomfield and Online Across Colorado
Maybe it was a car accident. A night you still don't talk about. Or years of growing up in a home that never felt safe.
You've moved on, at least on paper. But then a smell, a sound, or a tone of voice pulls you right back. Your heart races. Your body braces. And a quiet thought creeps in: "Why am I still not over this?"
If you're looking into EMDR therapy, you may already sense that talking about it hasn't been enough. Maybe you've read the books. Maybe you've spent years in talk therapy. You know where it all comes from. But knowing hasn't made it stop.
You're not weak. You're not broken. Your nervous system just never got the message that it's over. And that's something it can still learn.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's a type of therapy that helps your brain finish processing painful memories, so they stop feeling like they're happening right now.
In EMDR, you hold a hard memory in mind for short stretches while your attention moves from left to right. You might follow the therapist’s fingers with your eyes, hold small buzzers that pulse in each hand, or tap your knees. This back-and-forth is called bilateral stimulation. It helps your brain sort through what got stuck.
You won't have to tell the whole story in detail. The memory stays, but it loses its sting. Many people describe it as finally being able to look back without being pulled back in.
Psychologist Francine Shapiro developed EMDR in 1987. Since then, it has become one of the most studied trauma treatments in the world. The World Health Organization recommends EMDR for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
EMDR is best known for trauma, but it can help with more than that. It's also used to ease anxiety, panic, phobias, and the long shadow of childhood trauma.
How EMDR Therapy in Broomfield, CO Can Help
I use EMDR to help adults who are living with:
Trauma and PTSD
Complex trauma (pain that built up over time, often in childhood or close relationships)
Anxiety
Phobias
We don't start with your hardest memory. First, we build a strong base. You'll learn ways to calm your body, find a sense of safety, and come back to the present when things feel big. Only when you feel ready do we begin processing.
From there, we work through the memories that still feel stuck, one at a time and at a pace your body can handle. As the charge fades, we help new beliefs take root. "I'm not safe" can soften into "It's over, and I made it through."
Over time, you might notice that you:
React less to old triggers
Sleep better and feel calmer in your body
Speak to yourself with more kindness
Feel less on guard in your relationships
Why EMDR? You can understand exactly why you react the way you do and still react that way. Insight lives in the thinking part of your brain. Fear lives somewhere older. EMDR works with the part that holds the fear, which is why it often reaches places talk therapy can't.
I offer EMDR therapy in person in Broomfield and online throughout Colorado.
What Is IFS-informed EMDR?
I also blend IFS (Internal Family Systems) into my EMDR work. IFS sees your mind as made up of different "parts." Most people have a part that wants to heal and another part that wants to shut the door and never look. Both make sense.
Instead of pushing past the scared parts, we get to know them. When they feel heard, they often step back on their own. That makes EMDR feel safer, and it helps change last.
I'm also trained in working with dissociation. If you tend to zone out, go numb, or lose time when things get hard, that doesn't rule out EMDR. It just means we pace the work so you stay present.
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
- Mary Ann Evans
My Experience with EMDR Therapy
I'm Anna, the founder of Courage to Heal Therapy. I've spent 6 years helping adults heal from trauma, anxiety, and the patterns that grow from them. For 5 of those years, EMDR has been at the heart of my trauma work.
I completed my EMDR training in 2021 with Dr. Philip Manfield, a longtime EMDR trainer and author. I've also trained in working with dissociation, and I weave IFS into how I use EMDR. That mix lets me shape each session around the person in front of me, not around a script.
As a neurodivergent therapist, I know that standard pacing doesn't fit every brain. Some people need more time to feel safe. Some move fast and need help letting change settle. Both are welcome here.
I chose EMDR because I kept meeting clients who understood their pain inside and out but still felt trapped by it. With EMDR, I've watched people stop flinching at memories that used to flatten them. I've seen clients who called themselves "too much" or "too broken" talk about their past with calm, and even kindness.
What happened to you shaped you. It doesn't have to keep running your life.
“I’ve tried EMDR before and nothing really changed.”
This is one of the most common reasons people hold back from trying again.
You did the sessions. You talked about what happened. And yet your day-to-day life felt mostly the same.
That doesn’t mean EMDR can’t work for you. Often it means your system didn’t feel safe enough, or the pacing didn’t let the work sink in.
This is especially true if you’re neurodivergent or highly sensitive. You might understand everything, and even feel shifts in session, but still not notice lasting change. Your system may simply need a different rhythm.
Why IFS-Informed EMDR Can Be Different
In my work, success isn’t about getting through the protocol. It’s about whether something is actually shifting, both inside you and in your daily life.
With IFS-informed EMDR, we make room for the parts of you that hold back, brace, or check out. We slow down when needed and pay attention to what your nervous system is doing in real time, not just what’s supposed to come next.
For many people, lasting change doesn’t come from doing more EMDR. It comes from doing it in a way your system can finally take in.
If EMDR didn’t help before, that’s useful information. It’s not a final verdict.
I am so proud of the warrior I’ve created from the ashes that were meant to bury me.
-Najwa Zebian
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Therapy
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The length of EMDR therapy varies depending on your history and the complexity of your experiences. Single-event trauma may resolve relatively quickly, while complex or developmental trauma often requires more time and integration. There is no fixed timeline. We regularly check in on progress together so you always have a clear sense of where you are in the process.
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You will have to recall traumatic incidents, but not in detail. You won’t have to provide detailed descriptions or explanations – you will simply be asked to identify your sensations and emotions as you process the event. Images and thoughts will come up, but eye movements can quickly turn the emotional intensity down. Your painful memories will be processed and will no longer cause you turmoil and terror. While you will still be able to recall them, they will no longer hold power over you.
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Before processing begins, we build strong grounding and safety skills so you feel supported throughout EMDR. If things start to feel too intense, we pause and use calming techniques to help bring your nervous system back into a manageable place.
You are always in control of the pace. You can signal to stop at any time, and we will adjust or slow down as needed. The work is never about pushing through overwhelm.
At the end of each session, we use a “container” exercise to help your brain set the material aside so you can return to your daily life feeling more settled and regulated.
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EMDR is highly effective for many people, but it is not the right fit for everyone. If it isn’t a good match for you, we typically notice early on through how your nervous system responds and how the process feels for you.
If EMDR doesn’t feel supportive, we will not continue with it. Instead, we’ll talk together about what you’re experiencing and explore other evidence-based approaches that may be a better fit for your needs. Trauma therapy is not one-size-fits-all, and there are many effective ways to support healing.
It’s also important to know that the pace of any trauma work varies. Single-event trauma often resolves more quickly, while complex or long-term trauma usually takes more time and integration.
The goal is always to find an approach that helps you feel safer, more regulated, and supported in your healing process.
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EMDR does not require a perfect or complete memory of what happened. Many people only have fragments, sensations, or emotional impressions of past experiences, and that is enough to begin. The therapy works with whatever your brain has stored, not with a detailed narrative. Healing can happen even when memory is unclear or incomplete.
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Yes, EMDR can be adapted for people with a wide range of experiences, including autism, ADHD, and mood disorders. The pacing and preparation phase are especially important in these cases. We focus on stabilization first and tailor the approach to your nervous system so the process feels grounded and supportive rather than overwhelming.
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Yes. EMDR can be done effectively through virtual therapy. I use a secure online platform designed specifically for EMDR that allows us to use eye movements and bilateral stimulation through visual tools and audio tones, just like we would in person.
Many clients find virtual EMDR especially comforting because they are able to process difficult memories from the safety and familiarity of their own home. Being in your own space can help you feel more relaxed and grounded during sessions.
Virtual therapy also means you do not have to drive home after processing emotional material. Instead, you can stay in the comfort of your environment, giving yourself space to rest, reflect, and integrate after the session.
Take the First Step
Reaching out can feel scary. You don't need to have it all figured out first. Let's start with a free consultation to talk about what's bringing you to therapy and whether EMDR feels like a good fit.