Healing from Trauma, Reclaiming Your Life

EMDR therapy provides a powerful, evidence-based approach that allows you to move forward with freedom and resilience.

✔ Typically 50 minutes

✔ In-person or Secure Telehealth Sessions Offered

✔ Frequency of Sessions Tailored to Your Needs

a woman basking in the sunlight

What Is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a specialized treatment approach that helps people heal from the emotional distress caused by difficult life experiences. Originally developed to treat trauma, EMDR is now recognized as an effective therapy for a wide range of conditions connected to distressing memories.

EMDR therapy is based on the understanding that when a person experiences a traumatic or highly stressful event, their brain may not process the experience properly. The memory becomes "frozen" in time, complete with the original images, thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. When triggered, these unprocessed memories can create symptoms of emotional or psychological distress in the present.

Our team includes Certified EMDR Therapists who have completed extensive specialized training in this approach.

EMDR therapy can help with a wide range of concerns, including:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Childhood Trauma & Adverse Experiences

Panic Disorders

Chronic Pain

Depression

Self-Esteem Issues

Phobias & Fears

Anxiety

Perinatal Trauma

Grief & Loss

Performance Anxiety

Our Approach To
EMDR Therapy

At Raincross Family Counseling, our approach to EMDR therapy follows the established 8-phase protocol developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro, while also incorporating our core values of compassion, safety, and respect for each person's unique experience.

✔ Certified Expertise

Our EMDR therapy is led by Reba Machado, a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDR Consultant, along with other specially trained therapists. This advanced training ensures that you receive the highest quality care aligned with current best practices in trauma treatment.

✔ Integrated Approach

We recognize EMDR therapy works best when integrated with other therapeutic approaches. Your treatment may combine EMDR with aspects of cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, somatic awareness, or other modalities to create a comprehensive healing experience.

✔ Culturally Responsive Care

Our deep roots in the diverse Riverside community inform our understanding of how cultural factors influence trauma experiences and healing. We provide culturally responsive EMDR therapy that respects and incorporates your unique background, values, and beliefs.

✔ Specialized Protocols

Beyond the standard EMDR protocol, our therapists are trained in specialized adaptations for specific concerns, including the Perinatal EMDR Protocol for birth-related trauma, protocols for anxiety, depression, and attachment wounds, and modifications for complex trauma.

✔ Trauma-Informed Environment

Every aspect of your experience at Raincross is designed with trauma sensitivity in mind, from our calming office environment to our therapists' understanding of how trauma impacts the nervous system. We prioritize your comfort and safety throughout the therapeutic process.

✔ Comprehensive Assessment & Preparation

Before beginning EMDR processing, we take time to thoroughly understand your history, develop a strong therapeutic relationship, and ensure you have the resources and stability needed for trauma work. This careful preparation creates a foundation of safety essential for effective trauma treatment.

Throughout the EMDR therapy process, we continuously assess progress and adjust our approach as needed, ensuring that treatment remains aligned with your evolving needs and goals.

The EMDR Therapy Process

EMDR therapy follows an established 8-phase approach:

1. History Taking & Treatment Planning

We begin by gathering a detailed history and collaboratively developing a treatment plan. This includes identifying specific memories to target based on your current symptoms and goals.

2. Preparation

We begin by gathering a detailed history and collaboratively developing a treatment plan. This includes identifying specific memories to target based on your current symptoms and goals.

3. Assessment

For each target memory, we identify the:

  • Visual image representing the worst part of the memory

  • Negative belief about yourself connected to this memory

  • Positive belief you would prefer to believe

  • Current emotions and their intensity

  • Physical sensations experienced when focusing on the memory

4-7. Processing Phases

During these phases, you'll focus briefly on the target memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation—typically through guided eye movements, alternating tones, or tactile stimulation. After each set, you'll report what you noticed, which guides the next focus of attention. This process continues until the distress associated with the memory diminishes and positive beliefs strengthen.

8. Reevaluation

At the beginning of each session, we'll assess your progress, ensuring that results are maintained and identifying any new areas that may need attention.

Throughout this process, you remain conscious and in control. Unlike hypnosis, you don't lose awareness during EMDR. The goal is not to erase memories but to transform how they're stored in your brain—shifting from distressing emotional experiences to neutral memories that no longer trigger suffering.

The Benefits of
EMDR Therapy

EMDR therapy at Raincross can lead to profound healing and transformation.

EMDR therapy is an investment in your overall wellbeing that can yield benefits throughout your lifetime, helping you move beyond surviving past experiences to thriving in the present.

1. Reduced Symptom Intensity

Experience significant reduction in distress related to traumatic memories, including flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts.

2. Freedom from Limiting Beliefs

Transform negative self-perceptions rooted in past experiences to more accurate, positive beliefs about yourself.

3. Improved Emotional Regulation

Develop greater capacity to manage difficult emotions without being overwhelmed or resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

4. Physical Relief

Experience reduction in trauma-related physical symptoms such as tension, pain, and stress responses.

5. Enhanced Resilience

Build greater capacity to face future challenges with confidence and flexibility rather than fear and avoidance.

6. Integration & Wholeness

Achieve a greater sense of integration as previously fragmented aspects of traumatic experiences become part of your life story without defining your identity.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • While researchers are still studying the exact mechanisms, EMDR therapy appears to work by helping the brain process distressing memories in a way similar to what happens during REM sleep. The bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tones, or taps) seems to facilitate communication between different parts of the brain, allowing traumatic memories to be processed and stored in a healthier way.

  • The duration varies based on factors including the nature and number of traumatic experiences, your history, and treatment goals. Some people experience significant relief in as few as 3-12 sessions for single-incident trauma. More complex trauma histories typically require longer treatment. Your therapist will provide a more specific estimate after your initial assessment.

  • During EMDR processing, you'll briefly focus on distressing memories, which may temporarily increase discomfort. However, this exposure is brief, and most people find that the distress decreases rapidly during the session. Our therapists carefully monitor your emotional state and pace the work appropriately. Many clients report that EMDR is less distressing than they anticipated.

  • No. Unlike some forms of therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to discuss your experiences in exhaustive detail. You'll need to identify target memories and provide basic information about them, but detailed descriptions aren't necessary for successful treatment.

  • No. During EMDR therapy, you remain fully awake and aware. You're in control of the process and can stop at any time. Your therapist guides the process, but you determine what emerges and what insights you gain.

  • No. The goal of EMDR isn't to erase memories but to change how they're stored in your brain. After successful treatment, you'll still remember what happened, but the memories will no longer carry the same emotional charge or cause the same level of distress.

  • Yes, with some modifications. Certain phases of EMDR therapy can be effectively delivered via secure telehealth platforms. Our therapists are trained in telehealth EMDR protocols and can determine whether this option is appropriate for your specific situation.

  • Many insurance plans cover EMDR therapy as it is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD and other conditions. Our Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) are in-network with most major insurance providers. We're happy to verify your benefits before your first appointment.

  • EMDR is well-suited for many people dealing with trauma and trauma-related conditions. However, certain factors might affect timing or approach, including severe dissociative disorders, current substance dependence, or certain medical conditions. Our initial assessment process helps determine whether EMDR is appropriate for you at this time or if another approach might be better suited to your needs.

  • Starting EMDR therapy is simple. You can call our office at (951) 977-3638, email us at raincrossfc@gmail.com, or complete our online request form. We'll gather some basic information, discuss your needs, and match you with an appropriate EMDR-trained therapist. New clients typically can schedule an initial appointment within 1-2 weeks.

Transform Your Relationship with the Past

With us, you can process difficult memories, release their emotional hold, and move forward with greater freedom and peace.