EMDR Therapy for Kids and Teens in Encinitas, Ca & Telehealth across california
Something hard happened and your child hasn't been the same since.
Something happened
An accident, a loss, a scary medical moment, a divorce, something they saw or lived through.
The nightmares, the clinginess, the way they freeze up when anything reminds them of it. Maybe they won't talk about it at all, and you can still see the weight of it on them. Watching your kid carry something heavy and not knowing how to help them set it down is one of the hardest things there is.
Kids are so much tougher than the hard thing that happened to them. With the right help, your child can work through it, stop bracing against it, and feel safe in their own skin again. And you get to watch them come back to themselves.
EMDR Therapy for Kids and Teens Encinitas, Ca & Telehealth across california
Talking about something painful over and over isn't always what helps a child heal, and for a lot of kids it's too much to put into words at all.
EMDR works differently. It helps your child's brain work through a hard memory in small, manageable pieces, almost like finally digesting something that's been sitting there raw, until it stops having such a grip on them. Your child doesn't have to retell the whole story to get relief, which takes so much pressure off a kid who can't or won't talk about it.
I use EMDR with kids and teens, including little ones who don't have the words yet, and with younger children I often weave it together with play so it feels safe and doable. Bit by bit, the memory loosens its hold, and your child starts to feel like themselves again.
How EMDR & Trauma therapy works
What you can expect
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Safety comes first, always
We don't rush toward the hard stuff. I build trust and safety with your child first, and we only move toward the memory when they're truly ready.
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They don't have to relive it
Your child won't have to retell the whole story to heal from it. EMDR helps their brain work through the memory without making them go back and live it all over again.
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The grip starts to loosen
The nightmares, the jumpiness, the freezing up when something reminds them, those tend to ease as the memory gets processed and stops sitting there so raw.
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We work at your child’s pace
For little ones, I weave in play so it feels safe and doable. For teens, we go at their pace. It's shaped around your specific kid, not the other way around.
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Your child, feeling safe again
The goal is simple. Your kid stops carrying the weight of what happened and starts to feel like themselves again, and you get to watch them come back.
parent support
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. It's well-researched and widely used with children and teens, and I adapt it to your child's age and what they can handle. For younger kids, I often combine it with play so it feels safe and familiar.
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No, and that's one of the biggest reasons EMDR works so well for kids. They don't have to retell the whole story out loud to work through it. That takes a lot of pressure off a child who can't or doesn't want to talk about it.
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Regular talk therapy asks a child to explain their feelings in words, which is hard for a lot of kids. EMDR helps the brain process the memory more directly, so it often reaches what words can't, and for many kids it works faster.
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Yes. We don't have to use eye movements at all. I can use gentle tapping or sounds instead, whatever feels most comfortable for your child.
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Some feelings can come up as we work through a memory, and that's a normal part of the process. I go slowly, I build in safety every step of the way, and I never push your child faster than they're ready to go.
Let's start with a conversation.
Tell me a little about what’s been going on with your child. We’ll talk it through and figure out together whether I’m the right fit for your family. No pressure, just a first step. I offer free consultations if you’d like to talk things through before deciding.