EMDR Therapy in Culver City, CA

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's an evidence-based psychotherapy approach, recognized by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, that helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they lose their emotional charge.

During EMDR, we use bilateral stimulation (typically guided eye movements, though audio tones or tapping can also be used) while you briefly hold a target memory in mind. This bilateral stimulation mimics what happens during REM sleep, the brain's natural mechanism for consolidating and filing experience. When a memory has been traumatically encoded, the brain's processing was interrupted. EMDR creates conditions for that processing to resume and complete.

What sets EMDR apart from traditional talk therapy is that you don't need to narrate your trauma in detail for healing to occur. You're not required to describe what happened scene by scene. The processing happens at a neurological level that doesn't depend on verbal articulation, which is one reason EMDR can work effectively even for experiences that feel too difficult or fragmentary to put into words.

A Polyvagal-Informed Approach to EMDR

Not every therapist approaches EMDR the same way. My practice is informed by Polyvagal Theory, the neurological framework developed by Dr. Stephen Porges that describes how our autonomic nervous system governs our states of safety, mobilization (fight/flight), and shutdown (freeze/collapse).

Trauma dysregulates the nervous system. When someone has experienced repeated or early trauma, they may have a chronically activated threat response, whether that looks like hypervigilance, anxiety, and emotional flooding, or numbness, disconnection, and depression. Before effective EMDR processing can occur, the nervous system needs to be in a window of tolerance: regulated enough to approach the material without being overwhelmed by it.

In my work, preparation is not a formality. It's a core therapeutic phase. We spend as much time as you need building the nervous system capacity to process safely. This is particularly important if you've experienced developmental trauma, early childhood adversity, or complex PTSD where the window of tolerance is narrow and easily exceeded.

EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro: history-taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. Each phase serves a specific purpose in ensuring that processing is titrated, carefully paced, and never simply re-traumatizing. The preparation and reevaluation phases are where the polyvagal lens matters most, because they determine whether your nervous system is ready to engage with the material and whether it has fully integrated what was processed.

Who I Work With

I work with adults navigating a range of experiences where EMDR has demonstrated clinical effectiveness, including:

PTSD and complex trauma, including childhood abuse, neglect, or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Developmental and relational trauma, attachment wounds, family dynamics, and patterns formed early in life that continue to shape current relationships.

Grief and loss, including complicated grief and the traumatic dimensions of loss experiences.

Medical and health-related trauma. I have specialized experience supporting people facing cancer diagnoses and those navigating the psychological impact of serious illness.

Anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety, panic, and phobias with traumatic origins.

Life transitions and identity disruptions, events that shatter previous assumptions about safety, meaning, or self.

EMDR is not appropriate for every situation without modification. If you are currently in crisis, actively using substances, or experiencing psychosis, EMDR processing would be deferred until stabilization is achieved. If you've experienced developmental trauma or have a narrow window of tolerance, the preparation phase may be extended to build the capacity needed for safe processing. I see this as clinical honesty, not a limitation. Pacing the work to your nervous system is how EMDR stays effective.

If you've wondered whether EMDR could help your specific situation, that's exactly the kind of question to bring to a consultation.

What to Expect in EMDR Sessions

EMDR sessions are typically 50 to 90 minutes. Longer sessions are often preferred for processing phases, as shorter sessions can leave the processing incomplete.

You should expect that sessions vary in how they feel. Some sessions are activating: emotions surface, memories shift. Others feel quieter. After processing sessions, most people experience a period of continued internal movement. Dreams may shift, new memories or insights may surface, or the original memory may feel different than it did before. This is a normal part of the process, not a sign that something is wrong.

Not every session will involve active trauma processing. Some sessions focus on stabilization, resource-building, or integrating what has already processed. This is not a setback. It's the work.

EMDR is collaborative. You always have control over the pace. You can stop, pause, or shift direction at any point. My practice also draws on psychodynamic and somatic approaches alongside EMDR, meaning we are not locked into a rigid protocol. The protocol serves you, not the other way around.

EMDR Therapy in Culver City and Online in California and Florida

Research has consistently found that EMDR delivered via telehealth is as effective as in-person EMDR for most clients. Bilateral stimulation can be facilitated online using screen-based eye movement guidance or audio bilateral tones, and the therapeutic relationship, which is central to any trauma treatment, translates fully to the online format.

I offer online therapy sessions for clients throughout California and Florida. Sessions are conducted via a HIPAA-compliant video platform, and the process from intake to ongoing sessions is designed to be straightforward and accessible.

For clients in Culver City and the greater Los Angeles area who would prefer in-person sessions, please inquire about availability.

Restorative Counseling Center is a trauma therapy practice in Culver City, CA, founded by Robyn Sheiniuk, LCSW. The practice specializes in EMDR therapy, grief counseling, and cancer counseling, with a clinical approach grounded in polyvagal theory and somatic awareness. Robyn works with adults navigating PTSD, complex trauma, developmental trauma, anxiety, and the psychological impact of serious illness. Online therapy sessions are available throughout California and Florida.