Healing the brain and body without ever having to sit still or find the right words.

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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a neuroscience-backed therapy designed to help the brain heal from severe stress, anxiety, and trauma. It uses left-right brain activation, called bilateral stimulation, to help a child's nervous system "digest" and clear out distressing memories that are stuck in the body.​

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How We Do EMDR Differently: The Power of Play

 

Adult EMDR usually involves sitting perfectly still and following a light bar or a therapist's fingers. For kids, we throw that rulebook out.

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We blend EMDR seamlessly into a non-directive play therapy approach. This means your child is never forced to sit on a couch, answer hard questions, or relive a scary event on command. We let them lead the play in our playroom, and we weave the EMDR tools naturally and organically into their world.

 

What Bilateral Stimulation Looks Like Here

We do have traditional vibrating "tappers" available if a child prefers them, but we find that kids heal best when they are moving. We use creative, child-friendly left-right movements to activate the brain:

• Animal Movements: Stomping like an elephant, drumming like a gorilla, or galloping around the room.

• The Butterfly Hug: Teaching the child to cross their arms and gently tap their own shoulders to self-soothe during a story.

• Sandtray Integration: Using rhythmic, back-and-forth movements in the sand while they build their worlds and process big feelings.

 

This child-led EMDR approach is incredibly effective for kids who cannot verbalize exactly what is bothering them. It is highly successful in treating:

• Single-incident trauma like car accidents, injuries, or scary medical procedures.

• Complex traumas and those that show up prior to a client becoming verbal.

• Chronic anxiety, panic attacks, and intense phobias.

• Grief, loss, and major family transitions like divorce or a move.

• Unexplained behavioral shifts, meltdowns, or sudden sleep disturbances.

 

Instead of just managing the symptoms, play-based EMDR helps your child process the root cause, clear the emotional charge, and return to feeling safe and grounded.