EMDR Treatment
in
the San Francisco
Bay Area
“The past affects the present even without our being aware of it.” - Francine Shapiro, Developer of EMDR Therapy
Healing from the Past, Living More Fully Today
You’ve carried a lot for a long time—doing your best to hold it all together and keep moving forward. Yet difficult memories may still linger and weigh on you.
EMDR helps process those experiences so your past no longer controls your present. It’s not about forgetting—it’s about finding relief and peace.
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured therapy designed to help individuals heal from painful or traumatic experiences. By focusing on distressing memories, you engage in bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements or tapping—which helps the brain process and integrate those memories.
EMDR isn’t about forgetting what happened. Instead, EMDR helps reduce the emotional intensity of difficult memories so they no longer feel overwhelming. It is often helpful for trauma, anxiety, negative self-beliefs, and persistent emotional distress.
How does emdr therapY work?
When a traumatic experience occurs, it can overwhelm the brain’s natural processing system. Instead of being stored as a typical memory, the experience can remain “stuck,” continuing to trigger distress.
EMDR helps the brain reprocess these memories so they become less emotionally charged and easier to integrate.
Think of it like updating a file on your computer—EMDR helps "rewrite" painful memories so they no longer cause as much distress.
“For all of us, unprocessed memories are generally the basis of negative responses, attitudes and behaviors. Processed memories, on the other hand, are the basis of adaptive positive responses, attitudes and behaviors.”
What happens in an emdr treatment session?
First, we talk about your experiences and identify the areas you’d like to work on.
You’ll learn grounding tools to help you feel safe and calm during the process.
Then we gently focus on difficult memories while engaging in guided eye movements or tapping. This allows your brain to process the memories differently so they feel less overwhelming over time.
We also work on strengthening healthier, more supportive beliefs about yourself.
Throughout the process, you remain in control and move at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
EMDR is beneficial for individuals experiencing:
Trauma or PTSD
Anxiety and panic
Depression
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Negative self-beliefs
Distressing memories that continue to resurface
Stress from past experiences that still affect daily life
Is EMDR treatment Right for You?
If your past still affects how you feel in the present—making it difficult to relax, feel safe, or trust yourself—EMDR may help.
It is a versatile, evidence-based therapy that can help people process difficult experiences and move forward with greater emotional freedom. Many individuals find it effective and often faster than traditional talk therapy.
If you’re curious about whether EMDR could support you, I’m here to talk and answer your questions. and help you explore the next step.
Get Started with EMDR treatment in the San Francisco Bay Area
Caterina Sanfilippo Lee, LCSW is an EMDR trained therapist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also provides online therapy across California and New York.