Understanding EMDR.

Who EMDR can help

EMDR was developed for trauma, and it's well established for PTSD. It can also help when a painful experience — even one that doesn't look like "trauma" from the outside — still drives anxiety, shame, harsh self-criticism, or reactions that feel bigger than the moment calls for. If you find yourself saying "I know it wasn't my fault, but it doesn't feel that way," that gap between knowing and feeling is often where EMDR does its work.

What it's like

You won't have to retell your story in detail or relive it to heal from it. After a preparation phase — building resources and making sure you feel steady — you'll focus briefly on a memory while following bilateral stimulation, usually eye movements. Most people describe the experience as their mind moving through the memory the way it processes in dreams: associations surface, the emotional charge drains, and the memory becomes something that happened rather than something still happening.

We will check in as you go, and sessions close with time to settle before you leave. Nothing moves faster than you're ready for.

EMDR with Perry

Perry is certified in EMDR through EMDRIA, the credential that requires advanced training, consultation, and supervised experience beyond basic certification courses. For clients who want it, he integrates a Christian perspective into the work; the treatment itself follows EMDR's evidence-based protocol.

Some clients do this work in weekly or bi-weekly sessions, and we offer extended-length EMDR sessions (90 minutes). For deeper or time-compressed work — especially ministry leaders traveling in — EMDR can also be part of a two- or three-day counseling intensive.

A place to begin