Can EMDR therapy make me feel worse before I feel better, or are there side effects?

Temporary emotional sensitivity, vivid dreams, or light fatigue after a session are normal—they indicate your nervous system is actively processing stuck material between sessions. However, EMDR should never destabilize your life. As an experienced EMDR therapist in Brentwood, LA, I never rush into raw trauma work. We spend time stabilizing your nervous system and building robust somatic tools first, ensuring you process heavy memories safely without getting overwhelmed.

I see you offer telehealth throughout California. How does bilateral stimulation work online?

Virtual EMDR is just as clinically effective as in-person therapy. During online telehealth sessions across California, we use specialized virtual bilateral stimulation (BLS) tools including visual light bars on screen, alternating auditory tones through headphones, or guided self-tapping. Whether you work with me in my Brentwood office or via secure telehealth, the core neurobiological mechanism that processes stuck memories remains identical.

Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail during our sessions?

No. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not require you to rehash agonizing details out loud. You simply hold a target memory, negative belief, or physical sensation in your mind while we run bilateral stimulation. Your brain does the heavy lifting internally, allowing you to unburden deep trauma cleanly without retraumatizing yourself through endless verbal retelling.

You mention ensuring I am "resourced first." What does the resourcing phase actually look like?

Resourcing is the foundational prep work (Phase 2 of EMDR) that guarantees your nervous system stays grounded. Before targeting painful memories, we build your internal toolkit using somatic grounding techniques, safe-state visualizations, and clear session boundaries (including an immediate stop signal). We only advance to trauma processing when your system is steady, regulated, and fully equipped to handle emotional shifts.

What does an Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) session feel like compared to standard EMDR?

Standard EMDR typically targets single-incident traumas like accidents or acute events. Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) is tailored for developmental trauma, childhood emotional neglect, or relational wounds where no single memory exists. In an AF-EMDR session, we actively integrate the therapeutic relationship, somatic awareness, and custom resource interweaves to repair the deep, lingering impact of feeling unseen, unprotected, or chronically alone.

Will EMDR erase my memories or change my personality?

No. EMDR will not erase your memories or change who you are. It systematically digests the visceral, high-intensity charge locked inside a traumatic memory. After successful EMDR processing, you still remember what happened, but the memory shifts into a neutral historical fact rather than a present-day threat driving panic, hypervigilance, or anxiety. It strips away the survival weight so your authentic self can step forward.

ANXIETY THERAPIST · LOS ANGELES

Anxiety Therapy in LA. The Roots,
Not Just the Symptom.

Anxiety therapist in Los Angeles. Susan Quinn Therapist, LMFT root-cause anxiety therapy using EMDR and nervous-system work, for clients tired of managing what they’d rather actually resolve.

Root-Cause

Anxiety Approach

EMDR + Nervous-System

Integrated Work

Panic · Phobia · GAD

Treated

WHY THIS APPROACH TO ANXIETY

Anxiety is the Symptom.What it's Pointing to is the Work.

Most people seeking anxiety therapy have already tried coping tools, mindfulness, or medication yet the anxiety keeps returning because it isn’t just a thinking problem. It’s a nervous system response shaped by stress, fear, or past experiences.

My approach focuses on calming the body’s alarm system, not just managing thoughts. Using EMDR, nervous system regulation, and trauma-informed therapy, we work to reduce chronic vigilance so your mind and body can finally feel safe again.

ANXIETY PRESENTATIONS TREATED

The Forms of Anxiety this
Practice Specialises In.

Generalised anxiety (GAD).

Chronic, pervasive anxiety. The mind that won't stop scanning. The hum that won't quiet.

Panic disorder.

Acute panic episodes and the anxiety about anxiety that follows.

Social anxiety.

Particularly when it traces to early relational or attachment experiences.

Specific phobias.

Flying, driving, medical, public speaking, animals — phobias often have a clear root EMDR can target.

Health anxiety.

Hypervigilance about the body, often following a medical event.

Performance anxiety.

Particularly when connected to early experiences of judgment or shame.

Anxiety after life events.

The anxiety that develops or worsens after a diagnosis, loss, betrayal, or major change.

Chronic hypervigilance.

The nervous system that won't stand down even when nothing is wrong.

IS THIS ANXIETY THERAPY RIGHT FOR YOU?

Where this Approach Tends
to Help.

My anxiety therapy practice is specialised. Here’s where it fits and where another option might be better.

This may be a good fit if

You've tried CBT, mindfulness, or medication and the relief has been partial.
Your anxiety feels older than the current trigger.
You want a treatment that addresses roots, not only symptoms.
You can identify earlier experiences that may have shaped how your nervous system responds.
You want a defined, evidence-based treatment arc not open-ended supportive therapy.
You're willing to feel some discomfort in service of resolution.

Another option may fit better if

Your anxiety has a primarily medical cause that hasn't been ruled out (thyroid, hormonal, neurological).
You're looking for short-term symptom management without addressing roots.
Severe OCD better served by an OCD specialist using ERP.
You're in active crisis or need higher-level care first.
You're primarily seeking medication management that requires a psychiatrist.

ANXIETY THERAPY - COMMON QUESTIONS

What People Ask First.

What kind of anxiety therapy do you provide?

Primarily EMDR-based, integrated with nervous-system regulation work and psychodynamic understanding. I work at the root — the experiences and templates that taught your nervous system to stay alert — rather than only managing the surface symptoms. For many clients, that’s what makes the change durable rather than temporary.

Is your anxiety therapy approach evidence-based?

Yes. EMDR is one of the most rigorously researched psychotherapy treatments in existence, recognised as a first-line treatment for PTSD by every major mental health body. Its application to anxiety more broadly is well-established — chronic anxiety often has trauma-spectrum roots that respond to the same protocol.

How is this different from CBT for anxiety?

CBT teaches you to identify and challenge anxious thoughts. It’s effective for many people, particularly for acute, situation-specific anxiety. EMDR works at a different level — it addresses the nervous-system imprint that’s generating the anxious thoughts in the first place. For chronic anxiety with deep roots, EMDR often reaches what CBT can’t.

FROM CLIENTS

In Their Own Words.

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AREAS SERVED

A Brentwood Practice.
 With Telehealth Across CA.

My office sits on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood minutes from Santa Monica, West LA, and Beverly Hills. For clients across California, telehealth makes the same work possible from home.

Brentwood

Primary office · 90049

Santa Monica

20 min · Telehealth

West Los Angeles

20 min · In-person

Beverly Hills

20 min · Telehealth

Pacific Palisades

20 min · Telehealth

Culver City

20 min · Telehealth

Start with a Conversation.

No commitment, no paperwork. A chance to talk through what you’re carrying and see whether EMDR and whether I might be the right fit.

Anxiety Therapy in LA. The Roots,Not Just the Symptom.

Root-Cause

EMDR + Nervous-System

Panic · Phobia · GAD

Anxiety is the Symptom.What it's Pointing to is the Work.

The Forms of Anxiety this Practice Specialises In.

Generalised anxiety (GAD).

Generalised anxiety (GAD).

Panic disorder.

Panic disorder.

Social anxiety.

Social anxiety.

Specific phobias.

Specific phobias.

Health anxiety.

Health anxiety.

Performance anxiety.

Performance anxiety.

Anxiety after life events.

Anxiety after life events.

Chronic hypervigilance.

Chronic hypervigilance.

Where this Approach Tends to Help.

This may be a good fit if

Another option may fit better if

What People Ask First.

In Their Own Words.

A Brentwood Practice. With Telehealth Across CA.

Brentwood

Santa Monica

West Los Angeles

Beverly Hills

Pacific Palisades

Culver City

Start with a Conversation.

Anxiety Therapy in LA. The Roots,
Not Just the Symptom.

The Forms of Anxiety this
Practice Specialises In.

Where this Approach Tends
to Help.

A Brentwood Practice.
 With Telehealth Across CA.