EMDR Therapy | EMDR Therapist for women of color
You understand what happened. Your body hasn't gotten the message yet.
You've named the wound. You've done the journaling, the reflection, the talk therapy. You know where it comes from. And still, something in you braces before a hard conversation.
Still pulls away before you can get hurt. Still reacts in ways that feel older than the situation in front of you.
Understanding what happened isn't always enough to change how it lives in your body. EMDR therapy works at the level where the pattern actually lives, so the past stops running the present.
EMDR isn't just for major trauma. It may be exactly what you need if:
Your nervous system reacts to present-day situations as if the threat is still happening.
You understand your patterns intellectually but can't stop them in real time.
You've tried talk therapy and left with insight but not relief.
Certain memories, interactions, or people still carry an emotional charge that feels out of proportion.
You find yourself shutting down, dissociating, or going into fight-or-flight in moments that don't seem to warrant it.
You're carrying something you've never been able to fully talk through, or don't want to have to.
If any of this sounds familiar, your nervous system may still be holding an experience your mind has long moved on from. EMDR was designed for exactly that.
The experiences that shaped you didn't always look harmful in the moment.
And neither did the ways your brain learned to adapt and survive.
When something overwhelming happens, especially early, especially repeatedly, the brain sometimes stores it differently. Not filed away as a memory. Held. Braced. Still active. That stored charge is what makes a comment from your mother land like a verdict. What makes a pause in a text thread feel like abandonment. What makes you disappear from yourself right when you most need to show up.
It's not weakness. It's not something you should be over by now. It's a nervous system doing what it was taught to do, in a context where those lessons no longer apply. EMDR helps the brain finish what it couldn't complete the first time, so the memory becomes the past instead of a presence you keep running from.
Imagine what becomes possible when the charge is gone.
- The memory exists but it no longer controls the room.
- The conversation with your mother doesn't cost you three days of recovery.
- The silence from someone you love doesn't spiral into certainty that you're losing them.
- You can be in a hard moment without your body deciding it's a crisis.
- You can feel it. Stay with it. Move through it. Without disappearing. Without shutting down. Without the reaction being bigger than the moment.
That's not the absence of feeling. That's what it's like when the wound underneath has finally had the chance to heal.
EMDR therapy goes where talk alone can't reach.
Unlike traditional therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to retell every detail of what you've been through. It works by helping your brain reprocess stored traumatic experiences, so they lose their emotional charge and stop running in the background of your relationships, your reactions, and your sense of self.
As that charge releases, the patterns that were built around it begin to shift. Boundaries feel less terrifying. Rest feels less earned. You start responding from the present instead of the wound.
How It Works
Build the Foundation
Before any processing begins, we create safety. That means understanding your history, identifying what we'll work toward, and building the internal resources you'll need to move through the work steadily. This phase ensures EMDR is the right fit and that you feel grounded before we begin.
Process the Source
Using guided bilateral stimulation, we target the specific memories, beliefs, or body sensations still holding their charge. You don't have to narrate everything. You hold the experience while the brain does the work it wasn't able to finish the first time. Sessions are paced to what your nervous system can hold.
Integrate and Move Forward
As memories lose their emotional intensity, we reinforce new beliefs and check that the work has settled across your body, thoughts, and sense of self. The goal isn't just relief from a single memory. It's a nervous system that no longer braces for the past in the middle of the present.
Meet Jamie Fowler, LCSW
As a trauma therapist and EMDR therapist, I work with women of color who are ready to move beyond what they understand about themselves and into the body-level work that actually shifts the pattern.
EMDR is one of the most researched trauma treatments available. In my practice, it's not a protocol I run through. It's the tool I reach for when insight has gone as far as it can go and the nervous system still needs something insight can't give it.
Because there are enough places in your life where you have to push through. This isn't one of them.
Let's start with a conversation about what you've been carrying and whether EMDR feels like the right next step.
If you're ready for support that works at the source, schedule your consultation and let's begin.
Investment
$200 per 50-minute session
EMDR sessions are tailored to your pace and goals. Some clients complete focused EMDR work in a shorter timeframe. Others integrate it as part of ongoing trauma therapy. We'll determine the right approach together.
Questions about scheduling or getting started? We'd be happy to help.
Testimonials
"Working with Jamie has helped me to make a great deal of progress towards my goals. I've been able to begin processing through past experiences and have learned new coping skills."
"Jamie helped me meet my goals by offering insight into why I may think about situations a certain way and how to remove my limiting thoughts from what is actually occurring. Also, made me realize I need to be more kind to myself as I deal with life."
"Since working with Jamie, I'm not the same version of myself that I was when I started sessions and I'm grateful for that. I'm the most open and vulnerable in my life and in my relationships than I have ever been.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EMDR therapy best for?
EMDR was originally developed for PTSD, and research consistently shows it is highly effective for trauma of all kinds, including relational trauma, childhood wounds, and experiences that didn't look like a single dramatic event but still left a mark. It is also used for anxiety, depression, and the body-level patterns that talk therapy alone hasn't been able to shift. If you carry something that still has an emotional charge in the present, EMDR may be the right tool.
What exactly happens during EMDR therapy?
EMDR uses guided bilateral stimulation, typically side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones, while you hold a specific memory, belief, or body sensation in mind. This process helps the brain reprocess stored experiences so they lose their emotional intensity. You don't have to talk through every detail of what happened. The work happens at a nervous system level, not just a narrative one. Sessions are paced carefully, and nothing moves faster than you are ready for.
Is EMDR typically covered by insurance?
EMDR is a recognized, evidence-based treatment and may be covered depending on your plan. I currently do not accept insurance. I am out-of-network with insurances and can provide a superbill you may submit for possible reimbursement. I recommend contacting your insurance company directly to ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits.
How much does a session of EMDR cost?
Sessions are $200 per 50 minutes. The number of sessions varies depending on what you're working through and your goals. Some clients experience significant relief in a focused series of sessions. Others integrate EMDR into longer-term trauma therapy. We'll discuss what makes the most sense for your situation in the initial consultation.
Will I cry during EMDR?
EMDR doesn't cause emotional distress, it releases what has been stored in your body. However, you might cry. EMDR often surfaces emotion that has been stored for a long time, and for many people, that release is part of the process. You might also feel lighter than expected, or simply notice a shift in how a memory feels without a dramatic emotional response. Every experience is different. What stays consistent is that the work is paced by what your nervous system can hold, and you will never be pushed into more than you're ready for.
I've done therapy before and it didn't really change anything. How is EMDR different?
Most talk therapy works at the level of insight. You understand your patterns, you can name them, and they keep happening anyway. That's often because the wound isn't stored as a thought. It's stored in the body, the nervous system, the automatic responses that kick in before your mind can intervene. EMDR works at that level. It's not a different conversation about the same experience. It's a different kind of processing entirely.
What if I'm not sure what I need to process?
You don't need to arrive with a clear target. The preparation phase of EMDR includes working together to identify what's most relevant, what still carries a charge, and what your nervous system is organized around. Many clients discover through that process what has actually been driving the patterns they've been trying to understand. You don't have to have the answer before we start.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule a session?
I understand that life happens. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please provide at least 24 hours notice whenever possible. Appointments canceled or rescheduled with less than the required notice may be subject to a cancellation fee. Please contact me as soon as possible if you need to make changes to your appointment.
You don't have to keep understanding something that your body still hasn't let go of.
If you're ready to move the healing past insight and into the nervous system, that's where EMDR begins. Let's talk about whether it's the right fit for you.
