EMDR
in Baltimore, MD and virtually
Painful experiences can leave a lasting imprint, showing up as thoughts, feelings, sensations and memories that can feel as intense as the past events. These experiences can leave us feeling stuck, impacting our sense of self worth, our relationships, our experience of relative safety and our capacity to have hope for the future.
EMDR can help you heal.
As an EMDRIA Certified Therapist and Approved Consultant, Shir has completed the highest standards of EMDR training and consultation to provide EMDR to children, adolescents and adults.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence based and highly researched therapy approach designed to help people recover from trauma and PTSD.
EMDR uses guided eye movements, tapping, sounds or tactile vibrations called bilateral stimulation- to activate your brain’s natural ability to process information and heal. It uses a three-pronged approach, addressing past memories and present triggers while helping you develop internal resources and tools to prepare for and navigate stressors and goals in the present and future.
Shir uses standard EMDR along with advanced EMDR interventions, including for recent and ongoing traumatic events, complex trauma & dissociation, body image distress and eating disorders, chronic pain, addictive behaviors and creative interventions for child and adolescent EMDR. Shir also specializes in tailoring EMDR for autistic, ADHD and LGBTQIA+ clients.
Research suggests EMDR is effective for both single-event trauma and ongoing stressors and can help with:
PTSD and Complex-PTSD
Anxiety and panic
Depression
Grief
Chronic pain
Burnout and feeling “stuck”
Phobias
Disordered eating and Eating Disorders
Addictive behaviors and Addiction
Self harm
Recent and ongoing traumatic events
EMDR Services
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EMDR Intensives
Ideal for clients integrating EMDR with their current therapy or wanting to make rapid progress as an alternative to longer term therapy, Intensives are a specialized service that offer a multi-hour treatment/s in a short period of time along with a treatment workbook and follow up resources.
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Professional Consultation
Shir is a EMDRIA Approved Consultant supporting professionals interested in deepening their EMDR skills, attaining EMDRIA Certification, or in getting support as Consultants in Training (CIT’s) in order to become Approved Consultants themselves. Sliding scale fee’s available !
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Ongoing Therapy
Ideal for clients who want to work at a more flexible and/or gradual pace and address multiple concerns, EMDR can be part of our ongoing work together. If you are interested in working together for individual therapy, please reach out for most updated availability.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR follows an eight-phase process that helps your brain organize memories so they feel less overwhelming. You’ll still remember what happened, but it will feel neutral or distant instead of emotionally intense. Your beliefs about yourself and your experience in the world will no longer be negatively shaped by the event. The process typically works like this:
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First, we’ll explore your history, current stressors, and symptoms to understand how past events are affecting your present. This step allows us to create a clear, personalized plan that addresses your goals.
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This phase helps you connect to your internal resources, strengths, and positive experiences. Using methods such as eye movements, tapping, or sounds, we apply a gentle form of bilateral stimulation to calm the nervous system and elevate the positive feelings connected to your inner resources.
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We’ll identify specific memories, triggers, and beliefs to target, exploring the related images, emotions, thoughts, and body sensations. We will choose the memory or situation, or “target” to process first.
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Using bilateral stimulation, we reduce the intensity of distress from memories, present triggers and stuck negative beliefs. You remain in control throughout the process and can stop at any time.
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We’ll focus on strengthening supportive and grounding beliefs, like “I am enough,” with the target event in mind, until it feels true.
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During this phase, any lingering physical tension or discomfort is reprocessed using bilateral stimulation.
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Each session ends with a review of tools to help you feel grounded, calm, and supported following processing.
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This is how each new session begins after reprocessing. We will review your level of distress and we’ll review your progress, address any lingering distress, and plan together what to work on next.
EMDR Intensives
Sometimes, traditional weekly therapy isn’t enough to address specific challenges or fit into a busy schedule. EMDR Intensives provide a focused approach, allowing for deeper, more efficient progress in less time. By combining extended sessions with a structured process, EMDR Intensives help you maintain momentum and effectively reprocess stuck memories, moving you closer to your goals.
Who benefits from EMDR Intensives?
EMDR Intensives are ideal for individuals who are navigating specific challenges and want to make meaningful progress quickly, need supplemental support alongside their ongoing therapy, or have busy schedules or other needs that impact accessibility of long-term, regularly scheduled weekly sessions.
EMDR Intensives typically include:
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In this 90-minute session, we will review your history, identify goals, and map out a clear plan for the intensive. This session also includes developing grounding and calming tools to help you feel prepared for the deeper work ahead.
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Choose between two 3-hour sessions or four 90-minute sessions for a total of six hours of reprocessing. These sessions focus on reprocessing specific memories or concerns using the structured EMDR approach.
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After the intensive, we’ll meet for a 30-minute follow-up session to review progress, address any remaining concerns, and plan your next steps in the healing process.
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You’ll receive a comprehensive workbook and tools to support you before, during, and after your sessions.
Investment for EMDR Intensives
To balance accessibility for clients and the sustainability of my practice, WTC uses a system of mutual aid called an equitable pricing model.
Clients are asked to self-select their rate based on the guidelines below, considering their financial situation and ability to contribute to mutual aid.
Equitable Rate: $2500
For those with greater financial privilege, this rate covers the full value of the intensive and also supports the redistribution of resources, helping others through mutual aid.
Sustainable Rate: $2000
Designed to increase accessibility while also ensuring the long-term stability of this practice. This rate covers the hourly EMDR rate for the 8 hours while still receiving the additional resources and benefits from the intensive.
Accessible Rate: $1500
Designed to lower financial barriers, this rate supports equitable access to specialized therapy services. *limited spots/availability. A payment plan is also available to pay across each session rather than a 50% deposit.
Please note, A 50% deposit is required at the time of scheduling, with the remainder due at the end of the first processing session. A individualized payment plan can also be set up by request.
For more information on equitable pricing, please review WTC’s Rates page or read “Embracing an Equitable Sliding Scale" by Britt Hawthorne.
If you’re wondering whether adjunctive EMDR, EMDR intensives or EMDR as part of individual therapy might be a good fit, I’d be happy to talk with you more.
FAQs about EMDR
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The length of EMDR therapy depends on your goals and history. Some people experience relief after just a few sessions, while others may benefit from longer-term work, especially when addressing multiple concerns. During our initial consultation, we’ll discuss what feels right for you.
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Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn’t require you to analyze or discuss every detail of your experiences. Instead, it focuses on how memories are stored in your brain, helping reduce their emotional impact. EMDR is designed to allow your brain’s natural healing processes to take over.
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Some clients feel temporary emotional intensity during or after sessions, but this is part of the healing process. We’ll work together to ensure you have tools and support to manage these feelings safely, and most clients find the long-term relief is worth it.
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Before your intensive, we’ll meet for an assessment session to create a clear plan and develop grounding tools. You don’t need to do anything special to prepare, but it can help to reflect on what you’d like to focus on and bring any questions you have to our first meeting.
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Yes! EMDR works just as well virtually as it does in person. Techniques like tapping and guided movements adapt seamlessly to online formats, so you can engage in therapy from the comfort of your own space.
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EMDR is effective for a range of challenges, including PTSD, anxiety, grief, and stress. If you’re unsure, we’ll discuss your goals and concerns during an initial consultation to determine if EMDR is the best fit for you.