What is trauma-informed psychotherapy?

We have learned so much in the last 20 years about trauma’s role in compromising our mental health. Although some people do have a brain chemistry imbalance, what happens oftentimes is that our unconscious memories of past trauma continue to disturb the nervous system, as if the traumatic event were continuing in the present. A kind of neural feedback loop.

What is EMDR?

EMDR was conceived as a technique using visual stimulation to break those feedback loops, hence the name Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. As our understanding of trauma has grown, EMDR has evolved into a fully developed approach to therapy with the options of auditory and tactile stimulation. EMDR is helpful not only for single traumatic events, such as a car accident or sexual assault, but also long-term trauma like childhood abuse and emotional neglect.

Can EMDR be done online?

Yes. Drawing on my background as a board-certified music therapist, I have created a unique music-based protocol for online EMDR therapy. By using headphones, the client is able to experience the bilateral brain stimulation that is at the heart of EMDR.

Why music therapy?

Music is a universal human phenomenon, and for many thousands of years, cultures throughout the world have used music to heal.

Research is helping to explain how music improves physical and emotional wellbeing. When it comes to mental health, humans come up with all kinds of coping strategies—including addiction, anxiety, and depression—to avoid overwhelming emotions. Music provides the holding space for us to feel our feelings, the essential first step toward transformation.

Our analytical mind can help us understand why we are the way we are. I believe that real change comes from achieving a different state of consciousness. If traditional talk therapy hasn’t led to the kind of breakthrough you’re seeking, you may want to try engaging your creative self through music.

Pricing

50-minute individual session: $250

Locations

My office is on 7th Avenue in Manhattan, two blocks from Penn Station. Online sessions are conducted using Zoom.

Insurance

I am in-network with Cigna; I assist out-of-network clients with reimbursement from their provider.

Getting started

Thoughts or questions? Contact me here any time.

If you’d like to learn more about me and my work and get a sense if we would be a good fit, please book a free 15-minute phone consultation. I look forward to talking with you soon.