If Talk Therapy Hasn't Touched the Trauma, There's a Reason
Traditional talk therapy is powerful for many things. Trauma isn't always one of them. When an experience has been stored in the body and brain as threat rather than memory, talking about it, analyzing it, reframing it, understanding it, often isn't enough to change how it feels.
EMDR and ART work differently. Both use bilateral stimulation and structured protocols that work directly with how the brain stores distressing experience, helping it process what got stuck and file it where it belongs: the past.
At WHCP, multiple clinicians are trained and certified in both modalities. We work with adults, teens, and children — and we'll help you determine which approach is the right fit for you.
EMDR was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s and has since become one of the most researched trauma treatments in the world. It is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychiatric Association for the treatment of PTSD.
In an EMDR session, you're guided to briefly hold a distressing memory in mind while engaging in bilateral stimulation — typically eye movements, hand taps, or auditory tones. This process helps the brain reprocess the memory: reducing its emotional charge, challenging the negative beliefs it created, and replacing them with something more accurate and livable.
EMDR is effective for PTSD, attachment trauma, anxiety, phobias, and depression. It's also used to build emotional resources like confidence and self-esteem. We work with it across ages — with specific training in adapting EMDR for children's developmental needs.
ART is one of the faster-acting trauma treatments available — often producing significant relief within one to three sessions. Like EMDR, it uses eye movements, but its structure is different: clients are guided to replace distressing mental images with positive ones of their choosing. The original traumatic memory loses its grip without requiring you to discuss the details.
ART works for PTSD, grief, anxiety, phobias, depression, OCD, eating disorders, addiction, and performance anxiety. The pace is faster than traditional therapy. The results are lasting.
Several of our clinicians hold Master ART Certification — the highest level of ART training available.