Affirmative Online Trauma & Grief Therapy in California
Lisa Sonin Larsen, PsyD (CA Lic.# PSY19046)
3123 W. Ave. L 8, Lancaster, CA 93536
Phone: 661-233-6771
EMDR Therapy For Teens and Adults in California
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Do you still react to reminders of past trauma as though they just happened? Are you tired of living in the emotionally painful past? Are you interested in resolving the traumatic events once and for all? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help you step into the future mentally and emotionally.
What is EMDR Therapy and How can it Help you?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for PTSD and other trauma is a treatment developed in the 1980s by Francine Shapiro, PhD, to help process and resolve traumatic memories. Based on the Adaptive Information Processing model, EMDR changes the way you remember and experience trauma. It helps you move past painful events by reorganizing scattered or unprocessed parts of the memory. As a result, you can release negative emotions, self-beliefs, and physical sensations that have been trapped in your body since the incident.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly effective, evidence-based therapy for PTSD that I’ve been using for over 16 years. It helps change the way you think, feel, and experience the memory so you're not emotionally captive to it. Together, we can work toward helping you feel safe, calm, and connected again.
How does EMDR therapy work?
EMDR therapy follows an eight-phase process:
History Taking & Treatment Planning – I gather information about your trauma and how it affects you to create a personalized plan.
Preparation – We strengthen your emotional regulation skills to ensure a smoother, more successful therapy process.
Assessment – Together, we identify the specific memory to work on, along with the negative thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations it triggers. We also choose a positive belief you’d like to replace it with—such as “I can handle difficult things” or “I survived it.”
Desensitization – Using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or following a moving object), we process the memory until it no longer feels distressing.
Installation – Once the memory feels neutral, we strengthen your positive belief through bilateral stimulation, reinforcing your sense of empowerment.
Body Scan – We check for any remaining emotional or physical tension. If any traces of distress remain, we process them further.
Closure – If the memory is fully neutralized and the new belief feels true, we end the session and revisit it in future sessions to ensure it stays that way.
Reevaluation – Over time, we check in to ensure lasting progress and address any new trauma that may surface.
EMDR therapy for PTSD is especially effective for adult traumatic incidents like being in combat, being assaulted, or getting in an auto accident. Childhood trauma can also be resolved, but more preparation is needed.
Some people prefer the insight they gain with EMDR therapy, while others just want to feel better fast, without the discomfort that can arise with EMDR therapy. For that purpose, there is a similar treatment called Flash Technique, which can remove the pain of trauma or grief without as much distress
Ready to feel free of your trauma?
Is EMDR therapy right for you?
If you have post-traumatic stress disorder. (PTSD), you might:
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Get triggered by things others brush off
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Feel more emotional — or more numb — than those around you
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Relive the past through nightmares, flashbacks, or body sensations
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Know things are different now but still feel like the past is happening
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Feel edgy, jumpy, and get sick more often
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Struggle with sleep, eating, digestion, or relaxation
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Find it hard to connect with the people who matter most
If that sounds familiar, maybe it's time to work through what happened. You don't want those events to hold you captive forever.
The good news: EMDR can help you resolve trauma. It's not a quick fix, but it doesn't have to take forever either.
Many clients describe feeling lighter and freer after processing — like the experience no longer feels fresh or overwhelming. Old coping mechanisms that once served you can finally be released. If trauma is holding you back, EMDR can help you heal, move forward, and take back control.
Intrigued about how EMDR can help you?
Why Choose EMDR Therapy with Me?
I have been using EMDR therapy for many years and have been certified as an EMDR Therapist by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) since 2008. This certification requires extensive practice, individual and group consultation, and recommendations from three experienced EMDR clinicians. Combined with my certification, my years of experience ensure that you receive high-quality, effective EMDR treatment.
In addition to EMDR therapy, I incorporate Flash Technique and, at times, clinical hypnosis to further enhance trauma processing.
Lasting Healing and Freedom with EMDR Therapy
One of the most rewarding parts of my work is helping people release long-held pain and experience lasting relief. The joy and freedom of living in the present can be yours.
I also offer a self-help video program and workbook for adult trauma survivors to support your healing journey. This educates you about trauma treatment and symptoms, as well as coping skills.
If you think EMDR therapy could help you, I would love to hear from you. Please call the office or click the contact button below.
Trauma doesn't have to live in you forever!
Online EMDR Therapy in Lancaster, CA
Lisa S. Larsen, Psy.D.(she/her/hers)
3123 W Ave L 8, Lancaster, CA 93536
I offer exclusively online therapy for everyone's safety and comfort.
Please call to make an appointment or click the button below. Thank you. I look forward to speaking with you soon!
Ready to live in the present?