A path to healing the mind’s stuck memories and moving forward with more clarity, calm, and emotional balance.
We know you are capable. You’ve learned how to push through. You show up, keep moving, and stay composed, even on the days when everything feels heavier than you let on. From the outside, you’re successful and in control. But on the inside, things may feel different.
Certain situations may still make your chest tighten.
Maybe you react more intensely than you’d like in day-to-day situations.
Maybe you’ve told yourself you’ve “moved on,” but your body hasn’t.
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. Many high-achieving professionals find themselves stuck in emotional patterns that don’t match their current reality. Talk therapy can help, but sometimes insight alone isn’t enough to calm the reactions living in your nervous system.
That’s where EMDR therapy comes in.
At Destination Therapy in Houston, we use EMDR to help you reprocess distressing experiences so your mind and body can finally stop responding as if old stress or trauma is still happening. Instead of trying to think your way through it, EMDR helps you heal at the root.
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a research-backed therapeutic approach that helps your brain reprocess distressing memories and experiences so they stop triggering overwhelming emotional or physical responses.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR focuses on the way difficult memories are stored in the nervous system. When something deeply stressful happens, the brain’s natural healing process can get interrupted, leaving the memory “stuck” with its original emotions,
sensations, and beliefs.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, rhythmic left-right eye movements, tapping, or sound, to help unstick these memories and allow your brain to file them away in a calmer, more integrated way. You are not reliving the past. You are reprocessing it, so it no longer holds the same emotional charge.
Many clients describe it as finally being able to remember an event without feeling overwhelmed, reactive, or “pulled under” by it.
Is EMDR a Good Fit for Me?
EMDR is not only for major trauma. It is also highly effective for the quieter, ongoing experiences that high-achieving individuals often minimize or push through.
EMDR may help if you notice:
- Anxiety that feels bigger than the situation
- Emotional reactions that don’t match your logic
- Burnout or exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest
- People-pleasing, perfectionism, or harsh self-criticism
- Avoidance of specific conversations, memories, or places
- Shutting down or overreacting during conflict
- Feeling “stuck” despite doing years of talk therapy
- A constant sense of urgency or difficulty relaxing
- Irritability or tension that lingers beneath the surface
High-functioning individuals often compartmentalize stress to stay productive, but the nervous system keeps the score.
EMDR gently helps you reconnect with what your body has been holding onto, without needing to relive painful experiences in detail.
If you’ve ever thought:
“Logically, I know I’m fine so why do I still feel this way?”
“I don’t know why this still bothers me.”
“Something feels off, but I can’t name it.”
EMDR may be the next step in your healing.
At Destination Therapy, EMDR is led by our Lead Clinician, Tabitha Durr, LMFT, who specializes in helping high-achieving professionals heal anxiety, trauma, and burnout with a calm, structured, and supportive approach.
What are the Goals of EMDR?
While every EMDR treatment plan is tailored to your needs, common goals include:
- Reducing emotional intensity tied to past experiences
- Easing anxiety, panic, and chronic stress
- Improving emotional regulation and resilience
- Healing trauma stored in the nervous system
- Softening the impact of painful memories
- Releasing patterns of perfectionism or self-criticism
- Building a more profound sense of safety and groundedness
- Strengthening clarity, confidence, and self-trust
EMDR doesn’t erase your past; it changes your relationship to it so you can move forward without carrying its emotional weight.
How Does EMDR Work?
1. Preparation: Building Safety and Grounding
Before any reprocessing begins, you’ll work with Tabitha to develop grounding tools and a strong emotional foundation. You may learn how to:- Regulate your nervous system
- Create an internal sense of safety
- Notice emotions without judgment
- Stay present and centered during sessions
2. Processing: Repatterning How the Brain Holds the Memory
When you’re ready, bilateral stimulation begins. You bring a memory or emotional experience to mind while your therapist guides you through left-right stimulation. During this phase:- The emotional charge tied to the memory begins to soften
- Your brain naturally forms new insights and connections
- Old beliefs (“I’m not safe,” “It’s my fault”) begin to shift
- The memory becomes something you can look at, not relive
3. Integration: Anchoring the Changes
After reprocessing, you’ll work with your therapist to make sense of the shifts and apply them to daily life. This may look like:- Feeling calmer in situations that used to trigger you
- Noticing less urgency or reactivity
- Adopting new, empowering beliefs
- Responding to stress with more clarity and stability
How Do I Start?
Beginning EMDR at Destination Therapy is simple and supportive:
1. Schedule Your Consultation
Request an appointment with Tabitha Durr, LMFT, our EMDR specialist. We offer telehealth across California, Texas, and Utah.
2. Meet Your Therapist
During your first session, Tabitha will learn about your goals, explain the EMDR process, and help you build grounding skills so you feel prepared and supported.
3. Begin Your Personalized EMDR Plan
Together, you’ll move through preparation, processing, and integration, always at a pace that respects your nervous system and your story.
Meet Our EMDR Therapist:
Tabitha Durr, LMFT
Tabitha Durr is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Lead Clinician at Destination Therapy. She has completed EMDR basic training. More specifically, specializes in EMDR therapy for professionals navigating trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and burnout. With a warm, grounded presence, Tabitha provides a structured and supportive environment where clients can safely explore the emotional and physical responses tied to their past experiences.
Her approach blends evidence-based EMDR techniques with deep compassion and cultural sensitivity. Tabitha understands the unique pressure high-achieving individuals face: the expectation to hold everything together while privately managing emotional weight that others may never see. She helps clients reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and reprocess memories so they can finally experience relief that goes beyond insight alone.
Clients often describe Tabitha as calm, steady, and deeply validating, a therapist who helps them feel safe enough to let their guard down and finally heal the patterns that keep them feeling stuck.
EMDR Therapy FAQs
What happens during an EMDR session?
An EMDR session varies depending on the phase of treatment you are in. When in the process of actively reprocessing memories, you will recall a memory or emotional experience while your therapist guides you through bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or audio tones). You remain fully in control and grounded throughout the process. The goal is not to relive the event but to help your brain reprocess it so it no longer triggers overwhelming reactions.
Do I have to talk about traumatic experiences in detail?
No. EMDR does not require you to share every detail out loud. Much of the process happens internally while the therapist supports emotional regulation and pacing. Your privacy and comfort are always our top priority.
Is EMDR only for major trauma?
Not at all. EMDR is highly effective for both big “T” and small “t” trauma, including anxiety, chronic stress, work-related burnout, people-pleasing patterns, perfectionism, and emotional wounds from past relationships. Many high-functioning adults benefit from EMDR even if they don’t consider their experiences “trauma.”
How long does EMDR therapy take?
The length of treatment varies depending on the memories or patterns you’re addressing. Some clients notice improvement within a few sessions, while others benefit from a longer-term approach. Tabitha works collaboratively with you to develop a personalized plan that respects your pace and goals.
Is EMDR therapy safe?
Yes. EMDR is an evidence-based treatment recommended by the American Psychological Association and the World Health Organization for trauma-related symptoms. Sessions always begin with grounding skills and emotional stabilization to ensure you feel safe and supported before reprocessing begins.
Does EMDR work online through telehealth?
Yes. Bilateral stimulation can be delivered effectively through telehealth using tapping, audio stimulation, or visual tools. Many clients find virtual EMDR just as impactful as in-person sessions, especially when balancing demanding schedules
What symptoms can EMDR help with?
EMDR can help with anxiety, trauma, panic, chronic stress, burnout, negative self-beliefs, perfectionism, fear responses, emotional reactivity, and unresolved relational or childhood wounds. It is especially helpful when talk therapy alone hasn’t relieved the emotional or physical reactions tied to past experiences.
How do I know if EMDR is right for me?
If you feel stuck, triggered by things you thought you’d moved past, or overwhelmed by stress that doesn’t match the situation, EMDR may be a strong fit. High-achieving individuals who “push through” often benefit significantly from this nervous-system-based approach.
How do I get started with EMDR therapy?
Simply visit our Contact Page to request an appointment. You’ll meet with Tabitha to ask questions, explore your goals, and determine whether EMDR is the right next step in your healing process.