“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
― Maya Angelou
Adversity changes the nervous system. Reprocessing changes what the nervous system does with the past to have a better future.
About me
I am a bilingual EMDR-certified psychotherapist. I trained clinically in Chile and the United States, and I work with adults navigating the long aftermath of adversity – early attachment wounds, complex childhood experiences, single overwhelming events, and the slow erosion of being rejected or discriminated against for who you are.
I work in English and Spanish. I see clients online across Oregon, Washington, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
You can also find me on the Psychology Today therapist directory.
How I think about what brings you here
The way we perceive, feel, and react to present life stressors is informed by formative experiences in the past – some nurturing, some adverse. Adversity, in its many forms, is what usually causes those experiences to end up inadequately processed and maladaptively stored in our memory. Those experiences are often encoded with original images, thoughts, feelings, and sensations that are affectively charged, so they contribute to nervous system responses that may have been adaptive in the past but are not anymore. Those responses usually become problematic patterns that prevent us from building meaningful relationships with ourselves and others – and even from having a life worth living.
The good news is that the same brain that learned the old pattern can learn a new one – when it is given the conditions to do so.
What is EMDR?
EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – is a body-aware, evidence-based therapy for trauma and the long shadow of adverse experience. EMDR is one of the most studied trauma therapies and has a solid evidence base for reprocessing painful experiences that continue to affect us in our daily lives. I don’t promise that EMDR erases the past. What it does offer is a shift in how the body and mind hold that past, so that it no longer occupies so much space in the present and so that we can respond more freely, less conditioned by old fears and maladaptive patterns.
Here is the short version:
- EMDR is not talk therapy.
- We talk to understand your concerns and how your memory system works. The change comes from reprocessing – letting the brain re-store what it didn't get to file properly the first time.
- Why the past keeps impacting us.
- At the time of an adverse experience, the brain wired itself to understand: how the world functions and how to survive when we are helpless, what we need to do to belong to it and be loved by our caretakers, and what we need to believe about ourselves to make sense of what didn't make sense. That emotional learning was adaptive then. Years later, in different conditions, it is no longer effective.
- What the work makes possible.
- The goal is a more adaptive resolution of the past, so adverse experiences no longer feel (a) like they are happening now, (b) like they taught you "the truth" about the world, or (c) like they broke you forever.
- Bilateral stimulation.
- EMDR uses bilateral stimulation – eye movements, gentle tapping on the knees or shoulders, or small handheld buzzers – to help the nervous system maintain dual awareness of past and present. Bilateral stimulation is a natural human resource that facilitates reprocessing; something similar happens during REM sleep.
- Bottom-up therapy.
- You process with the body first, and verbal-rational skills complete the work.
Like Frog and Toad, EMDR and IFS (Internal Family Systems / parts work) are great friends. Because the more we listen to our protective or exile inner parts, the quieter they become because they start trusting the Self's capacity to keep our mind grounded, connected and wise, which will help with your healing process.
I am also trained in **DBT and ERP**, and I draw on them when they will serve you better than EMDR on its own.
Is EMDR for you?
EMDR may be a fit if:
- You want to work on problems at the root, not just learn to manage them
- You are willing to let the body process first
- You can give up the need to process everything by talking
- You can see your therapist as a companion in your journey, not as the source of wise advice
- You want to trust your own capacity to create safety and healing
We figure out readiness together. In our first appointments you will learn more about the process and ask any questions you need. If you decide to move forward, you will build skills and resources to regulate emotions and increase your sense of safety before any trauma reprocessing.
What if I'm not ready yet?
It's ok if you need time to feel safe and have trust in me. It's ok if you need time to disclose events, feelings, or behaviors. Just let me know that you need more time, so we prevent secrecy as we respect your process.
EMDR is a structured therapy, but it is not a rushed therapy. The preparation phase is part of the work, not a warm-up to the "real" work. Preparation phase will create the safety for reprocessing and will prevent re-traumatizing.
I am confident that you will find your path towards healing.