EMDR Therapy for Trauma and PTSD in NYC
EMDR is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they stop triggering a survival response. It treats trauma, PTSD, and event-anchored anxiety without retelling the whole story. At our Manhattan practice, one clinician coordinates your EMDR therapy and medication in a single plan.
- In-person · Manhattan
- Telehealth · New York
Start with an assessment
Short, private check-ins that help you put words to what you're noticing before your first conversation.
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What Is EMDR and Who Does It Help
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, eight-phase psychotherapy developed to treat trauma. Traumatic memories don't file themselves away like ordinary ones; they stay raw and reactive. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (guided eye movements, tapping, or alternating tones) while you briefly hold the memory in mind. This appears to help the brain reprocess the experience so it loses its grip on your nervous system. You don't have to relive the event, which is why EMDR often helps when talk therapy hasn't.
For PTSD, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive processing therapy, and prolonged exposure are first-line. EMDR is a strong next step when first-line therapy isn't the right fit. Learn more about trauma and PTSD treatment.
The short version
- EMDR is an APA-suggested therapy for PTSD, offered as a second-line option after the first-line trauma-focused therapies (CBT, cognitive processing therapy, and prolonged exposure).
- It uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones) to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories without detailed narration.
- A standard course runs 8 to 12 sessions for single-event trauma; complex trauma may take 20 or more.
- EMDR is usually delivered in person, where bilateral stimulation is easiest to guide and stabilization is closest at hand.
- Here, EMDR-trained clinicians deliver reprocessing and manage medication on one plan, starting from the Sigmund Assessment.
You may be a candidate
EMDR works best when a specific memory is driving your symptoms. You may be a candidate if several of these feel familiar:
- You've told the story enough times that the words come out flat, but your body still reacts.
- A sound, a smell, or a date drops you back into an event that's long over.
- You wake at 3 a.m. braced for something that already happened.
- Talk therapy gave you insight, but the charge on the memory never went down.
The evidence behind EMDR therapy
a conditional, second-line recommendation after the trauma-focused first-line therapies (APA PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline, 2017)
conditionally recommended psychotherapies for PTSD, alongside the four the APA strongly recommends (APA PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline, 2017)
and can lead to loss of diagnosis in systematic-review evidence (APA PTSD guideline systematic review, 2017)
How EMDR Works and What to Expect
EMDR runs on an eight-phase protocol where sequencing matters. The phases group into three stages:
Prepare (phases 1–2)
Your clinician maps your trauma history, symptoms, and capacity, decides whether EMDR is the right move, and teaches grounding skills so you have somewhere safe to land between sets.
Reprocess (phases 3–6)
You identify a target memory and the image, belief, emotion, and body sensation it carries. Bilateral stimulation begins, the memory's charge decreases across sets, a more adaptive belief is strengthened, and remaining physical tension is cleared.
Close and reevaluate (phases 7–8)
Each session ends with you grounded and regulated, not raw, and your clinician checks whether the work held and what to target next.
In a reprocessing session, you bring the target to mind while following eye movements, a light bar, or alternating tones in sets of 30 to 60 seconds, then report what surfaced: images, feelings, body sensations, new thoughts. No detailed narration required. Sessions run 30 to 90 minutes, usually weekly. A standard course is 8 to 12 sessions for single-event trauma, and longer for complex trauma. Some patients feel lighter immediately; others feel tired the next day, with insights surfacing between sessions as the brain continues the work.
EMDR at Integrative Psych
What sets EMDR here apart is that it's delivered by psychiatric clinicians who can also evaluate and treat the rest of the picture. Most EMDR is offered by solo therapists in independent practices, which works well for many patients. Adding psychiatric depth means one clinician can tell whether an underlying condition is complicating your trauma, and adjust medication management if reprocessing surfaces a need, with no handoff to a separate prescriber.
That coordination starts before your first session with the Sigmund Assessment, a structured pre-session evaluation that maps your clinical picture, so your clinician already knows whether you're ready to begin reprocessing or whether stabilization comes first. Our EMDR-trained clinicians are board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners with specialized trauma training, and the practice houses clinicians affiliated with the National Institutes of Health, Columbia University, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. EMDR is usually delivered in person at our Manhattan office, where bilateral stimulation is easiest to guide; telehealth anywhere in New York State is available when your clinician confirms it's a safe fit. You can explore the research.
Clinicians who provide EMDR therapy
Board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. The practice houses clinicians affiliated with NIH, Columbia, and New York-Presbyterian.
What Patients Say
Insurance and Billing
Integrative Psych is an out-of-network practice. You pay at the time of service and receive a monthly superbill to submit to your insurer for potential out-of-network reimbursement. Many PPO plans reimburse a portion, and your insurer is the best source for what your specific plan covers. To check yours, call the number on your card and ask about out-of-network reimbursement for outpatient psychiatric evaluations, follow-up visits, and therapy.
Billing, simply
- Out-of-network; you pay at the time of service.
- Monthly superbill provided for reimbursement.
- Many PPO plans reimburse a portion of out-of-network care.
- Call the number on your card to confirm your benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Therapy
How do I know if EMDR is the right treatment for me?
EMDR works best when a specific memory is driving your symptoms and you can tolerate reprocessing. The Sigmund Assessment surfaces both before you start. For PTSD, trauma-focused CBT is first-line, so your clinician talks through whether EMDR is your right first step or comes later, or whether stabilization comes first.
Is EMDR a first-line treatment for PTSD?
It's a recognized, well-studied option, but not the APA's first-line choice. The APA strongly recommends trauma-focused CBT, cognitive processing therapy, and prolonged exposure as first-line for PTSD, and gives EMDR a conditional, second-line recommendation. That still makes it a solid, evidence-supported treatment, particularly when first-line therapy isn't a good fit or hasn't worked.
How does EMDR actually work?
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (guided eye movements, tapping, or tones) while you briefly hold a distressing memory in mind. This appears to help the brain reprocess the memory so it's stored as a past event rather than a live survival signal. The neurobiology is still being studied, but systematic-review evidence supports its use for reducing PTSD symptoms.
How many EMDR sessions are typically needed?
For single-event trauma, a standard course runs 8 to 12 sessions after the preparation phase. Complex trauma often takes longer, sometimes 20 sessions or more. Sessions run 30 to 90 minutes. Your clinician gives you a specific range after the Sigmund Assessment and tracks progress with validated measures.
Is EMDR effective for anxiety as well as trauma?
Yes, when the anxiety is anchored to a specific memory: a humiliation that seeded social anxiety, a scare that seeded health anxiety, an incident that seeded a phobia. For generalized, diffuse anxiety without a clear origin event, CBT is usually the stronger first-line modality.
Can I do EMDR if I'm on psychiatric medication?
Yes. Many EMDR patients take medication for depression, anxiety, or sleep, and the two are often complementary. Because one clinician handles both your therapy and your medication in a single plan, the medication side can be adjusted based on what surfaces during reprocessing, rather than waiting on a separate prescriber.
Where can I find EMDR therapy near me in NYC?
Our office is at 80 8th Ave in Manhattan, where EMDR is usually delivered in person because bilateral stimulation is easiest to guide there. Remote EMDR anywhere in New York State is possible for appropriate cases, and your clinician confirms during the assessment whether it's a safe fit for your history.
Start Here
Trauma is treatable, and EMDR is one of the well-studied ways to treat it. The path starts with an assessment thorough enough to tell you whether EMDR is the right first step or whether something else comes first. Appointments are in person at our Manhattan office or by telehealth anywhere in New York State.