EMDR Therapy in Lakeview, Chicago and Highland Park

This page is for people considering EMDR for themselves. If you're a therapist looking for EMDR consultation or training, see our page for providers.

What EMDR is

EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is a structured form of therapy developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It helps people process memories that still cause distress long after the event is over. It's built on the idea that the brain has a natural ability to process difficult experiences, and that sometimes a memory gets "stuck" in a way that keeps producing the same emotional and physical reactions. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, usually guided eye movements, while you focus on a specific memory, to help your brain move that memory toward resolution.

EMDR is included among the treatments in the American Psychological Association's clinical practice guideline for PTSD, and the World Health Organization's guidelines on conditions related to stress recommend it for PTSD in adults.

What EMDR can help with

EMDR was first developed for single-incident trauma and PTSD, and that's still where its evidence is strongest. We also use it for complex trauma and childhood trauma, anxiety, phobias, grief, and distressing memories that don't meet the bar for a diagnosis but are still affecting your life.

EMDR can help even when there isn't one clear memory to start from. If your difficulties come from what was missing in childhood rather than a single event, as with childhood emotional neglect, we can work with present-day reactions, body sensations and the earliest times you remember feeling a certain way.

The eight phases of EMDR

EMDR follows a structured eight-phase process, though it doesn't feel clinical or scripted in the room.

1. History-taking. We learn about you, what you'd like to change and what you've been through.

2. Preparation. We build coping skills and resources you can rely on before any difficult material comes up. This phase matters and we don't rush it.

3. Assessment. Together we choose a target memory or reaction and notice the images, beliefs, emotions and body sensations connected to it.

4. Desensitization. You hold the target in mind while following bilateral stimulation, in short sets, checking in between each one.

5. Installation. We strengthen a more helpful belief about yourself in connection with that memory.

6. Body scan. You check for any remaining tension or sensation and we work with what's left.

7. Closure. Every session ends with making sure you leave grounded, not stirred up.

8. Re-evaluation. At the next session we check whether the distress connected to that memory has actually shifted.

What a session feels like

In the processing part of a session, your therapist guides bilateral stimulation while you notice whatever comes up. Most often that's following your therapist's hand or a light with your eyes, side to side. Some people prefer gentle alternating taps or tones through headphones. You stay awake, in control and able to stop at any point. People often notice thoughts, images, feelings or sensations shifting as they go, and some notice very little in a given set. Both are normal.

You don't need to describe every detail of what happened out loud for EMDR to work. That surprises many people, and it's often a relief.

How many sessions it takes

It varies. For a single recent traumatic event, people often need somewhere around 3 to 12 sessions. Complex or repeated trauma usually takes longer, because more time goes into preparation and there's more to process. We'll give you a realistic sense of the timeline once we understand what you're bringing, rather than promising a fixed number up front.

Cost and insurance

EMDR is billed like any other therapy session. We're in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Community, Aetna PPO and TriCare, so EMDR is usually covered the same way your plan covers therapy. For clients outside our network, a 53 to 60 minute session is $165, and we can usually submit claims to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement. Full details are on our insurance and fees page.

EMDR alongside other approaches

EMDR often works best as part of a wider plan. Some clients start with the Safe and Sound Protocol to help the nervous system settle first. Some combine EMDR with Internal Family Systems (IFS), which helps when parts of you feel protective or resistant. EMDR can also be used during integration in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy when it's clinically appropriate. If you've done a lot of talk therapy without much change, read when talk therapy isn't working.

Who you'd work with

Sharon Steckler, MSW, LCSW is a certified EMDR therapist and an approved EMDR consultant and training facilitator who trains other therapists. Agi Corona Semrad, M.Ed., LPC offers EMDR in English and Spanish, often alongside IFS. Alex White, MSW, LCSW.

EMDR is available at our offices in Lakeview (3304 N Lincoln Ave) and Highland Park (1866 Sheridan Rd), and by telehealth for anyone located in Illinois.

Questions about EMDR