EMDR THERAPY IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Recovery is Possible.
Blue Tansy therapy offers Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in San Francisco to address trauma, ease anxiety, and help you find peace.
You may be looking for EMDR in SF if…
You always feel alert and anxious.
You struggle with poor sleep or nightmares.
It feels impossible to not blame yourself for what happened.
Trusting and getting close with others is difficult.
You’re not sure who you are anymore.
How Does Trauma Impact the Body?
• Our bodies are wired to survive, so they prioritize remembering dangerous experiences.
• This can lead to our systems being stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.
• You may feel anxious, have difficulty relaxing, or even experience night terrors.
• Trauma impacts our view of ourselves, others, and world—you may struggle with poor self-worth and difficulty trusting others.
• Our trauma responses continue even when they are no longer adaptive, and sometimes our nervous systems need help processing and moving on.
How Does EMDR Help?
· EMDR does not focus exclusively on negative experiences—it draws on positive experiences to promote healing and strength.
· A trusting therapeutic relationship makes it feel safer to face traumatic memories.
· Bilateral stimulation promotes relaxation and may help with memory consolidation.
· EMDR helps build positive self-concepts and adaptive future responses.
· This therapy can also be used to address unwanted trauma-related coping mechanisms, such as substance use, disordered eating, and self-harm.
What does EMDR in San Francisco look like?
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Getting to know you. We explore your attachment and trauma histories. We discuss what you would like your life to look like after therapy.
Resourcing. We develop visualization- and mindfulness-based coping skills. We identify and strengthen your existing healthy coping mechanisms.
Reprocessing. We identify memory targets. You evoke the memory while receiving bilateral stimulation until the memory is no longer charged.
Integration. We strengthen positive self-concepts and develop plans for living a joyful, connected life.
ABOUT KARINA BARRETTO, LPCC
Hi, I’m a trauma therapist in San Francisco specializing in EMDR and attachment-based therapy.
My approach is:
Trauma-informed
Relational and empowering
Grounded in neuroscience and attachment theory
I work with adults who want to heal from past experiences, better understand themselves, and build more secure and fulfilling lives. My practice has a special emphasis on religious trauma recovery.
Getting Started Is Easy
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Book a free 15 minute consultation.
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Schedule a time for your first session.
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Begin therapy, start healing!
EMDR Therapy San Francisco FAQS
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EMDR was initially developed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can also help people who have disturbing memories or anxiety. In fact, EMDR treats a host of mental health concerns, including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and addictions.
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EMDR is a structured approach to therapy where we move through several stages and steps. Talk therapy for trauma is more open-ended. Oftentimes, I combine elements of both in my work. For example, a healthy therapeutic relationship is critical for EMDR to be effective.
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If an insurance plan covers outpatient psychotherapy, EMDR is covered is as well. I am currently in network with United Healthcare and Aetna. I help potential clients understand their benefits at the outset of therapy, including any potential costs such as copays.
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People currently engaged in risky coping skills may need to engage in an extended resourcing process. This is because EMDR can be triggering, and safety is important. Examples of risky coping skills include substance abuse and self-harm. Resourcing will help develop healthier coping skills.
Similarly, people with high levels of dissociation may need extra support at the beginning of therapy. Dissociation is a common trauma symptom where a person feels separate from their body or the world around them. At the beginning of therapy, we will complete an assessment to determine if this is something you might be struggling with.
EMDR can be adapted to accommodate a wide range of physical limitations. For example, blind people might engage in bilateral tapping instead of back-and-forth eye movements.
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EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for trauma. Many research studies have found that it helps reduce symptoms of PTSD.
Although we know EMDR works, we currently don’t know how EMDR works. Several hypotheses exist. For example, bilateral stimulation may mimic the eye movements that happen during REM sleep. REM sleep is when our memories are consolidated. Therefore, it’s possible bilateral stimulation in therapy helps consolidate memories as well.
Everyone Deserves Healing. Get In Touch Today.
