Trauma & EMDR Therapist in Indianapolis, Indiana

If you’ve been in therapy for years and still feel like something from your past is “stuck” in your body, I may be the therapist you’re looking for.

I specialize in helping adults work through trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and difficult life transitions. I’m especially passionate about helping people who understand their experiences intellectually, but still feel like their body and emotions haven’t caught up. You may be thinking, “I know I’m safe, so why don’t I feel safe?” or “I’ve talked about my trauma for years, so why does it still feel like something is in there?”

That’s often where I can help.

My Approach to Therapy

I would describe my therapy style as direct, warm, challenging, humorous, and a little metaphorical. Therapy with me is a safe space to do hard work and a comfortable person to get uncomfortable in front of.

I believe clients need both validation and challenge. I try to have a good ear for knowing when you need someone to simply understand what you're experiencing and when you need someone to gently challenge you to look at something differently. I also believe a little humor can go a long way when we're trying to interrupt a negative thought pattern.

My goal isn't to make therapy comfortable all the time. You're not coming to therapy just to get comfortable; you're coming to heal. But that doesn't mean I won't make the process as comfortable as possible while still challenging, encouraging, and occasionally interrupting you.

EMDR & Trauma Therapy

I use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) frequently with clients who are struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, triggers, and negative core beliefs. I’m trained in EMDR and am particularly passionate about this approach because I’ve seen how powerful it can be for the right client.

I don't jump straight into EMDR processing. Preparation is an important part of the process, and I want my clients to understand what to expect before we begin doing deeper trauma work.

One question I hear frequently is, “Is EMDR like hypnosis? Will I be unconscious?”

No. You will not be unconscious, unaware, or out of control during EMDR. You remain conscious and aware throughout the process. The bilateral stimulation such as eye movements, tapping, or audio is designed to help you stay connected to the present while your mind begins processing experiences from the past. I also regularly pause the bilateral stimulation and check in with questions like, “What do you notice?”

Understanding Negative Core Beliefs

A major part of my work involves helping clients identify negative core beliefs - deeply held beliefs about themselves that can develop through childhood experiences, trauma, relationships, and the ways we learned to cope with the world.

One thing I wish more people understood is that you don't have to have experienced the “worst” trauma imaginable for your experiences to matter. Even people who had relatively good childhoods can walk away with negative beliefs about themselves. It's part of how we learn to cope as children in a complicated world.

Sometimes a belief that once helped protect you is still running the show years later.

I often help clients recognize the subconscious ways they reinforce those beliefs and the patterns that keep them stuck. This can be especially important when we're looking at repeating relationship patterns, emotional triggers, anxiety, or difficulty trusting yourself.

Inner Child Work

I also incorporate inner child work into therapy. I love helping clients understand the younger parts of themselves that developed certain beliefs, reactions, or coping strategies for a reason.

The goal isn't to blame your younger self or criticize the way you coped. It's to understand why those patterns developed, appreciate the ways they may have protected you, and begin releasing some of the anger, regret, shame, or pain you may still carry from your past.

I want my clients to understand something very important: what happened to you was not your fault, and what happened to you doesn't have to determine your future.

What I Help With

I commonly work with adults experiencing:

• Trauma and unresolved past experiences

• Anxiety and anxiety-related patterns

• Depression

• Emotional triggers

• Negative core beliefs

• Relationship patterns

• Grief and loss

• Difficult life transitions and change

• Shame, regret, and unresolved emotions from the past

I primarily work with adults. I do not specialize in working with children or teenagers, personality disorders, or substance-use concerns.

Questions I Often Help Clients Explore

You may find yourself asking:

• Why do I keep repeating the same relationship patterns?

• Why do I know intellectually that I'm safe, but my body still reacts like I'm not?

• Why do I understand my trauma but still feel like I haven't healed?

• Where did my negative beliefs about myself come from?

• Why do certain situations trigger such strong emotional reactions?

• Why does my past still affect me when I thought I had already dealt with it?

• How can I stop letting my past control my present?

• How can I have more compassion for the younger version of myself?

• Can EMDR help if I’ve already spent years talking about my trauma?

What I Want My Clients to Know

I don't believe therapy is about comparing your experiences to someone else's and deciding whether yours were “bad enough” to deserve healing. Your experience matters.

I'm particularly good at helping people recognize that what happened to them wasn't their fault and that they can reclaim their ability to determine what happens next.

I also believe coping skills aren't just things we pull out when we're already overwhelmed. They're maintenance and prevention. As I like to say:

“A coping skill a day keeps the therapist away!”

If you've done the song and dance of therapy and still don't feel like your past is completely out of your body, I can help.

If you like a little woo-woo, a little humor, and a lot of clinical expertise, we might be a good fit.

Outside of therapy, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, traveling, connecting with nature, practicing meditation, and playing interior designer whenever I get the chance.