EMDR Therapy

EMDR Therapy for Healing
What Still Feels Heavy

You might understand where your patterns come from and still feel them in your body. EMDR offers a structured, supportive way to process experiences that still carry weight, whether they happened years ago or feel woven into your family story, so your nervous system can finally catch up to what your mind already knows.

Free 15-minute consult · virtual & in-person · trauma-informed care

A calm, supportive moment representing EMDR therapy at Guiding Kindness Therapy
You're Not Alone

When the Past Keeps Showing Up in the Present

Many people come to EMDR after years of trying to think their way through something that lives deeper than thought. Old experiences can stay stored in the nervous system, quietly shaping how you respond to relationships, stress, and even rest. If any of these feel close to home, you're in good company.

A reflective moment representing healing from past experiences with EMDR therapy

Maybe a certain tone of voice or a familiar situation still makes your chest tighten, even when you know you're safe.

Maybe you've talked it through, understood it deeply, and it still feels unresolved.

Some reactions might feel bigger than the moment calls for, and it's hard to tell where they're coming from.

You might notice patterns from your family showing up in your own relationships, even ones you've worked hard to change.

Rest might feel uncomfortable, like some part of you is always bracing for what comes next.

Maybe you carry beliefs about yourself that you've outgrown in your mind but can't quite shake in your body.

EMDR offers a way to work with these experiences directly, so they can start to feel like memories rather than something you're still living through.

Get Started Today
How EMDR Works

EMDR Works With Your Nervous System, Not Just Your Story

EMDR isn't about reliving everything that happened. It's about helping your nervous system process what it hasn't had the space to resolve, so your body no longer reacts as if the past is still happening. Here's a closer look at how we approach it.

01 · What EMDR Is

A different way to process what's stayed stuck

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) doesn't require you to retell every detail of what happened. Instead, it uses bilateral stimulation, like guided eye movements or tapping, to help your brain and body reprocess difficult experiences so they gradually lose their emotional charge.

Bilateral Stimulation Reprocessing Mind-Body Connection
02 · Generational Healing

Looking at the story your family handed down

At Guiding Kindness Therapy, we have a particular focus on generational trauma. We pay close attention to how attachment wounds, family-of-origin patterns, and inherited beliefs show up in your life today, and how EMDR can help loosen their hold.

Attachment Family of Origin Inherited Beliefs
03 · Safety Comes First

Grounding before processing

Before any processing begins, we take time to build trust and grounding tools you can lean on during and between sessions. You set the pace, and you'll never be pushed into memories before you feel ready to work with them.

Preparation Grounding Your Pace
04 · What It Can Help With

Support for what still feels heavy

People often turn to EMDR for childhood experiences, anxiety that seems rooted in something older, relationship patterns that keep repeating, beliefs about themselves they can't quite shake, or a single painful event that still feels close. We'll explore together whether EMDR is the right fit for what you're carrying.

Childhood Experiences Relationship Patterns Life Events
Signs It Might Be Time

When the Workarounds Stop Working

You've likely found ways to manage on your own for years, extra reminders, over-preparing, staying up late to make up for lost time. If those workarounds are starting to take more out of you than they give back, an assessment can offer clarity instead of another system to maintain.

Common reasons adults reach out for an assessment:

  • Consistently missing deadlines or losing track of time
  • Starting tasks you can't seem to finish
  • Feeling scattered no matter how many systems you try
  • Emotional reactions that feel bigger than the moment calls for
  • Exhausted from constantly trying to keep pace with everyone else
When You're Ready

You Don't Have to Keep Surviving What's Already Over

There often comes a point when the coping strategies that once kept you safe start to cost more than they give. Choosing EMDR isn't about erasing your past. It's about letting it rest where it belongs, so you have more room for the life you're living now.

A few reasons people reach out for EMDR:

  • They've gained a lot of insight and want change to feel real in the body, not just the mind
  • They're ready to stop bracing for things that are already behind them
  • They want to understand how their family story still shows up today
  • They're tired of managing the same reactions over and over
  • They're curious whether a more focused approach could help things finally shift
Anne McGibbon, LCSW, therapist at Guiding Kindness Therapy
Your EMDR Therapist

Meet Anne

Anne sees herself as a sounding board and a second pair of eyes on your life. Her approach is grounded and practical: alongside the deeper work of processing what's stayed stuck, she helps you build functional, sustainable tools you can lean on long after a session ends.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker Virtual & In-Person Practical, Sustainable Tools
Getting Started

Free15-minute consult

Start with a no-pressure conversation to talk through what's bringing you in and whether EMDR with Anne feels like the right fit.

Free Consultation Virtual & In-Person Bala Cynwyd Office
Get Started with Anne
How It Works

What to Expect When You Begin

Three steps to a clear, evidence-based understanding of how your mind works.

01
Day One

Free Consultation

A short call to talk through what's brought you here and see if a full assessment is the right next step. No pressure, just a conversation.

02
Assessment Sessions

Comprehensive Evaluation

The DIVA-5, the ASRS, and an in-depth clinical interview come together to build a full, evidence-based picture of your history, symptoms, and daily functioning.

03
Following Session

Results & Recommendations

We walk through what the assessment found, including a diagnosis if applicable, and talk through the support options and strategies that make sense for you.

What to Expect

How EMDR Therapy at Guiding Kindness Helps

Working with Guiding Kindness means your pace, your history, and your nervous system are respected every step of the way. We build stability first, so you're never pushed into memories before you feel grounded enough to work with them.

01
First Step

Free Consultation

A short, no-pressure conversation about what's bringing you in and whether EMDR feels like the right fit for you.

02
Getting Grounded

Intake & Preparation

We gently explore your history, strengths, and goals at your pace, and build grounding tools you can lean on before, during, and after processing.

03
Ongoing Sessions

EMDR Processing

Sessions focus on reprocessing the experiences that still feel heavy, along with nervous system regulation and carrying those shifts into daily life. Many clients begin noticing changes within the first few months.

A supportive therapy setting at Guiding Kindness Therapy
Why Guiding Kindness

EMDR Care You Can Trust

Our therapists are licensed, trauma-informed, and genuinely invested in helping you feel at home in yourself again. Here's what clients have shared about working with us.

Licensed & Trauma-Informed
Generational Trauma Focus
In-Person & Virtual Sessions
Paced to Your Nervous System
5-Star Google Reviews
★★★★★

Therapy has become a fixture in my life and I can't imagine not going at this point. I actually look forward to my appointments!

Siobhan Cunningham
Google Review
★★★★★

Very grateful to have a talk therapy office in Bala Cynwyd that is very human-focused, compassionate, and honestly, just nice people to be around and have support you.

Sarah
Google Review
★★★★★

Such an amazing practice and truly helped me turn my life around!

Grace Plett
Google Review
Bala Cynwyd, PA Philadelphia, PA Virtual Across PA, FL & ME EMDR Therapy Trauma-Informed
You Asked, We Answered

Frequently Asked Questions

The things people ask us most before starting EMDR. If yours isn't here, we're happy to talk it through.

Do you offer EMDR therapy in person?
Yes. We offer in-person EMDR sessions at our Bala Cynwyd office on Montgomery Avenue and our Philadelphia office on Henry Avenue.
Is virtual EMDR available?
Yes. EMDR can be done effectively online, and we offer virtual sessions for clients in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Maine.
How long does EMDR therapy usually take?
It depends on what you're working through. Some people notice meaningful change within a few months, while others with more complex or long-standing experiences benefit from longer-term work. We'll talk through a realistic timeline together.
What if I've never been to therapy before?
That's completely okay. EMDR includes a preparation phase where we build trust, learn grounding skills, and make sure you feel ready before any processing begins.
What can I expect during my first appointment?
Your first session is a conversation. We'll get to know you, talk about what's bringing you in, and answer any questions about how EMDR works. There's no pressure to share more than feels comfortable.
Do you take insurance?
Guiding Kindness Therapy is a private pay practice. We can provide a superbill so you can seek reimbursement from your insurance provider directly, if your plan allows it.
Get Started

Let What's Already Over Finally Rest

You don't have to keep carrying it on your own. Fill out the form and our team will reach out to schedule your free 15-minute consultation and talk through whether EMDR feels like the right fit.

  • Licensed, trauma-informed therapists
  • In-person & virtual EMDR sessions
  • Free consultation, no referral needed

Prefer to talk? Call (267) 585-4476

Request Your Free Consultation

Share a little about what's bringing you in and we'll get back to you shortly.