Two women hugging warmly in a cozy living room with natural light, plants, bookshelves, and soft furnishings.

YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT. YOUR BODY STILL HASN'T LET GO.

EMDR Therapy in NYC

Virtually in New York City and Florida

You understand what happened. You can explain it. You've talked about it — maybe for years. But something in you still reacts like it's happening now.

EMDR works differently than talk therapy. Instead of just understanding the experience, it helps your brain and body actually process it — so the memory loses its charge and stops running the show.

WHEN TALKING ABOUT IT HASN’T HELPED ENOUGH

Working With an EMDR Therapist in NYC May Be Helpful If…

A memory still hits you with the same intensity — even though it happened years ago

You've talked about it in therapy before —but still feel emotionally stuck in the same place

You get triggered and can't logic your way out of it— your body reacts before your brain catches up

Anxiety, self-doubt, or perfectionism have roots you can't quite reach— and you sense they're connected to something older

Something happened recently— a breakup, a work situation, a loss — and it's not moving through you the way you expected

How EMDR Helps You Process, Not just Talk.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an extensively researched, evidence-based therapy designed to help people recover from trauma and other distressing experiences.

When something overwhelming happens, your brain sometimes stores it in a way that keeps it feeling present. That's why a memory from ten years ago can still make your chest tight or your stomach drop. Your brain filed it as "unfinished" — and your body keeps reacting accordingly.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones — to help your brain reprocess those experiences the way it was meant to. The memory doesn't disappear. It just stops carrying the same weight.

You don't have to narrate the whole story out loud. You don't have to relive it. A lot of the processing happens internally — and most people are surprised by how different it feels from traditional talk therapy.

In EMDR, we don’t just talk through what happened — we work with how it’s stored in your brain and body. Through a structured process, your brain begins to reprocess these experiences so they feel less overwhelming and more integrated. Over time, this allows you to feel relief, clarity, and a greater sense of emotional freedom.

WITH EMDR, YOU CAN:


Feel less triggered by past experiences

Break patterns that insight through talk therapy can’t

Experience more emotional balance day-to-day

Move forward without the same emotional weight

Feel at ease, not just know you’re safe

ALISON MARKOWITZ, LCSW

EMDR Therapist Alison Markowitz LCSW smiling while sitting at her desk in New York City

MEET YOUR EMDR THERAPIST IN NYC

Hi. I’m Alison Markowitz.

I'm an EMDRIA-Certified EMDR Therapist, which means I've completed advanced training and supervision beyond the standard EMDR certification. I use EMDR as a core part of my work — not as an add-on or something I pull out occasionally.

I've seen it help people who spent years in talk therapy without things shifting — and then something moves in a few sessions that they couldn't reach any other way. That's not magic. It's just a different way of working with how your brain stores experience.

We always go at your pace. Nothing gets processed before you're ready.

Four friends walking outdoors, smiling, with trees and a building in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions.

  • EMDR is a structured therapy that helps your brain reprocess experiences that feel stuck. Instead of just talking about what happened, we work with how it's stored in your brain and body — so it loses its emotional intensity over time.

  • No. EMDR doesn't require you to narrate the full story out loud. A lot of the processing happens internally. You share what feels right, and we work with that.

  • No. It's commonly used for trauma, but I also use it for anxiety, perfectionism, relationship patterns, grief, and anything that feels stuck and isn't responding to insight alone.

  • It's a mix of checking in, noticing what's coming up internally, and short sets of bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones). It's structured but flexible — we pause, adjust, and check in throughout.

  • It can bring things up — emotions, body sensations, memories. But you're never left to manage that alone. We build in grounding tools and go at a pace that keeps things steady.

  • It depends on what you're working on. Some people notice shifts quickly. For others it's a slower process. Both are normal. There's no set number of sessions.

  • Talk therapy helps you understand things. EMDR goes further — it works with how those experiences are stored in your nervous system, so they actually shift, not just make more sense.

  • Yes. Virtual EMDR is effective and well-researched. I offer virtual sessions throughout New York and Florida.

READY TO START?

You Don’t Have to Stay

Stuck in the Same Loop.

If something still feels unresolved — or you're just curious whether EMDR in NYC could help — that's enough of a reason to reach out.