Maybe you know exactly why you’re anxious. You know where your perfectionism comes from. You understand why trusting people, setting boundaries or slowing down is hard. You’ve talked about it. You’ve thought about it. So why do you still feel stuck?
Sometimes understanding your experiences isn’t enough to change how your mind and body respond to them. That’s where EMDR therapy with April Forella, LMHC, an EMDR Certified Therapist in Palm City, may help.
“Whatever it is that you’re experiencing, there is hope and healing.”
April Forella
What is EMDR?
EMDR helps you process what your brain hasn’t fully let go of
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-focused therapy that helps you process distressing experiences and the thoughts, emotions, body sensations and beliefs connected to them.
When difficult experiences aren’t fully processed, they keep influencing how you experience the present. A situation today may trigger feelings that seem much bigger than what’s happening.
You may know you’re safe, but your body doesn’t feel safe.
You may know you’re good enough, but an inner voice keeps telling you you’re not.
You may know you don’t need everyone’s approval, but saying no still feels incredibly difficult.
EMDR helps us work with what you know logically and what you continue to feel emotionally.
How EMDR works
What does EMDR therapy look like?
EMDR follows a structured, eight-phase approach designed to support safety, preparation, processing and integration. You don’t have to do all of this at once. EMDR is a process, and your treatment is tailored to you.
Phase 1
History & treatment planning
We learn about your history, current concerns, and what you’d like to change.
Phase 2
Preparation & resourcing
Before processing, we build skills and resources so you feel grounded and regulated.
Phase 3
Assessment
We identify the memories, triggers, beliefs, emotions and body sensations to target.
Phase 4
Processing
Bilateral stimulation, like eye movements or alternating taps, helps your brain process it differently.
Phase 5–7
Installation, body scan & closure
We strengthen adaptive beliefs, check for remaining distress, and make sure you leave grounded.
Phase 8
Reevaluation
We review progress and decide what still needs attention in future sessions.
Bilateral stimulation means gently alternating left-right input: following a moving light or hand with your eyes, or alternating taps. It supports your brain’s natural processing while you stay fully present, aware and in control. You can pause at any time.
How it can help you
Explore your past, understand your present, create a meaningful future
As the emotional intensity of past experiences decreases, many women find themselves feeling less triggered, less anxious and less caught in overthinking. The inner critic gets quieter. Stressful situations become easier to meet with calm and confidence.
EMDR may also help you develop healthier beliefs about yourself, set boundaries with less guilt, and feel more present and connected in your relationships. The goal isn’t to erase your past. It’s to help you feel less controlled by it.
Feel less triggered
Reduce anxiety and the weight of overwhelm
Overcome perfectionism and let go of old beliefs
Identify negative core beliefs and patterns
No longer feel “stuck”
Gain new skills to regulate your nervous system
EMDRIA Certified Therapist™
An evidence-based method
What EMDR can help with
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy used for PTSD, complex trauma, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, phobias, dissociation, grief and loss, and childhood trauma.
It’s recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense clinical practice guideline, and the American Psychological Association conditionally recommends it for PTSD.
Are ready to move out of survival mode toward a life where you feel calmer, more grounded, confident and empowered.
2
Are struggling with the effects of trauma or PTSD, anxiety, childhood experiences, unresolved grief, phobias or fears that still affect your life today.
3
Notice recurring patterns in your relationships, such as people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, fear of rejection, or relationships that leave you drained.
4
Feel stuck in midlife and are questioning your purpose, identity or direction: “What do I want for myself now?”
5
Understand your patterns intellectually but still feel stuck emotionally.
6
Are ready to stop simply coping and begin creating meaningful change in how you feel, think and relate.
What to expect
A collaborative, structured process
We begin by getting to know your history, identifying your goals, and building the emotional-regulation and coping resources you need before processing begins. When you’re ready, we’ll identify specific memories, current triggers or negative beliefs to target, and use bilateral stimulation to support your brain’s natural processing.
You remain fully present and in control, and you don’t have to share every detail. Over time, the goal is for these experiences to feel less emotionally charged, while you develop more adaptive beliefs and feel more grounded and free. Wondering how you’ll feel afterward? Read what to expect after EMDR therapy.
Short on time?
Try an EMDR Intensive
Weekly sessions are $200 for 60 minutes, and 2-hour extended sessions are $400. If you’d rather go deeper in less time, an EMDR Intensive gives you three hours a day for one to three days, with a 90-minute assessment before and a 90-minute follow-up after.
Your story is welcome here. If your question isn’t answered, reach out.
Do I have to talk about everything that happened to me?
No. You don’t have to tell April every detail of a traumatic or difficult experience for EMDR to be effective. You’ll work together to identify what feels appropriate to process, and you remain in control throughout. Before any processing, you’ll spend time building safety, emotional regulation and coping resources so you feel prepared. You don’t have to relive your trauma to heal from it.
How quickly will I notice a difference with EMDR?
Everyone responds differently, and there isn’t a set timeline. Some clients notice early changes, like feeling less emotionally reactive, having fewer intrusive thoughts, or a greater sense of calm. For others, meaningful change develops gradually as you work through different experiences and patterns. EMDR isn’t about rushing. It’s about lasting change at a pace that feels safe for you.
What if I get overwhelmed during EMDR?
You won’t be expected to push through overwhelming emotions. Before processing, you’ll build grounding resources to help you stay within a manageable window of emotional tolerance. During EMDR you remain in control and can pause or stop at any time. Your sense of safety comes first.
How many EMDR sessions will I need?
It depends on what you’re working on. A single, recent distressing event may need fewer sessions than layered childhood or complex trauma, which usually takes longer and more preparation. April will give you an honest sense of pacing after your first sessions. If you’d like to move faster, an EMDR Intensive concentrates the work into one to three days.
What does “EMDR Certified Therapist” mean?
EMDR Certified Therapist™ is a credential from EMDRIA, the EMDR International Association. Beyond basic EMDR training, it requires additional consultation hours, supervised EMDR practice and ongoing continuing education. April Forella holds this certification and has offered EMDR in private practice for about ten years.
Is EMDR covered by insurance?
April’s practice is private pay, so she doesn’t bill insurance directly. Weekly EMDR sessions are $200 for 60 minutes, or $400 for a 2-hour extended session, which gives more room for processing. If your plan includes out-of-network benefits, you can request a superbill to submit for possible partial reimbursement. EMDR Intensives are private pay and not eligible for reimbursement.
How is EMDR different from talk therapy?
Talk therapy builds insight through conversation. EMDR goes a step further by working with how an experience is stored in your brain and body, using bilateral stimulation to help it process. Many women come to EMDR after years of talk therapy. They understand their story but still feel the same in their body. April often blends EMDR with CBT, somatic and attachment-based work.
Can EMDR be done online?
EMDR can be done over secure video, and telehealth within Florida may be an option when it’s clinically appropriate. Many women prefer in-person EMDR at the Palm City office, and EMDR Intensives take place in person. You can talk through which setting suits you during your free consultation.
Your next step
Your story is welcome here.
Schedule a complimentary phone consultation. Share what you’re carrying, ask your questions, and find out whether weekly therapy, extended sessions or an EMDR Intensive fits what you need right now.
