Sexual Trauma & EMDR

Sexual trauma can affect every part of life — intimacy, relationships, desire, emotions, and your relationship with your own body. These experiences can leave you feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, confused, or unsure how to move forward.

You are not alone, and nothing about your reactions is “too much” or “wrong.”
Healing is possible, and you deserve support that feels safe, steady, and grounded.

My work integrates trauma-informed care, EMDR, and sex therapy to help you process what happened, reconnect with your body, and rebuild a sense of safety, trust, and empowerment.

What Sexual Trauma Can Look Like

(It’s More Than People Think)

Sexual trauma includes a wide range of experiences — not just what society labels as “assault.” You may be navigating trauma if you have experienced:

Unwanted or forced sexual experiences

  • assault

  • coercion

  • pressure or manipulation

  • non-consensual encounters

Boundary Violations

  • situations where you froze

  • experiences you didn’t want but felt unable to stop

  • childhood sexual experiences or exposure

Emotional or Relational Impacts

  • fear or avoidance of intimacy

  • difficulty trusting partners

  • confusion around desire or arousal

  • feeling disconnected from your body

  • body memories or emotional flashbacks

Sexual Pain or Shutdown Responses

  • vaginismus or involuntary tightening

  • dyspareunia or pain with penetration

  • shutdown, numbness, or dissociation

  • difficulty staying present

All of these responses are normal reactions to trauma.
Your body learned these patterns to protect you.

Close-up of a rosette-shaped cluster of blue-green agave plant leaves with sharp, pointed edges and small spines.

How Trauma Can Affect Desire & Intimacy

Sexual trauma can impact:

  • desire

  • arousal

  • orgasm

  • comfort with touch

  • emotional closeness

  • communication

  • body awareness

  • the ability to relax during intimacy

None of this means anything is “wrong” with you.
Your body is responding to past experiences — and with the right support, it can also learn to feel safe again.

What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain heal from overwhelming or traumatic experiences. Instead of talking through every detail, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (like gentle side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or tones) to help the brain reprocess memories that feel “stuck.”

Trauma can get stored in the body in ways that show up as anxiety, fear, shutdown, or strong emotional reactions — even long after the event is over. EMDR helps the brain process those memories so they feel less intense, less triggering, and less connected to current situations.

With EMDR, you stay grounded, in control, and aware the entire time. You don’t have to relive the trauma — we work safely, slowly, and at the pace your nervous system can handle.

Two hands reaching towards each other against a cloudy sky; the upper hand is partially visible, extending downward, while the lower hand is fully visible, reaching upward.

How EMDR Helps

EMDR is a powerful, evidence-based therapy for trauma that helps the brain reprocess overwhelming experiences so they no longer feel as intense, triggering, or “stuck.”

In EMDR, we work gently and at your pace to:

  • process traumatic memories safely

  • reduce emotional and physical reactivity

  • release stored body responses

  • rebuild internal safety

  • strengthen confidence and self-trust

  • change the way trauma impacts intimacy and relationships

EMDR does not require reliving every detail.
You stay grounded, in control, and connected throughout the process.

My Approach to Sexual Trauma

My work is:

  • trauma-informed

  • EMDR-integrated

  • sex-positive and shame-free

  • body-aware

  • emotionally attuned

  • focused on safety and pacing

Together, we will:

  • move at the pace your nervous system can handle

  • explore patterns without judgment

  • understand how trauma shows up in the body

  • build safety, presence, and grounding

  • reconnect you to your desires, boundaries, and needs

  • gently rebuild comfort and trust in intimacy

You are in control every step of the way.

Healing is possible.

You deserve to feel safe, connected, and whole

Schedule a Session