EMDR for Anxiety: A Game-Changer for Young Adults in CT, PA, NJ, and DE
If you're struggling with anxiety, you're not alone. 70% of young adults say anxiety and depression are major problems among their peers. Healing is possible, and there's therapeutic approaches that work incredibly well for young people.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In essence, EMDR allows us to work together with how your brain naturally processes information and memories.
When you're dealing with anxiety, there's usually something beneath the surfact of it. Perhaps an experience that shaped how you see yourself or the world. It could be a moment that taught your nervous system to stay on high alert. With EMDR, we target those specific memories or beliefs that are fueling your anxiety today.
The difference between EMDR and regular therapy? You don't need to spend session after session talking about what happened. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sounds) while you briefly focus on what's bothering you. It helps your brain reprocess the experience so it stops triggering you the same way. You stay in control the whole time, and you don't have to share more than you're comfortable with.
Why Young Adults Are Choosing EMDR
Nearly 2 in 3 young adults choose their therapist based on the therapy style they offer. You want approaches that actually work, backed by science, and won't take forever. Many young people prefer mindfulness-based approaches like EMDR that let them be present while targeting specific issues.
What Anxiety EMDR Can Help With
EMDR works for generalized anxiety, social anxiety and fear of being judged, panic attacks, test anxiety, phobias, and anxiety from past experiences.
What Actually Happens in EMDR Sessions
First, we will begin by talking about what you want to work on and teaching you grounding skills you can use whenever anxiety hits. Then in processing sessions, you'll briefly focus on what's triggering your anxiety as I guide you through bilateral stimulation (following my fingers with your eyes, tapping, or sounds).
Does EMDR Actually Work?
Yes! Research shows patients treated with EMDR show a reduction in trauma symptoms and anxiety. I have seen college students who couldn't sit through class without panic attacks, teens afraid to leave their house, young adults paralyzed by social anxiety and much more. I have helped them find freedom via EMDR.
EMDR Plus DBT Skills
At my practice, I often combine EMDR with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills because EMDR processes the root causes while DBT gives you practical tools for managing intense emotions in real time. It is not necessary to do both, but an option depending on what is happening to you.
Is EMDR Right for You?
EMDR might be a good fit if you've tried talk therapy but still feel stuck, your anxiety seems connected to past stuff, you're looking for actual healing and not just coping strategies, or you prefer doing over just talking.
Your Anxiety Doesn't Define You
Your anxiety might feel overwhelming right now, but it doesn't have to be your forever story. I was once a teen who needed help too. I know what it's like to feel like you've tried everything.
That's why I do this work. Because with the right support, healing isn't just possible, it's probable. Your brain has an incredible capacity to heal and change. Sometimes it just needs the right conditions and the right guide.
Taking the First Step
If you're in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware, I'd love to discuss helping you explore whether EMDR is the right option for you. I offer virtual therapy that fits both of our schedules. This means you can do it from your dorm, home, car, or wherever you feel safest.
Before we get started, we start with a free 15-minute consultation. No commitment, no pressure. Just a conversation about where you are and where you want to be. You're already ahead by acknowledging you need support. Now let's find the path forward that works for you.
Denise Takakjy, PhD, LPC-PA, LPC-NJ, LPCMH-DE, NCC, C-DBT, CATP, BSL, is a licensed therapist specializing in EMDR and DBT for teens, young adults, and their parents. With virtual therapy available across CT, PA, NJ, and DE, Healing Hearts Healthy Minds provides compassionate, evidence-based support for anxiety, depression, self-harm, and life transitions.
Ready to explore EMDR for your anxiety? Schedule your free 15-minute consultation today.