Dallas EMDR Therapy

Heal from trauma, anxiety, and painful memories without having to relive every detail. At Noyau Wellness Center, we offer evidence-based EMDR therapy in Dallas to help you process what happened, reduce the emotional weight of the past, and move forward with greater freedom.

Book an EMDR Consultation

Call us now

Hey there—I’m Charity Haggins, LPC-S, an EMDR therapist in Dallas.

Along with being a licensed psychotherapist, I’m one of the cofounders of Noyau Wellness Center. Hundreds of people have received EMDR at our practice, and 100% of them were helped at some level by EMDR.

We love how quickly and effectively EMDR treats trauma. Many people think that EMDR is reserved for people who have survived major traumas, but EMDR is suitable for both “big T” and “little t” traumas. In my experience as a therapist who has worked with trauma for decades, the “little t” traumas are much more impactful than people realize. For example, if a friend betrayed you in high school and thinking about it still upsets you, I believe that EMDR is worth doing.

It’s a misconception that EMDR eliminates trauma. In EMDR—and trauma therapy in general—our goal is often to no longer feel the physical effects of trauma and reach a feeling of neutrality towards the trauma. EMDR doesn’t delete traumatic memories. You’re always going to carry that memory with you. But EMDR can help you not experience and become stuck in the physical effects of trauma.

I like to use the analogy of smelling burnt toast. The smell of toast should just smell like toast—it shouldn't remind you of the fire in your house. With EMDR, we can get you to a place where the smell of toast does not remind you of the fire in your house, but you still remember the fire.

As effective as EMDR is, EMDR has its limitations since it does not address psychiatric concerns. Since EMDR was not designed to treat chemical imbalances, you will need help from a medication provider for psychiatric meditation.

If you’re curious about starting EMDR at Noyau, reach out today to speak with a member of our team. We’ll discuss your situation and determine together whether we’re a good fit for therapy and EMDR.

Meet our therapists

Justine Guzman, LPC

Using a direct, intentional approach that balances compassion with meaningful progress, Justine helps clients work through trauma, anxiety, phobias, and other difficult experiences. She’s also Gottman Level 2 trained and brings particular expertise in relationships, sexuality, eating disorders, and LGTBQ+ issues. Clients often choose Justine for EMDR therapy in Dallas for her culturally aware, affirming style and her ability to help clients challenge patterns that keep them stuck.

Credentials: Licensed Professional Counselor
EMDR format: In-person in Dallas and online throughout Texas
Specialities: Relationships/Sex, Families, Eating Disorders, LGBTQ

Schedule with Justine

Charity Hagains, LPC-S

With more than 15 years of experience, Charity is an EMDR-trained therapist who helps clients work through anxiety, trauma, panic disorder, depression, and other painful experiences that affect everyday life. Clients often choose Charity for EMDR therapy in Dallas for her warm, collaborative style and extensive background supporting people impacting by trauma, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

Credentials: Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor
EMDR format: In-person in Dallas and online throughout Texas
Specialities: Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Depression Family/Parenting, Self Esteem

Schedule with Charity

Karina Rumans, LPC-Associate

Bringing a warm, empathetic, and solution-focused narrative approach to EMDR therapy, Karina empowers clients to rewrite limiting stories and become active authors of positive change. With specialized experience in diverse community settings, she offers a culturally sensitive, non-judgmental space to help clients work through trauma, neurodivergence, and major life transitions by building on their inherent strengths.

Credentials: Licensed Professional Counselor Associate Supervised by Charity Hagains LPC-S
EMDR format: Online throughout Texas
Specialties: Trauma, ADHD, Neurodivergence, Anxiety, Depression, Life Transitions, LGBTQ+IA/Sexuality

Schedule with Karina

What Conditions Does EMDR Therapy Treat in Dallas?

EMDR was developed as a trauma treatment, but distressing memories can influence many areas of life. You don't necessarily need to identify with the word "trauma" to recognize that something from your past still has a hold on you.

Depending on your history and treatment needs, EMDR in Dallas may be used to address concerns such as:

PTSD & Single-Event Trauma: Car accidents, assaults, natural disasters, medical emergencies, sudden deaths, and other frightening events that leave memories that feel unusually vivid or emotionally charged.
Complex & Childhood Trauma (C-PTSD): Long-term emotional neglect, abuse, dysfunctional family environments, unstable relationships, or repeated experiences of feeling unsafe that shape how you see yourself and others.
Anxiety & Panic Disorders: Panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety, or intense fear in situations rooted in past negative experiences.
Performance Anxiety & Mental Blocks: Athletes, executives, speakers, performers, and other professionals working through experiences that contribute to performance anxiety, fear, or feeling mentally blocked.
Grief & Distressing Memories: Process stuck grief or persistent intrusive thoughts and reduce the intensity surrounding those memories while allowing you to maintain your connection to the person or experience you lost.

How EMDR Works: The Science of Bilateral Stimulation

You may be wondering how moving your eyes from side to side could possibly change a painful memory. The process, known as bilateral stimulation (BLS), uses eye movements or tactile stimulation (tapping or sounds) to engage both sides of your brain.

The EMDR process can be understood through the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. In simple terms, our brains are naturally good at processing and storing experiences as memories. But when something is particularly overwhelming, frightening, or painful, parts of that experience can become stuck, leaving you reacting to current situations with emotions, sensations, or survival responses similar to those at the time of the traumatic event.

It’s believed that BLS mimics REM sleep to facilitate the natural process of emotional processing, helping the brain reprocess memories so they move into long-term memory storage, stripping away the distressing physical and emotional charge.

Bilateral stimulation is used while you briefly focus on aspects of the targeted distressing memory. The goal is to support your brain's natural ability to reprocess the experience. What often changes is how the memory affects you. A memory that once brought overwhelming fear, shame, panic, or physical tension may begin to feel more distant and less powerful.

Instead of feeling as though part of you is still trapped in the experience, you can begin recognizing: That happened then. I am here now.

The 8 Phases of EMDR Therapy at Noyau

Phase 1: History Taking & Treatment Planning

We first start by getting to know you. Your EMDR therapist will ask you about your current concerns, relevant history, symptoms, and what you’d like to change through therapy. Together, we’ll identify potential target memories as well as situations or beliefs that may be connected to them.
You don't have to tell us every detail of your trauma for us to begin building a treatment plan.
Phase 2: Preparation & Resourcing:

Before processing begins, your therapist will explain the EMDR process and help you build a safe environment. You’ll learn grounding, relaxation, and other coping techniques to help you manage any distress during sessions. We want you to have resources you can use both during and outside therapy.
Phase 3: Assessment

Next, you and your therapist identify specific memories to target during the therapy. This also includes discussing negative beliefs associated with these memories and the more desired beliefs you’d like to strengthen.
Phase 4: Desensitization

This is the part of the process where bilateral stimulation becomes central. While briefly focusing on your target memory, you’ll follow your therapist’s eye movements, tapping, or other bilateral stimulation process, allowing you to reprocess the trauma and reduce the emotional charge. Your therapist will periodically pause and check in about what you're noticing.
Phase 5: Installation

In this step, you’ll focus on strengthening the positive beliefs that you identified earlier. The goal is to replace negative beliefs with affirming ones that promote healing.
Phase 6: Body Scan

You’ll also be guided to notice what happens in your body when you think about the memory and the new positive belief. This step helps address any lingering tension, discomfort, or another physical response that remains, allowing for further release and healing.
Phase 7: Closure

Every session ends with the therapist helping you return to a state of equilibrium, so you feel safe and grounded after processing the memory. You’ll discuss your experiences or any insights you’ve gained.
Phase 8: Reevaluation

In following sessions, your therapist will assess your progress and check how previously processed memories feel now. You’ll look at whether anything new has surfaced and how you’re responding differently in everyday situations. This ongoing evaluation ensures healing continues and any new issues get addressed. EMDR isn't something that's done to you. It's a collaborative process, and you remain involved in decisions about your treatment throughout the eight phases. At Noyau Wellness Center, our EMDR Dallas therapist are committed to guiding you through this transformative process with compassion and expertise.

FAQs about EMDR Therapy

Yes, we offer in-person EMDR therapy in Dallas, utilizing tactile tappers and light bars at our office located at 5445 La Sierra Dr #200, as well as virtual EMDR options across Texas.
There isn't one timeline that applies to everyone. While single-event trauma can sometimes be processed in 6–12 sessions, complex trauma may take longer. Your EMDR Dallas therapist will customize a timeline during history taking.
Yes, remote EMDR utilizes specialized digital bilateral stimulation tools while ensuring you remain grounded in a comfortable environment. Your therapist can help determine whether virtual or in-person EMDR is the better fit for your needs.

Visit Our North Dallas Therapy Office

When you're doing difficult emotional work, your environment matters. Our North Dallas therapy center gives you a dedicated space to step away from the demands of everyday life and focus on yourself. Noyau Wellness Center's Dallas office is located at: 5445 La Sierra Dr #200, Dallas, TX 75231

We're conveniently located near Greenville Avenue and US-75/Central Expressway, just minutes from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. Free surface parking is available.

Our location makes Dallas EMDR therapy accessible for clients coming from North Dallas and surrounding communities, including Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and Lake Highlands.

Get started today