EMDR Therapy for PTSD, Anxiety, Phobias, and Emotional Healing

Trauma, anxiety, and deeply rooted emotional distress can feel overwhelming – especially when traditional talk therapy doesn’t seem to fully reach the intensity of the experience. For many individuals, the past doesn’t simply stay in the past. It shows up in flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, social anxiety, panic, or persistent self-doubt.

Gail Kundrot specializes in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidence-based therapy designed to help the brain reprocess distressing experiences and reduce their emotional impact. EMDR Therapy

With a strength-based and supportive approach, Gail works with adults across the lifespan – from young adults to older adults – helping clients process trauma, manage anxiety, and move toward greater emotional resilience. Individual Adult Counseling 

Understanding EMDR therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was developed by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s and has become one of the most researched and recommended treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the World Health Organization recognize EMDR as an effective trauma treatment. American Psychological Association

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR does not require detailed verbal retelling of traumatic events. Instead, it helps the brain “unstick” from distressing memories by using bilateral stimulation – such as guided eye movements, tapping, or tones – while recalling specific experiences. This process allows traumatic memories to be reprocessed and stored in a more adaptive way, reducing their emotional intensity.

Rather than simply managing symptoms, EMDR targets the root of distress: unresolved memories that continue to activate fear, anxiety, or negative self-beliefs. EMDR Therapy

EMDR for PTSD, anxiety, and phobias

While EMDR is widely known for treating PTSD, research shows it is also effective for:

• Generalized anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Panic disorder
• Phobias
• Depression
• Grief and loss

Many anxiety and depressive symptoms are connected to earlier life experiences – chronic criticism, attachment disruptions, bullying, medical trauma, or significant loss. Even when someone does not meet criteria for PTSD, unresolved experiences can still shape how the nervous system responds to present-day stress.

Studies have demonstrated EMDR’s effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms and anxiety disorders, often in fewer sessions than traditional therapy approaches. The Role of EMDR; EMDR Research

EMDR helps reduce:

• Hypervigilance
• Emotional numbing
• Avoidance behaviors
• Intrusive memories
• Persistent negative self-beliefs

Clients often describe feeling emotionally lighter, calmer, and more grounded after processing key memories.

What an EMDR session looks like

EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol that ensures emotional safety and preparation.

Treatment begins with history-taking and skill-building. Gail Kundrot works collaboratively with clients to identify current symptoms – perhaps social anxiety, panic, or persistent sadness – and trace them back to formative experiences. EMDR Therapy

Clients identify:

• A specific memory
• The negative belief attached to it (“I’m not safe,” “I’m not good enough”)
• The emotions and body sensations connected to it

During bilateral stimulation, clients notice what arises without forcing or controlling the process. Over time, the memory’s emotional charge decreases. New insights often emerge. The brain integrates the experience differently. EMDR Therapy Approach 

Importantly, EMDR does not erase memories. It transforms how they are stored and experienced.

Gail’s approach

Gail’s goal as a therapist is to provide a safe, supportive space where clients can explore and express their thoughts and feelings about life’s experiences – past and present. She believes that understanding our life journey prepares us for future opportunities, and her strength-based approach emphasizes the resiliency that already exists within each individual. Gail Kundrot

Gail holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Rhode Island College and brings years of clinical experience working with diverse adult populations. She works with adults, individuals, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Gail offers secure teletherapy sessions, providing flexibility and accessibility for clients seeking support. Individual Adult Therapy; LGBTQ+ Therapy 

Her therapeutic approach is eclectic and individualized, integrating:

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Person-Centered Therapy
• Stress Management techniques

Areas of focus

Gail works with adults navigating trauma and PTSD, anxiety and social anxiety, phobias, depression, grief and loss, relationship challenges, co-dependence, life transitions, and adjustment difficulties. She also supports individuals seeking greater self-empowerment and overall life enhancement. Through EMDR and supportive, individualized therapy, Gail helps clients move from feeling defined or limited by past experiences to feeling more grounded, confident, and empowered in the present. 

Reprocessing the past, reclaiming the present

EMDR is not about forgetting what happened. It is about transforming the meaning of those experiences so they no longer control the present.

By targeting unresolved memory networks, EMDR helps individuals shift from:

“Something is wrong with me.”
to
“I survived – and I can move forward.”

For many, this shift is not just cognitive. It is embodied – felt in the nervous system as calm, clarity, and renewed confidence. Experiencing EMDR Therapy 

Beginning EMDR therapy with Gail Kundrot

Starting therapy can feel like a significant step – especially when trauma or anxiety feels deeply rooted. Gail provides a structured yet compassionate environment where clients can process difficult experiences safely and systematically. TCA Counseling 

If you would like to learn more about working with Gail Kundrot or about EMDR therapy, our intake coordinator is available to guide you through the next steps. Book an Appointment 

Support is available – and healing is possible.