Structured group and individual therapy several days a week, while you live at home.
How we work
EMDR therapy
in Houston
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy for memories that stay stuck. Instead of talking through a painful event again and again, you briefly recall it while following guided eye movements or gentle taps, which helps your brain reprocess the memory so it loses its charge. At The Lovett Center, our EMDR therapists use it to help you move past trauma that still shapes the present.
Outpatient care in Montrose, Houston. Most major insurance accepted.
The approach
A therapy for memories
that stay stuck.
EMDR rests on a simple idea: some experiences are too overwhelming for the brain to file away properly, so they stay raw, ready to resurface as anxiety, flashbacks, or a heavy mood long after the event.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing helps the brain finish that work. While you hold a difficult memory in mind, your therapist guides a steady back-and-forth rhythm, eye movements, tones, or gentle taps, and that bilateral stimulation seems to help the memory settle into place.
As it settles, the memory loosens its grip. It does not disappear, but it stops hijacking the present. Unlike some trauma work, EMDR does not ask you to describe every detail of what happened or take homework between sessions, which is part of why many people find it a gentler way in.
Where it helps
What we use EMDR
for at Lovett.
EMDR is most useful when something specific from the past keeps intruding on the present. These are the conditions we most often treat with it, on its own or alongside other approaches. It also helps with grief, loss, and specific phobias.
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Trauma and PTSD
EMDR is best known for trauma. It helps you reprocess the memories behind flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance so they carry less charge in the present.
Trauma and PTSD care -
Anxiety and panic
When fear is anchored to a past experience, EMDR can loosen that link, easing the spirals and panic that keep coming back.
Anxiety treatment -
Depression
Low mood often traces back to painful events that never fully resolved. EMDR works on those roots so the weight begins to lift.
Depression treatment -
Substance use and co-occurring conditions
Trauma frequently sits underneath addiction. Resolving it with EMDR can remove a powerful driver of cravings and relapse.
Dual diagnosis care
Is it right for you
When EMDR is the
right fit.
EMDR helps with some goals and some moments more than others. Here is an honest read on when it tends to work well, and when we might start somewhere else.
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A good fit when a specific memory keeps intruding
If a particular event or memory keeps surfacing as images, fear, or a racing heart, EMDR gives the brain a way to finally process it.
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A good fit when talking it through has not been enough
Many people have already told their story in therapy and still feel its charge. EMDR works on how the memory is stored, not only on how you think about it.
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A good fit when you would rather not retell every detail
EMDR does not require describing the trauma in depth. You can do the work while keeping much of it private, which can feel safer.
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It may not be the starting point in acute crisis
If you are in immediate distress or feel unsafe, we focus first on stabilizing care and grounding skills, then begin EMDR once you have steady footing.
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When you need to build coping skills first
EMDR asks you to touch difficult memories briefly. If that feels like too much right now, we may start with skills from CBT or DBT and bring EMDR in when you are ready.
The evidence
A trauma therapy with
real research behind it.
EMDR has a strong and growing evidence base, especially for trauma. The American Psychological Association suggests EMDR for the treatment of PTSD, noting that, unlike some other trauma therapies, it does not rely on detailed descriptions of the event, prolonged exposure, or homework between sessions.
Cleveland Clinic describes EMDR as a structured therapy delivered in eight phases, using bilateral stimulation such as guided eye movements, tones, or taps. It notes that a single disturbing memory often takes around three to six sessions, while more complex trauma can take longer, with sessions usually running about one to one and a half hours.
Trauma is also closely tied to other conditions. The National Institute of Mental Health explains that traumatic experiences can lead to lasting symptoms like intrusive memories and avoidance, which is why we use EMDR within care for trauma, anxiety, depression, and co-occurring substance use. EMDR also pairs naturally with other approaches we offer, including CBT and DBT. If you are weighing the differences, we compare CBT, DBT, and EMDR here.
At The Lovett Center, EMDR is delivered by trained members of our licensed clinical team, including EMDR therapists such as Melanie Somerville, PhD, LCP-S, who use it within our outpatient programs in Houston.
Where it happens
Care that fits
your life.
EMDR at The Lovett Center is outpatient, so you live at home and keep up with work, school, and family while you do the work. The right level of structure depends on what you need right now.
Our most intensive outpatient level: full days of structured treatment, with the freedom to go home each night.
Regular individual sessions at a steadier pace, including step-down care after a more intensive program.
Common questions
EMDR,
answered.
EMDR is a strong fit for most people working through trauma, but it is not always the right starting point. Because it asks you to briefly revisit difficult memories, it works best once you feel stable enough to do that. If you are in acute crisis or feel unsafe, we focus first on stabilizing care and grounding skills, then begin EMDR when you are ready. We will help you figure out the right timing and fit.
No. One reason many people choose EMDR is that it does not require describing the trauma in depth or reliving it at length. The American Psychological Association notes that EMDR, unlike some trauma therapies, does not rely on detailed accounts of the event or homework between sessions. You briefly bring the memory to mind while your therapist guides bilateral stimulation, and much of the processing happens without long retelling.
An EMDR session is structured and paced to your comfort. After identifying a memory to work on, you hold it in mind while following your therapist’s guided eye movements, tones, or gentle taps. Between sets you pause and notice what comes up. Over time the memory’s emotional charge eases, and your therapist helps you replace the old belief tied to it with a steadier one. Each session ends with grounding so you leave feeling calm.
It depends on what you are working through. Cleveland Clinic notes that a single disturbing memory often takes around three to six sessions, while more complex or longer-term trauma can take longer, with sessions usually running about one to one and a half hours. Your therapist will set the pace with you and adjust as you go.
In many cases EMDR is covered. The Lovett Center is in network with major insurers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Magellan, and TriWest, and we also work with out-of-network benefits and self-pay. Because coverage and any out-of-pocket cost vary by plan, the surest way to know is to verify your benefits with us.
Verify your insuranceYes. While EMDR is best known for post-traumatic stress, it is also used for anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, and the trauma that often underlies substance use. When a mental health condition and substance use occur together, we treat both in one integrated plan rather than passing you between programs.
Dual diagnosis careStart the conversation
Ready to move past
what is holding you back?
When you are ready, a real person at The Lovett Center will listen and help you find the next step, whether that is EMDR, another approach, or simply a conversation about what is going on. No pressure, no commitment.
- A real person, not a call center
- Most major insurance accepted
- Confidential from the first call
Prefer to call?
(713) 589-5991Every conversation is confidential. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.