Trauma-informed EMDR
EMDR Therapy in Miami and Online Across Florida
Some memories don’t stay in the past. A smell, a tone of voice or a date on the calendar can bring the whole thing back, and your body reacts as if it is happening again. You may know you are safe and still feel your chest tighten and your thoughts race.
I’m Isabel Wyss, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in Miami, trained in EMDR and in Ketamine-Assisted EMDR (KA-EMDR®). I offer EMDR therapy online to adults anywhere in Florida. We work at a pace your nervous system can handle, and we build steadiness first, before we go near the hardest memories.
What EMDR therapy is
EMDR is short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps your brain and body reprocess distressing memories so they stop feeling stuck. While you briefly hold a memory in mind, you also follow a back-and-forth sensation, such as eye movements, tapping or tones. This is called bilateral stimulation.
People often describe the result this way: the memory is still there, but it feels further away and has lost its charge. The beliefs that came with it, such as “I’m in danger” or “I should have stopped it”, start to loosen, and a more accurate belief can take their place.
EMDR works without you having to tell me every detail of what happened. That matters to people who have spent years talking about an experience without feeling any different, and to people who can’t find the words at all.
What EMDR can help with
I use EMDR with adults in Miami and across Florida who are dealing with:
- Trauma and PTSD, including car accidents, assaults, medical events and sudden losses
- Childhood experiences that still shape how you see yourself
- Anxiety and panic that seem tied to a specific memory or fear
- Grief that feels frozen, or images from a death you keep replaying
- Distressing memories that intrude at night, while driving or in the middle of work
- Shame-based beliefs such as “I’m too much” or “I always get it wrong”
You might notice that you avoid certain streets, people or conversations. You might startle easily, sleep badly or feel numb at moments when you expected to feel happy. These are common signs that an experience hasn’t been fully processed yet.
The eight phases of EMDR, in plain terms
EMDR follows a set structure. Some phases take part of one session and others take several, and we sometimes return to an earlier phase when you need more support.
- 01History and planningWe talk about what brings you here, what you want to feel different, and which memories or patterns seem to drive the distress. Together we decide where to start.
- 02PreparationI explain how EMDR works and we build resources: ways to calm your body, a calm place you can picture, and skills you can use between sessions.
- 03AssessmentWe pick one target memory and identify its worst image, the painful belief about yourself attached to it, the feelings it brings up and the spot in your body that reacts.
- 04DesensitizationYou bring the memory to mind and notice it during short rounds of left-right stimulation. Between sets you tell me in a few words what you notice. Over time the distress usually drops.
- 05InstallationWe strengthen a more helpful belief, such as “I got through it” or “I’m allowed to rest”, until it feels true.
- 06Body scanWe scan from head to toe for any leftover tension, and we process it if something remains.
- 07ClosureEvery session ends with steadying, so you leave settled enough to go on with your day.
- 08Re-evaluationAt the start of the next session we check how the memory feels now and decide what comes next.
Preparation and resourcing come first
Before any reprocessing, we make sure you have reliable ways to settle yourself. For some people this takes a session or two. For people with long-term or childhood trauma it can take longer, and that is fine. Going slowly at the start usually makes the later work smoother.
Resourcing might include grounding through your senses, slowing your breath, feeling your feet on the floor, or picturing someone who makes you feel protected. I’m also an Integrated Somatic Trauma Practitioner through The Embody Lab, so I pay close attention to what your body is doing, and I’ll pause or change course if you start to feel overwhelmed.
Ketamine-Assisted EMDR (KA-EMDR®)
I’m trained in Ketamine-Assisted EMDR, known as KA-EMDR® (sometimes written KAEMDR). The KA-EMDR® protocol pairs EMDR therapy with a carefully prescribed low dose of ketamine, a medicine associated with greater emotional flexibility and neuroplasticity.
The dose is low enough that you stay alert, grounded and actively involved in the session. This is not a psychedelic ketamine experience. The aim is to make it easier to reach and reprocess memories that have felt locked away.
- It can help when standard EMDR feels stuck, or when a protective, guarded part of you makes it hard to get close to painful material
- The ketamine is prescribed and overseen by a licensed medical provider. I work alongside a psychiatrist, and I don’t prescribe or supply any medication
- Whether KA-EMDR® is right for you is a decision we make together with the prescribing psychiatrist
KA-EMDR® is one option within my practice, never a requirement. If you’re curious about it, bring your questions to the free consultation.
How online EMDR works
All sessions are secure, HIPAA-compliant video sessions for people who are physically in Florida at the time of the session. You join from home or another private room, which spares you a drive through Miami traffic right after doing hard emotional work.
Bilateral stimulation adapts well to video. We choose what feels most comfortable for you:
- Eye movements, following a dot that moves from side to side on your screen
- Self-tapping on your knees or shoulders, alternating left and right
- The butterfly hug, with your arms crossed over your chest and your hands tapping in turn
- Audio tones that alternate between your ears through headphones
It helps to have a quiet, private room, headphones, a stable internet connection and a glass of water nearby. After a session, give yourself a few minutes before going straight into a meeting or a busy task.
Cost and how to start
Sessions are 50–60 minutes and the private pay rate is $175 per session. Insurance options depend on your plan, so ask during your free consultation.
The first step is a free 15-minute consultation by phone or video. You can tell me what is going on, ask how EMDR might fit, and get a sense of whether we work well together. If it feels right, you can book your first session through my secure client portal.
EMDR therapy isn’t an emergency service. For urgent help at any hour, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to the closest emergency department.
At a glance
Working with Isabel
- Isabel Wyss, LMHC (Florida MH26669)
- Online only, by secure video, for adults located in Florida
- $175 per 50–60 minute session
- Free 15-minute consultation
- Sessions in English or Spanish
Questions about EMDR Therapy
Can EMDR therapy be done online?
Yes. Online EMDR follows the same eight phases as EMDR done face to face. Bilateral stimulation happens through eye movements that follow a dot on your screen, self-tapping, the butterfly hug or alternating audio tones in headphones. What matters most is a private, quiet room and a steady internet connection. I offer EMDR online to adults who are physically in Florida at the time of each session.
How long does EMDR therapy take?
It depends on what we are working with. A single recent event may need fewer sessions than years of childhood trauma or several overlapping losses. Preparation alone can take a few sessions when your nervous system needs more support first. We review progress together as we go, and you can always slow down, pause or change focus. I don’t promise a fixed number of sessions.
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?
No. During EMDR you hold the memory in mind, and between sets you share only a few words about what you notice. People often find this a relief after years of retelling their story. I need a general sense of what happened during the history phase, but you decide how much detail to share, and we can work with a memory without you describing it fully.
What does EMDR feel like during a session?
It varies. Some people feel emotions rise and then ease. Others notice body sensations, other memories surfacing, or the image simply fading. You stay fully awake and in charge throughout, and a raised hand or a simple “stop” pauses the work right away. I close each session with steadying exercises so you can return to your day feeling settled.
What is Ketamine-Assisted EMDR (KA-EMDR)?
KA-EMDR® is a protocol that combines EMDR therapy with a low dose of ketamine prescribed by a licensed medical provider. The low dose keeps you alert and able to take part, while making it easier to reprocess difficult memories. I’m trained in KA-EMDR® and work alongside a psychiatrist who prescribes and oversees the medication. I don’t prescribe or supply ketamine myself.
What training do you have in EMDR?
I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida, trained in EMDR and in Ketamine-Assisted EMDR (KA-EMDR®). I’m also an Integrated Somatic Trauma Practitioner through The Embody Lab, and I completed Neurobiology of Complex Trauma training through the NCTSN. That mix means I watch your body’s signals closely during EMDR and build in as much preparation as you need before reprocessing.
How much does EMDR therapy cost?
Sessions are 50–60 minutes and the private pay rate is $175 per session, the same as my other therapy sessions. Insurance options depend on your plan, so ask during your free consultation. The first step is a free 15-minute call by phone or video, where we can talk about your goals and whether EMDR is a good fit for you.
Related
Other ways I can help
Free 15-minute consultation
Start with a free 15-minute call
Tell me a little about what’s going on, ask your questions, and see how it feels to talk. There’s no pressure to book. Sessions are $175 for 50–60 minutes, online for anyone located in Florida.
Based in Miami, FL · Online across Florida · English & Español