EMDR Therapy
EMDR Therapy in Newport Beach, California
EMDR therapy is available in Newport Beach at the Corona del Mar office of Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC — 2333 E Coast Highway #C, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625. She has used EMDR for trauma, anxiety, phobias, grief, and performance blocks since 1997, and also offers EMDR by secure video to clients located anywhere in California.
Written and clinically reviewed by Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC
Psychotherapist · EMDR Certified · Certified Hypnotherapist · Author of Anxiety Annihilated · Practicing since 1997
What EMDR does
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Distressing experiences can be stored in the brain in an unprocessed form, which is why a memory years old can still produce a present-tense physical reaction. EMDR pairs recall of that memory with bilateral stimulation — guided eye movements, tones, or taps — so the brain can complete the processing it did not finish at the time.
The memory does not disappear. What changes is its charge: clients typically describe being able to think about the event without the body reacting as though it is happening again.
What EMDR is used for here
- Single-incident trauma — accidents, assault, medical events, sudden loss
- Complex and childhood trauma, including neglect and developmental trauma
- PTSD symptoms: flashbacks, hypervigilance, nightmares, avoidance
- Anxiety and panic anchored to specific events
- Phobias with a clear origin memory
- Betrayal trauma and relationship wounds
- Grief and complicated bereavement
- Performance blocks in athletes and executives, including "the yips"
What a course of EMDR looks like
The first phase is history-taking and stabilization — no reprocessing happens until you have reliable tools for settling your nervous system. That preparation is what makes the processing phase tolerable, and it is where rushed EMDR usually goes wrong.
Reprocessing sessions then work through specific targets while you stay grounded in the present. Between sessions you may notice shifts in sleep, dreams, or reactivity; these are tracked and used to guide the next target. Sessions close with installation and body-scan work so you do not leave activated.
Single-incident trauma often resolves in six to twelve sessions. Complex trauma is longer and is deliberately paced. EMDR is frequently combined here with clinical hypnotherapy and somatic regulation within The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™ framework.
Who you would be working with
Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC is a Newport Beach psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, phobias, trauma and chronic pain. She provides EMDR therapy and clinical hypnotherapy and has been practicing since 1997.
- CA LMFT #MFC40173, LPCC #LPC54
- M.A. Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University
- 10× Best Newport Beach Therapist
- 2333 E Coast Highway #C, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625
Creator of The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™, the framework behind this work.
Frequently asked questions
Related pages
Ready to take the first step?
In-person appointments at 2333 E Coast Highway #C, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625, and secure video sessions anywhere in California. Mon–Wed 11am–8pm, Thu 11am–2pm (by appointment only).