EMDR Therapy in New York City | Resonance Psychology
Manhattan skyline representing EMDR therapy at Resonance Psychology in New York City

EMDR Therapy in New York City

Heal in a safe, evidence-based, compassionate space.

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Something still feels "off."

Maybe you've tried to move on. You've talked about it, thought about it, pushed through it. And still, something stays. A memory that charges the room. A reaction that surprises you. A weight you can't quite name.

Maybe you...

  • Constantly feel on edge, emotionally overwhelmed, or braced for something
  • Struggle with shame, low self-worth, or feeling like you're "too much"
  • Find it hard to trust people or stay present in relationships
  • Feel disconnected from your body or your own emotions
  • Experience intrusive memories, flashbacks, or a persistent sense of numbness
  • Beat yourself up for not "getting over it" already

Maybe it happened years ago. Or maybe you're not even sure what you went through counts as trauma.

To your nervous system, it doesn't matter.

It will carry the weight of what you're trying to leave behind, no matter how heavy or exhausting that is for you. EMDR offers a different path. One that works with your brain's own capacity to heal, so that what happened to you no longer controls how you feel, think, and move through the world.

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is one of the most thoroughly researched trauma treatments available. It's recognized by the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD and trauma-related conditions.

Unlike talk therapy, which relies on verbal processing, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation. Typically guided eye movements, gentle taps, or auditory cues alternating between the left and right sides while you briefly attend to a distressing memory. This process works with your brain's natural information processing system, helping traumatic memories integrate rather than stay stored in their raw, dysregulated form.

For many people, the result is a meaningful reduction in the emotional and physical charge attached to difficult memories. Often in fewer sessions than traditional approaches require.

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A calm, serene image representing emotional healing through EMDR therapy at Resonance Psychology, Manhattan

We're here to walk that path with you.

At Resonance Psychology, we specialize in trauma-informed, culturally responsive therapy that honors the full context of who you are. Your story. Your identities. Your resilience.

We understand how isolating trauma can feel, especially when you're also navigating cultural pressures, racial trauma, or family systems that don't openly discuss mental health. Our practice was founded by a Columbia University-trained psychologist with 19 years of clinical experience and a deep commitment to creating a space where you can be fully seen.

We've helped many clients struggling with PTSD and complex trauma move toward healing. Our team includes Esther Eng, MHC-LP, who brings her own attuned, culturally informed presence to this work.

Meet Our Team

Our Approach to EMDR Therapy

We don't offer a one-size-fits-all version of therapy. The protocol provides structure. What we bring to it is a way of being with you that honors the full context of who you are.

We draw from these therapeutic approaches in our trauma work:

Relational and Compassionate

EMDR works best when there's genuine safety in the room. Before any active processing begins, we invest real time in building a relationship where you feel known, not just assessed. The therapeutic alliance isn't a precondition for the work. It is the work.

Culturally Informed and Identity-Affirming

Your cultural background, relational history, and lived experience aren't footnotes to the clinical picture. They are the clinical picture. We integrate cultural attunement into how we pace processing, frame target memories, and understand what healing looks like for you specifically.

Trauma-Informed Therapy

We recognize that trauma lives not just in memory, but in the body and nervous system. Every dimension of our work is shaped by an understanding of how trauma affects thought, emotion, and relationship.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

We help you understand how trauma impacts your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and guide you toward shifting the unhelpful patterns that keep you stuck, especially those rooted in shame or self-blame.

Psychodynamic and Attachment-Based Therapy

We explore how early relationships and past experiences shape your current emotional world, helping you uncover unhelpful patterns, increase self-insight, and heal at the root.

Integrative and Individually Tailored

We use an integrative, evidence-based, and relational approach. Highly individualized and curated to support meaningful progress for clients seeking depth-oriented change and healing.

Healing is possible. We're here to provide professional support.

A structured, compassionate therapy setting representing the eight phases of EMDR at Resonance Psychology NYC

The Eight Phases of EMDR

EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol, giving the process a clear arc from assessment through resolution. Your therapist paces the work entirely according to your readiness. Not every session moves through all eight phases. The structure is there to support you, not rush you.

Phase 1: History and Treatment Planning

Your therapist gets to know your history and collaborates on a personalized treatment plan.

Phase 2: Preparation

You build a trusting working relationship and learn stabilization and grounding strategies before any processing begins.

Phase 3: Assessment

Together, you identify a specific target memory, the negative belief connected to it, and the positive belief you'd like to hold instead.

Phase 4: Desensitization

The active processing phase. You hold the target memory in mind while engaging in bilateral stimulation. Emotional intensity typically decreases over sets.

Phases 5 and 6: Installation and Body Scan

A positive belief is strengthened and connected to the original memory, then your body is checked for any remaining tension.

Phases 7 and 8: Closure and Reevaluation

Every session ends with stabilization so you leave feeling grounded. At the next session, your therapist checks in on progress and identifies what to work on next.

You don't have to keep pushing through alone.

The first step is simply a conversation. We'll talk about what you're carrying, answer any questions you have about EMDR, and figure out together whether this is the right fit.

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Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Therapy in New York City

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy developed to help people process and recover from traumatic memories and distressing life experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, typically guided eye movements, to help the brain reprocess memories that have become stuck in a way that continues to cause distress. It is endorsed by the American Psychological Association (APA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as an effective treatment for PTSD and trauma.
EMDR has the strongest research base for PTSD and trauma, both single-incident events and complex or developmental trauma accumulated over time. It is also used for anxiety, depression connected to unresolved adverse experiences, childhood trauma, cultural and intergenerational trauma, and self-worth struggles rooted in early negative experiences.
EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol. Across these phases, your therapist helps you identify target memories and the distressing beliefs associated with them, establish internal resources and a sense of safety, and then engage in sets of bilateral stimulation while attending to the distressing material. Over the course of treatment, clients typically find that the emotional charge of difficult memories diminishes. They remain part of your history, but they no longer feel overwhelming or intrusive.
The eight phases of EMDR therapy are: (1) History-taking and treatment planning, where your therapist learns about your history and collaborates on a personalized plan; (2) Preparation, where you build a trusting relationship and learn stabilization techniques; (3) Assessment, where you identify a specific target memory and the beliefs associated with it; (4) Desensitization, the active processing phase using bilateral stimulation; (5) Installation, where a positive belief is strengthened; (6) Body scan, checking for any remaining physical tension; (7) Closure, ensuring you leave each session feeling grounded; and (8) Reevaluation, reviewing progress at the start of subsequent sessions.
EMDR isn't appropriate for everyone. Clinicians generally approach EMDR with additional care, or pursue other preparatory work first, when a client has significant difficulty tolerating distress or regulating emotions in daily life, is currently in an unsafe or unstable environment, lacks sufficient psychological stability or grounding resources, or is experiencing active psychosis or significant dissociation that requires prior stabilization. These are not permanent barriers. Preparation work can often lay the groundwork for EMDR to be used safely over time.
The debate has mostly centered on the mechanism of action. Specifically, why do the eye movements help? Some researchers argue that bilateral stimulation adds meaningful neurological benefit; others contend that the structured trauma processing protocol itself is the active ingredient. What isn't in dispute is the outcome data. EMDR has been evaluated in dozens of randomized controlled trials. The evidence for its effectiveness, particularly for PTSD, is robust enough that it's recommended by the APA, the VA and Department of Defense, the WHO, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
EMDR involves activating distressing memories in a controlled, supported therapeutic setting. For people with histories of significant trauma or dissociative tendencies, this activation can sometimes trigger dissociative responses. This isn't unique to EMDR. A well-trained therapist anticipates this and builds stabilization into the process from the beginning, specifically in Phase 2 (Preparation). You'll learn containment strategies and grounding techniques before any trauma processing begins. When conducted by a properly trained therapist with appropriate pacing, EMDR does not cause dissociation, but it does require that your therapist assess for and be prepared to manage this possibility.
Traditional talk therapy works primarily through verbal processing, discussing experiences, gaining insight, and building coping skills through conversation. EMDR also includes dialogue, but its core mechanism is different: bilateral stimulation is used to help the brain process and integrate distressing memories at a neurological level. Importantly, EMDR doesn't require you to describe traumatic events in detail. Many clients find this significant, particularly when the thought of retelling their experiences feels overwhelming.
Yes. EMDR can be a particularly meaningful approach for Asian American and BIPOC clients whose trauma histories include experiences of racism, discrimination, intergenerational harm, and the complex grief of cultural displacement or identity negotiation. Processing these layers requires a therapist who understands how cultural context shapes the way trauma is held, expressed, and released. At Resonance Psychology, our therapists bring this perspective to every session.
Yes. We offer telehealth sessions for clients in New York State, New Jersey, and Florida through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. We also offer in-person sessions at our Manhattan office in Flatiron and Gramercy, near Madison Square Park.
We are currently not in-network with any insurance companies. However, you may be able to use your Out of Network (OON) Mental Health Benefit to get a portion of your session fees reimbursed. We can provide you with a superbill after each session, which contains the treatment codes and information your insurance company needs to process a reimbursement claim.
The first step is reaching out. We offer a free 15 to 20 minute consultation call to connect, answer any questions you have about EMDR, and determine whether we're a good fit to work together. From there, we'll schedule a 60-minute intake assessment and begin building a personalized treatment plan. Everything moves at a pace that feels right for you.
Resonance Psychology, a boutique Asian American therapy practice in Manhattan, New York City

Are you longing for more rest, confidence, and meaningful connection in your life? Resonance Psychology is a boutique Manhattan therapy practice founded by Dr. Angela Gwak that supports clients across New York, New Jersey, and Florida in working through anxiety, trauma, self-esteem struggles, and relationship difficulties. With expertise in Asian American, BIPOC, Third Culture Kid, and neurodivergent mental health, the team offers individually curated therapy that is insightful, relational, and grounded in evidence-based care. Resonance is here to partner with you, so that small and steady changes can lead you toward the life you have been hoping for.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out for immediate support. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. The content on this page is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care.