The EMDR Coach

09/05/2025

10 years ago, I started 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 in honor of my dad, Philip Louis. 💙 What began as a vision to help others heal has grown into a community of therapists dedicated to transformation, resilience, and hope.

𝗧𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺—you are the heart of this practice. Your dedication, warmth, and passion make Peaceful Living what it is today. 💙 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀—thank you for trusting us with your stories, your healing, and your growth. It has been an honor to walk alongside you.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 🦋

With gratitude,
𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗮
Founder of PLMHC

09/03/2025

✨ Therapists—sometimes the hardest part of EMDR isn’t using the techniques… it’s explaining them in a way that feels safe, simple, and clear for clients.

Techniques like Safe Place, Cognitive Interweave, Floatback, and Future Template are powerful—but their impact really begins with how we introduce them. When clients understand what’s happening, trust grows and the process feels less overwhelming. 🌱

💡 Remember: you don’t need complicated jargon. What matters most is clarity, warmth, and meeting your client exactly where they are.

📖 Need support with language that resonates in session? Explore The EMDR Coach Shop for treatment planning templates, session scripts, and the EMDR Therapy Workbook—all designed to save you time and keep you grounded with clients.

💬 Tap here to explore resources: https://www.danacarretta.com/shop

🔖 Save this post for your next session prep!

09/02/2025

✨ I had such a wonderful time chatting with Mary Belle on her Life Actually podcast! We got real about marriage, the messy and beautiful parts of motherhood, and how I’ve managed to stay (mostly!) sane while raising two kids and running two businesses.

In this episode, I share why communication and support systems aren’t just helpful—they’re the foundation that keeps everything together when life feels overwhelming.

If you’re a parent, a partner, or just someone trying to balance all the hats you wear, I think you’ll find something here that resonates. 💛

👉 Head to the full blog post for extra insights from the episode, the complete video interview, and direct links to listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
👉 https://wix.to/8x8uTJg

In this candid podcast conversation, trauma therapist Dana Carretta-Stein opens up about marriage, motherhood, and maintaining sanity while raising two young children and building two thriving businesses. With honesty and humor, she shares how family, support systems, and intentional communication h...

09/02/2025

✨ Sometimes healing means recognizing that the care, love, or support we needed wasn’t available—not because we were unworthy, but because the people we longed for simply couldn’t give what they didn’t have.

It’s not about blaming or excusing. It’s about understanding.

💭 Understanding what may have been happening for them, while also honoring what that left you without.
Both can be true: you can hold compassion for someone else’s limitations and still feel the grief, anger, or sadness of your own unmet needs.

🌱 Healing invites us to hold space for both—without minimizing either. That’s where real freedom begins.

📖 Want a guided way to track and process your own healing journey? Explore the EMDR Therapy Progress Journal—a supportive tool to help you notice patterns, celebrate growth, and hold space for all your emotions along the way.
✨ Tap Link to learn more: https://www.danacarretta.com/progressjournal

🔖 Save this for the days you need a gentle reminder, and share with someone who might need this encouragement today.

09/01/2025

✨ “Labor Day is a reminder that healing takes the same kind of steady effort as meaningful work—one step at a time. And just like with work, rest isn’t stepping away from the process, it’s what helps you keep moving forward.”

💬 As you honor this holiday, I invite you to notice where you’ve been working hard—both in your outer world and in your inner healing. And remember: giving yourself permission to pause is part of the progress, not a detour from it.

Take today to breathe, recharge, and trust that rest is one of your greatest tools for healing. 🌱

📖 If you’re curious about what progress looks like, grab our free guide: “10 Signs You’re Healing from Trauma.” It’s a gentle reminder that even small steps count. ✨ Tap Link to get your copy: https://www.danacarretta.com/cptsdhealingsigns

🔖 Save this as a gentle reminder for the days you need it most, and share with someone who might need this encouragement today.

08/27/2025

✨ “How do you know if EMDR is right for you?” ✨

If you’ve tried talk therapy before and while you understand the “why” behind your struggles, your body still hasn’t gotten the message—EMDR can help bridge that gap.

It’s especially powerful for present-day symptoms like anxiety, depression, or that constant feeling of being stuck—when they’re connected to earlier life experiences (even if you don’t fully remember them). 💛

You don’t have to keep wondering if things could feel different. You deserve relief. You deserve healing.

👉 Ready to explore if EMDR therapy is the right fit for you?

Schedule your free consultation with an EMDR Therapist at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling:
🔗 https://cstu.io/255fd6

📖 Want to feel more prepared before your first session?
Read our blog: “How to Prepare for Your First EMDR Therapy Session: The Crucial Steps Nobody Talks About.”
🔗 https://www.danacarretta.com/post/first-emdr-therapy-session-preparation

✨ Healing starts with one step forward. You don’t have to do it alone.

08/26/2025

It’s so normal to feel hesitant about starting EMDR. As therapists, we hear these fears all the time — and we want you to know you’re not alone if you’ve felt the same way. Let’s walk through the most common concerns and the truth behind them:

1️⃣ Fear of reliving trauma ➡️ “You’ll stay grounded and in control. EMDR isn’t about re-traumatizing — it’s about giving your brain a safe way to heal.”
2️⃣ Concern about losing control ➡️ “You set the pace. You can pause, slow down, or stop anytime. You are always in charge.”
3️⃣ Shame about needing therapy ➡️ “Reaching out for support isn’t a weakness. It’s an act of courage and one of the most powerful choices you can make.”

Validating these fears is just as important as offering hope. At Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling, our passion is helping people feel safe, empowered, and supported while exploring EMDR at their own pace. 💙

👉 Our team of trauma-informed therapists specializes in EMDR and offers a free 15-minute consultation so you can see if it feels right for you. Click the link below to book:
🔗 https://cstu.io/168fae

📓 And if you’d like a tool to support your journey outside of sessions, check out The EMDR Therapy Progress Journal. It’s designed to help you track progress, reflect on insights, and stay grounded in your healing. Get it here:
🔗 https://cstu.io/d2b967

✨ Healing is possible — and you don’t have to do it alone.

08/25/2025

✨ “What if therapy could rewire the way your memories feel?”

So many people come to therapy believing they’ll have to relive every painful detail of their past in order to heal. But what if I told you there’s another way?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps the brain process stuck memories so they lose their overwhelming emotional charge. You’ll still remember what happened—but it won’t control how you feel today.
It’s not about erasing your story. It’s about changing the way your body and mind hold that story—so you can move forward with more peace, freedom, and strength.

💡 Save this post if you want to learn how EMDR does exactly that. Healing is possible—and you don’t have to do it alone.

👉 Curious whether EMDR could be right for you? Our team at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling offers a free consultation. Click the link below to book a time with one of our therapists.
🔗https://https://cstu.io/ac52c8

📓 And if you want a tool to support your journey outside of sessions, check out The EMDR Therapy Progress Journal. It’s designed to help you track your progress, notice shifts, and stay grounded in your healing. Click the link below:
🔗 https://cstu.io/a3e2fc

08/24/2025

💡 Healing isn’t a race—it’s a relationship with yourself.
And like any relationship, it takes time, patience, and trust.

“You’re allowed to heal at your pace, in your own way.” 💛
You don’t have to follow someone else’s timeline.
You don’t have to heal in a way that looks “impressive” to others.
You just have to keep showing up for you.

Some days, progress looks like big breakthroughs.
Other days, it’s simply getting out of bed and taking a deep breath.
Both count. Both matter.

Your healing journey is yours—and it’s valid no matter how slow or messy it feels.

🛠 Want a way to notice and celebrate your progress—especially the small, quiet wins?
That’s why I created The EMDR Therapy Progress Journal.

It’s designed to help you track shifts in your thoughts, emotions, and body so you can see the changes happening, even when they feel invisible.

👉 Click here to learn more and get your copy: https://www.danacarretta.com/progressjournal

08/23/2025

💛 “I didn’t think anything could help me.”

That’s something I hear so often from people at the start of their EMDR journey.

Many carry this belief that the shame is just part of who they are… that the fear is permanent, fused into their bones.

EMDR doesn’t erase the past.
But it can lift the weight you’ve been carrying for years.
It can help you remember without reliving.
It can help you feel safe inside your own skin again.

Healing isn’t instant. It’s not a straight line. But every step matters. Every moment you choose to show up for yourself is another layer of safety and trust your nervous system learns.
If you’ve been wondering if healing is possible for you, I hope you hear this:
You are not beyond help. You are not too broken. And you are not alone. 💛

📖 Want to know the subtle signs your healing is actually happening?
Grab my free guide, “10 Signs You’re Healing from C-PTSD/PTSD”—it’s a reminder that progress isn’t always loud, but it’s always worth noticing.

👉 Click here to download: https://www.danacarretta.com/cptsdhealingsigns

08/21/2025

💡 Healing isn’t about proving you’re okay—it’s about feeling safe inside.

We live in a world that praises “I’m fine” and “I’ve got this” even when we’re barely holding it together.
But healing isn’t a performance.
It’s not about convincing others—or yourself—that you’re unshakable.

True healing is when your body and mind stop bracing for the next blow.
When your breath comes easier.
When you can rest without guilt.
When your nervous system knows it’s safe to exhale.

It’s not loud. It’s not flashy.
It’s the quiet confidence of knowing you don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore.

If you’re here right now—working toward that sense of safety—you’re already doing the most important part of the work. Keep going. 💛

📖 Want to know the subtle signs your healing is happening?
Click the link below to get my free guide, “10 Signs You’re Healing from C-PTSD/PTSD.”
👉 https://www.danacarretta.com/cptsdhealingsigns

08/20/2025

💡 Ever made a decision in the heat of the moment… and instantly regretted it?

You’re not “bad at decisions”—your brain just wasn’t ready yet.

Here’s what’s happening:
Your brain processes information from the bottom up. The decision-making center—your prefrontal cortex—is at the front. But before information gets there, it passes through the limbic system… the part of your brain that handles emotions and sensory reactions.

When you decide while the information is still in the limbic system, you’re reacting.
When you wait for it to reach your prefrontal cortex, you’re responding.

Reacting is instant. Responding is intentional.
So give yourself a beat. Take a breath. Let your brain do its full process before you choose. Your future self will thank you. 💛

🛠 Want my recommended therapy tools—like CalmiGo, Sensate, and TouchPoints—to help you regulate faster and respond more intentionally?

I’ve gathered my top picks (plus exclusive discount codes) in one place.
Click the link below to see all my recommendations and access your discounts.
🔗https://www.danacarretta.com/therapytools