The EMDR Coach

01/31/2026

When EMDR feels hard, many clinicians assume they need to do more, move faster, or correct something they missed.

In reality, difficulty is often the nervous system telling you it needs more support before processing can continue safely.

Before pushing forward, assess the window of tolerance, orientation, resource access, and target clarity. These decisions matter more than perfect protocol ex*****on.

Slowing down is not losing momentum.
It is practicing good clinical judgment.

Save this for your next EMDR session.
Comment JOURNAL if you want a structured way to track these choices between sessions.

01/29/2026

Nothing has gone wrong here. Something needs attention.

If you’ve ever noticed that moment in EMDR where things feel heavier, slower, or oddly stuck, this is why it feels like that.

This isn’t resistance.
It isn't a failure.
And it isn’t a sign you should push harder.

Your nervous system is doing what it learned to do.

Difficulty in reprocessing often means the foundation is asking for support, not more bilateral stimulation. Things like orientation, resourcing that actually lands, or whether the target is accessible right now.

This isn’t a mindset issue.
You’re not broken.
Your client isn’t either.

Nothing has gone wrong.
Something just needs attention.

Save this for the sessions where your body wants to rush, but your clinical intuition says slow down.

Comment FREE to check out my free EMDR resources.

01/28/2026

EMDR is not about fixing what is wrong with you.

It is about understanding what happened to your nervous system and helping it complete what it could not at the time.

In this episode of The Little Brain Campaign, Dana breaks down EMDR therapy in plain language, including why anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional reactivity are often signs of adaptation, not pathology.

👉 Want a deeper explanation?
Watch or listen to the full podcast episode to hear this conversation in context or read this blog to get insights from the podcast: https://wix.to/FdMJf1C

EMDR therapy explained in plain language. In this Little Brain Campaign podcast interview, Dana Carretta-Stein shares how trauma shapes the nervous system, what EMDR looks like in practice, and why relational trauma often shows up in adulthood and parenting.

01/28/2026

Therapist tip you might not expect 👀

Before we start trauma processing with things like EMDR, we also have to make sure the basics are covered.

Because if your nervous system is in survival mode, it’s often not just about trauma history. It can be about dehydration, lack of sunlight, inconsistent meals, or an exhausted body trying to get through the day.

This is why it feels like nothing is working.

You’re not failing therapy.
Your nervous system is doing what it learned to do when basic needs aren’t being met.

Sometimes support starts with water, food, and a little sunlight.
You’re basically a houseplant with complicated emotions 🌱

This isn’t minimizing trauma work.
It’s creating the conditions that make healing possible.

Save this as a reminder that regulation isn’t always about doing more, sometimes it’s about tending to what’s already there.

01/27/2026

Are you ready for your first EMDR therapy session? Don't just show up—prepare to heal!

Discover the crucial steps that can transform your experience, making it safer and more effective.

Click to learn more: https://wix.to/14tzc8c

"Don’t just show up—prepare to heal." Before your first EMDR therapy session, there’s crucial groundwork that can shape your entire experience. In this post, we uncover the often-missed steps that make EMDR safer, more effective, and truly transformative—whether you’re a client beginning t...

01/27/2026

If EMDR feels harder than it should, this is for you.

Feeling stuck does not mean you are doing EMDR wrong.
And it definitely does not mean you or your client are failing.

If you’ve ever noticed that sessions feel heavier, messier, or more dysregulating than expected, this is why it feels like that.

More bilateral stimulation is rarely the answer.
When reprocessing feels hard, your nervous system is usually asking for foundation, not force.

This isn’t a mindset issue.
It’s often about things like:
• Window of tolerance
• Present-moment orientation
• Resourcing that actually works, not just looks good on paper
• Whether the target is truly accessible right now

Your nervous system is doing what it learned to do.
And you are allowed to respond to that with curiosity instead of pressure.

You are allowed to slow this down.
You are allowed to pause reprocessing.
That is clinical skill, not hesitation.

Save this for your next EMDR session.

Comment JOURNAL if you want a structured way to track what actually matters between sessions.

01/25/2026

Trauma-informed therapy isn’t a trend.
It’s the difference between coping and actually healing.

If therapy has ever felt too fast, too cognitive, or left you feeling “understood” but not calmer, this is why it matters.

Trauma-informed work starts with safety.
It understands how trauma lives in the nervous system, not just the story.
And it moves at a pace your body can stay with.

This isn’t about labeling everything as trauma.
It’s about recognizing when the nervous system needs support before insight can land.

If you want a deeper breakdown of why trauma-informed therapy matters, especially in high-pressure environments, read the full blog.

👉 Why Trauma Informed Therapy is a Must in Scarsdale (and everywhere)
https://www.danacarretta.com/post/why-trauma-informed-therapy-is-a-must-in-scarsdale-and-everywhere

If you’re located in NY, NJ, CT, or FL,
virtual therapy is available through peacefullivingcounseling,
or in-person sessions in Scarsdale.

🗓️ You can book a free 15-minute consult at www.peacefullivingmentalhealthcounseling.com/contact-us

01/24/2026

If you’re always calm but still unsettled, this might explain why.

Looking regulated on the outside doesn’t always mean your nervous system feels safe on the inside.

For a lot of people, calm was learned early as a survival skill.
Don’t react.
Don’t need too much.
Don’t make it harder for anyone else.

This is why it feels confusing.
You’re functioning. You’re capable.
And yet something still feels off.

This isn’t emotional maturity.
And it’s not a mindset issue.

It’s a nervous system that learned to stay quiet instead of settled.

You’re not broken.
Your body is doing what it learned to do.

💬 Comment if this resonates, or save this for the moment you start wondering why “fine” still doesn’t feel okay.

01/23/2026

When clients talk about depression, this is often what they’re trying to say, but don’t yet have language for.

Not “I’m sad.”
Not “something is wrong with me.”

But,
“My body can’t keep holding this version of me anymore.”

If you’ve ever noticed depression show up after years of functioning, performing, people-pleasing, or pushing through, this is why it feels different than sadness.

Sadness comes from what happened.
Depression often comes from what your nervous system has been carrying for too long.

This isn’t a failure of resilience.
It’s a system asking for relief.

I also appreciate the reframe of “deep rest,” not as disengagement, but as the body needing a pause from the role it’s been surviving in.

This doesn’t mean we stop living.
It means the nervous system is asking to renegotiate how.

You’re not broken.
Your body is communicating.

🎥 Clip credit:

If you want support tracking what’s actually shifting in your EMDR work,

💬 comment “JOURNAL” and I’ll send you the EMDR Therapy Progress Journal.

01/22/2026

Online EMDR can be effective.

That part isn’t the question.

What clinicians actually feel in virtual sessions is where the nuance lives.

When the tech flows, clients stay regulated.
When it glitches, the nervous system notices.
This is why online EMDR can feel harder, even when you’re doing everything right.

It’s not about doing EMDR on a screen.

It’s about protecting flow, consistency, and safety so reprocessing can actually happen.
For online EMDR to work well, the tech has to support the work, not interrupt it.

That’s why I like platforms with built-in telehealth and bilateral stimulation that don’t require extra tabs or workarounds.

If you want to try WeMind and see how it feels in your own sessions,
💬 comment “WeMind” and I’ll send you the link for a free trial, no card needed.

01/21/2026

Are you emotionally mature… or just emotionally suppressed?

Most of us weren’t taught what emotional maturity actually is.
We were taught to stay quiet, stay agreeable, and stay in control.

This is why it feels confusing.
Calm on the outside doesn’t always mean regulated on the inside.

Emotional maturity isn’t about never getting triggered.
It’s about being present with yourself when you are.

Letting others feel how they feel.

Taking accountability without collapsing into shame.
Not needing everyone to agree with you to feel okay.

This isn’t a mindset issue.
It’s nervous system work.

💬 Which part hit the hardest? Comment below.