Tampa EMDR

05/26/2026

I have so many clients tell me they can’t remember big chunks of their childhood. The memories just aren’t there. Here’s an explanation: 

Chronic childhood trauma can keep the body’s stress system activated. Elevated cortisol and norepinephrine can interfere with the hippocampus, the part of the brain that helps organize memory, time, and context. This may help explain why trauma memories can feel fragmented, vivid, or hard to place in the past.

05/14/2026

EMDR sounds strange until you understand what it is actually doing.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a therapy approach that helps the brain reprocess memories that got stuck during overwhelming experiences.

When something happens that is too much for the nervous system to process in the moment, the memory does not get stored the way normal memories do. It gets frozen, incomplete, still carrying the original emotion and body sensation.

That is why a memory from 20 years ago can still make your heart race like it just happened.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, which can be eye movements, taps, or sounds, to help the brain do what it could not do at the time. Finish processing. File the memory away. Reduce the emotional charge it carries.

It is not about forgetting what happened. It is about changing your relationship to it.

If you have questions about whether EMDR might be right for you, I offer consultations. The link is in my bio. You can heal what happened.

05/13/2026

You are not lazy. You are not weak. You are not just anxious.

Sometimes the nervous system hits a wall and the only response it has left is to shut down. That is freeze.

It can look like:
• Feeling stuck even when you want to move forward
• Going blank in conversations that feel threatening
• Dissociation, fogginess, or watching your life from a distance
• Exhaustion that sleep does not fix

Freeze is not a character flaw. It is a survival response. Your nervous system decided that fighting or running was not safe, so it did the next best thing. It went still.

Most of us were never taught what freeze is, what triggers it, or how to work with it gently. So we spend years pushing harder, judging ourselves more, and wondering why nothing is changing.

Your nervous system is not broken. It is doing exactly what it learned to do.

Save this if it sounds familiar. If you are in the Tampa Bay area and want to explore what is happening in your nervous system, the link in my bio is a good next step.

You can heal what happened.

05/12/2026

Trauma is not always what happened. Sometimes it’s what was missing.

04/14/2026

Most people think therapy has to be done once a week.

But that doesn’t always work for everyone.

And EMDR intensive is a longer, more focused session, typically three hours or more, that allows us to go deeper without having to stop right when things start opening up.

For many clients, this creates:
-more momentum
-deeper processing
-and a more efficient path forward

I also offer EMDR retreat style intensive held at The Hacienda, New Port Richey.

These are 3 to 5 day experiences designed to give you the time and space to fully focus on your healing, away from the demands of daily life.

The setting itself is quiet, private, and thoughtfully designed, allowing your nervous system to settle, so you can stay engaged in the work.

This approach integrates EMDR therapy, somatic body based work, and parts work.

If you’ve been doing therapy, but still feel stuck, it may not be about trying harder, it may be about trying a different approach.

Learn more at tampaemdr.com and click on the EMDR Retreats tab

04/12/2026

https://www.tampaemdr.com/emdr-blog/why-you-still-feel-stuck-in-therapy-in-tampa-fl-and-when-it-might-be-time-for-an-intensive

Feeling stuck in therapy in Tampa, FL? You’re not alone. Many adults gain insight but still feel like something hasn’t shifted. Learn why therapy can feel stuck, how your nervous system may be protecting you, and when EMDR intensives may help you move forward with deeper, lasting change.

04/09/2026

I’ve been quietly working on something the past month…
and it’s finally ready.

I didn’t have time to find a photographer… so I trusted myself to do it.

What started as an idea turned into me renting a camera last minute from Pasco Camera Inc and taking the photos myself.

And somehow, they turned out better than I imagined.

With my sister, Building 07, (who’s an incredible graphic designer) bringing the vision to life,
this page now feels exactly how I wanted it to feel…

Calm. Grounded. Intentional.

Because that’s what this work is.

I’m now offering EMDR intensive retreats right here in New Port Richey.
A space that feels peaceful, private, and connected to nature…
where you can step out of your everyday life and actually focus on healing.

This isn’t weekly therapy squeezed into an hour.
This is dedicated time to go deeper.

We’re talking about working through what’s been stored for years…
even back to pre-verbal experiences…
using EMDR, parts work, and somatic approaches like therapeutic yoga.

If you’ve been doing the work but still feel stuck…
this might be the shift.

I’d love for you to see what I created
(and honestly… I’m still kind of in shock I took these photos myself).

Take a look here: https://www.tampaemdr.com/emdr-intensives-tampa

And if someone comes to mind who needs this kind of space, send it to them ♥️

Private EMDR intensives in Tampa, FL for trauma, PTSD, and anxiety with EMDRIA Certified Consultant Leslie de Graaf. Experience focused 2–5 day retreats designed for rapid healing with EMDRIA-certified care. Book your consultation today.

04/09/2026

You don’t have to call it trauma for it still to be affecting you. A lot of people I work with say things like: it wasn’t that bad, other people had it worse, and I should be over this by now. But your nervous system doesn’t measure your experiences that way. It responds to what felt overwhelming. What felt unsafe. What did not get fully processed. So if you notice yourself overthinking everything, shutting down in certain situations, feeling triggered, and not knowing why, or stuck in patterns, you cannot shift, it might not be about the label. It might be that your system needs a different way to process what’s been stored. This is worth somatic work, EMDR therapy, and parts work come in. Working with your nervous system, not against it. If you are curious about a more focused approach to this work, you can learn more about my EMDR therapy intensive at tampaemdr.com. Click on the EMDR Retreats tab.

04/07/2026

You’ve done therapy and you still feel stuck. Not because you’re doing it wrong. And not because therapy doesn’t work. Sometimes it’s the format. And sometimes it’s that the work hasn’t fully reached the level your nervous system is holding. EMDR intensives are different. This is somatic therapy, which means where we are not just talking about your experiences, we are working with how they stored in your body and nervous system. I often incorporate parts work. The idea that different parts of you hold, different roles, like the part that overthink, the part that shuts down, or the part that tries to stay in control. Instead of fighting those parts, I work to understand and process what they have been carrying. This creates space for deeper, more integrated healing. Not just insight, but actual shift. This kind of work isn’t for everyone. But if you’ve been feeling stuck, despite doing all the right things, it might be worth exploring a different approach. If you are in the Tampa area and curious about EMDR intensive, you can start with a brief consultation to see if it’s a good fit. This is my website at www.tampaemdr.com and look under the tab EMDR Retreats. I offer a 30 minute complementary consultation if this is something you are considering.

04/02/2026

EMDR intensives are not for everyone and this is why