"Life is a balance of

holding on and letting go."

                                          - Rumi

AF-EMDR.

Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) is a specialized approach within Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. It integrates principles of attachment theory to address issues related to early relational trauma and attachment wounds. AF-EMDR is particularly effective for people who have complex PTSD (C-PTSD) and/or have experienced difficulties in their primary relationships, such as neglect, abandonment, or inconsistent caregiving, which have led to insecure attachment patterns. It is also effective for those who have experienced relational or narcissistic abuse from their partner.

AF-EMDR is designed to heal emotional wounds caused by early attachment disruptions. This therapy addresses deep-rooted feelings of unworthiness, abandonment, and mistrust that arise from difficult early relationships. By targeting these attachment wounds, AF-EMDR helps clients begin to heal from the emotional damage caused by problematic early experiences.

AF-EMDR adapts traditional EMDR protocols to prioritize the client's emotional safety and stability. Before delving into trauma, I will help you build internal resources, such as nurturing or protective figures, which assist in regulating emotions during difficult moments. We will then target relational trauma by reprocessing memories and experiences that have contributed to negative beliefs about the self and others. This reprocessing helps shift attachment patterns toward more secure functioning.

AF-EMDR not only focuses on past attachment wounds but also explores how these early experiences affect your current relationships. By addressing both past and present relational issues, AF-EMDR aims to help you form healthier, more secure attachments in your present life.

  • If you’ve experienced relational trauma, struggle with attachment issues, or have difficulty forming healthy relationships, AF-EMDR may be a good fit.

  • While both approaches help process trauma, AF-EMDR emphasizes attachment wounds and relational issues. Traditional EMDR focuses more on reprocessing specific traumatic events, whereas AF-EMDR targets how early or previous relationships impact current emotional and relational functioning.

  • AF-EMDR is just as effective remotely as it is in person. We will decide on a bilateral stimulation (BLS) that works for you and I will send you a link to the Auditory or Visual form of BLS, or we will discuss Tactile forms of BLS.

    Many clients prefer AF-EMDR at home in a safe environment where they can make their space as comfortable as possible while processing attachment related trauma.

  • I recommend 80-minute weekly sessions to maximize your progress and symptom relief; however, 50-minute sessions, either weekly or biweekly, have also shown significant progress at a slower rate.

  • Processing trauma may take more time. Extended sessions allow for uninterrupted work and the processing of multiple memories.

  • Of course! I'm happy to provide AF-EMDR services, and you can still work with your therapist to process the session. If you want me to communicate with your current provider, all you need to do is complete a Release of Information (ROI) form.

    Additionally, you can take a break from talk therapy while you go through AF-EMDR, or choose an 80-minute session if we keep running short on time.