EMDR and Trauma Therapy in Houston and Across Texas
For when something that happened is still shaping how you feel now.
Trauma does not always look like flashbacks. Sometimes it is a reaction that feels bigger than the situation, a body that stays braced, sleep that never quite settles, or a sense of being at a distance from your own life.
ThinkSpot Therapy provides EMDR and trauma-informed therapy for adults in Houston and online across Texas. Most major insurance accepted, and no waitlist.
EMDR Trained Clinicians
Most Insurance and EAPs Accepted
No Waitlist
Online or in person
You Do Not Need to Call It Trauma
A lot of people put off trauma therapy because they have decided that what happened to them was not bad enough to count. That is one of the most common thoughts we hear, and it is almost always wrong.
Trauma is not measured by the size of the event. It is about what your nervous system did with it, and whether it ever got the chance to settle afterwards. Something that another person would have moved past can stay with you, and something that sounds significant might not have left a mark. Neither says anything about you.
A reaction that is much bigger than the thing that triggered it. Being permanently alert to what might go wrong. Sleep that never fully settles, or dreams you wake up from without knowing why. Avoiding places, people or conversations without quite deciding to. A body that holds tension no amount of rest seems to clear. Feeling at a distance from your own life, or numb where you expect to feel something. Reacting to certain situations in a way that surprises you afterwards.
What it often looks like instead:
If you are reading this and thinking that other people have had it worse, you are probably right, and it is also not relevant. Therapy is not allocated by severity. If something is still affecting you, that is enough.
What EMDR Actually Is
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
It sounds unusual, and most people search for what it is before they search for someone who does it.
What it feels like. Most people describe it as odd rather than distressing. Sometimes the memory shifts noticeably within a session. Sometimes it takes several. Both are normal.
The idea behind it. Difficult experiences are sometimes stored differently from ordinary memories. Rather than settling into the past, they stay live, so that something in the present can bring back the feeling as though it were happening now. EMDR works on how that memory is stored rather than only on how you think about it.
What happens in a session. You bring to mind an aspect of the memory while following a repeated left-to-right movement, usually your therapist's hand, a light bar, alternating sounds or gentle taps. This is done in short sets, with a pause after each one to check what came up.
You are not made to relive anything. This is the part people worry about most. EMDR does not require you to describe what happened in detail, and often you do not need to say very much at all. Your therapist checks in constantly and stops whenever you need to.
How it differs from talk therapy. Talking helps people understand what happened. EMDR is aimed at changing how the memory sits with you, so that recalling it stops producing the same physical response.
The evidence. EMDR is recognized as an effective treatment for PTSD by major clinical bodies including the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association.
Trauma Therapy Is Not Only EMDR
EMDR suits many people, but it is one option among several, and some people prefer to start elsewhere.
Trauma-informed talk therapy. Working at your pace with a therapist who understands how trauma affects the nervous system, without any structured processing protocol.
Somatic approaches. Trauma is held physically as much as mentally. Somatic work focuses on what the body is doing, which can be a gentler starting point when talking about it feels like too much.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Addressing the beliefs that formed around what happened, which often outlast the event itself.
Stabilization first. If things feel too raw to begin processing, the first phase of work is building enough stability to make processing safe. That is a legitimate stage of trauma therapy rather than a delay before the real work starts.
Your therapist will talk through the options with you and you decide together where to begin. Nothing starts before you are ready, and you can change direction at any point.
What We Work With
Post-traumatic stress. Where a single experience is still producing symptoms long after it ended.
Complex trauma and C-PTSD. Where something went on over a long period rather than happening once, often beginning early.
Childhood experiences. Things that shaped how you relate to other people, whether or not you would describe them as traumatic.
Recent events. Accidents, medical experiences, loss, or a situation at work that has not settled.
Trauma showing up as something else. Trauma frequently presents as [anxiety], [depression], anger, or difficulty in relationships. Where that is what brought you in, we work with both.
When you are not sure what it is. Plenty of people come in knowing only that something is not right and that it seems connected to the past. Working out what is going on is part of the process, not a prerequisite.
EMDR Therapy in Houston
Our Houston office serves the Uptown and Galleria area and greater Houston.
5718 Westheimer Rd, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77057
Monday - Friday 8AM - 8PM | By Appointment Only | (469) 701-0443 | Free on-site parking
We also see clients at our Plano office, serving the Dallas area.
Online EMDR Across Texas
EMDR can be done effectively by video, and we offer it across the whole state.
The obvious question is how the bilateral stimulation works remotely. Your therapist uses on-screen movement, alternating audio tones, or guides you through self-administered tapping. The research on virtual EMDR shows outcomes comparable to in-person sessions.
Some people find it easier at home, where they are already in a familiar space and do not have to travel anywhere afterwards. Others prefer being in the room. Both work, and you can move between them.
Sessions are covered by most insurance plans at the same rate as an office visit.
Your EMDR Therapist
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Evelyn Gonzalez
ThinkSpot Therapist
Licensed Professional Counselor
Texas #81936
EMDR sessions are charged at the same rate as our other therapy sessions. With most insurance plans you pay only your copay. Self-pay sessions are $75.00 - $166.00.
Where sessions run longer than standard length, we will explain how that affects the cost before you begin.
We accept most major insurance plans and Employee Assistance Programs, and we verify your benefits before your first session. You will receive a Good Faith Estimate before your first appointment.
What EMDR and Trauma Therapy Cost
Plans we Accept:
Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
Curative
Cigna
ComPsych
Magellan
Medicare
Optum United Healthcare
Using an EAP:
Many employers offer a set number of counseling sessions at no cost to you. If you have an EAP benefit, let us know when you book and we will handle the paperwork with your provider.
If you are paying privately:
We offer payment plans and discounted rates where they are needed. You will receive a Good Faith Estimate before your first appointment setting out what your care will cost.
Starting Trauma Therapy
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1. Book online or call us.
You do not need to explain anything at this stage.
(469) 701-0443
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2. Complete your intake forms.
Leave anything you would rather discuss in person.
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3. We verify your insurance.
You will know what your sessions cost before you attend.
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4. We match you with a trauma-trained therapist.
Based on what you are dealing with.
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5. Your first session is a conversation.
Nothing is processed and nothing is asked of you beyond what you want to say. You and your therapist decide together where to start and how quickly to go.
Most clients are seen within a week. You are not committing to anything beyond the first session.
Frequently Asked Questions
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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured therapy in which you focus on an aspect of a difficult memory while following a repeated left-to-right movement, sound or tapping. It works on how the memory is stored rather than only on how you think about it.
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Difficult experiences are sometimes stored in a way that keeps them feeling present rather than past. The bilateral stimulation used in EMDR appears to help the brain reprocess those memories so they settle. Most people find the memory becomes less physically charged, even though the facts of it do not change.
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Look for a therapist licensed in Texas who has completed formal EMDR training, and check whether they hold EMDRIA certification, which requires additional supervised practice. At ThinkSpot our EMDR-trained clinicians see clients at our Houston office and online across Texas, with no waitlist.
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EMDR is charged at the same rate as our other therapy sessions, currently $75.00-$166.00 for self-pay. With most insurance plans you pay only your copay. Where sessions run longer than standard length, your therapist will explain how that affects the cost before you begin.
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It varies considerably. A single recent incident may resolve in six to twelve sessions. Trauma that built up over years usually takes longer, and often begins with a stabilization phase before any processing starts. Your therapist will give you a realistic estimate after the first few sessions.
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No. EMDR does not require you to describe the event in detail, and many people say very little about it. Your therapist checks in throughout and stops whenever you need to. You control the pace at every stage.
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Yes. Bilateral stimulation can be delivered through on-screen movement, alternating audio tones or self-administered tapping guided by your therapist. Research on virtual EMDR shows outcomes comparable to in-person sessions. We offer it across the whole of Texas.
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Some people feel tired after a session, or notice more dreams or emotional activity for a day or two afterwards. This usually settles quickly and is a normal part of processing. Your therapist will talk you through what to expect and how to look after yourself between sessions.
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No. Many people who benefit from trauma therapy have never been diagnosed with anything and would not describe what happened to them as trauma. If something from the past is still affecting how you feel now, that is reason enough.
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PTSD usually follows a single event or a defined period. Complex PTSD develops from something ongoing, often over years and frequently beginning in childhood, and tends to affect self-image and relationships more broadly. Both respond to trauma therapy, though complex trauma usually takes longer.
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Neither is better in every case. EMDR often works faster for specific memories, while talk therapy can be more useful for patterns built up over time. Many people do both. Your therapist will recommend a starting point based on what you are working with.
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Usually yes. PTSD and trauma-related conditions are recognized diagnoses covered by most major plans, including online sessions at the same rate as in-person visits. We verify your specific benefits before your first appointment.