EMDR Therapy in Denver
LGBTQ-affirming EMDR therapy for trauma, relationships, and nervous system healing
Hi, I’m Briana Johnson, LPC, LAC — a Denver therapist specializing in LGBTQ-affirming EMDR therapy and IFS-informed trauma therapy.
On the outside, your life may look fine: you’ve finished school, you’re building your career, maybe you’re in a relationship. But under the surface, you may still feel stuck — difficulty concentrating, waves of anxiety, or old patterns in relationships that you just can’t shake.
Trauma has a way of lingering in the body and nervous system, even long after the events are over. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why can’t I just get over this?” — you’re not alone.
EMDR therapy helps your brain and body process experiences that still feel present, so you can feel more grounded, less reactive, and more like yourself again.
How EMDR Therapy Helps
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain and nervous system process experiences that may still feel overwhelming or “stuck.”
When something traumatic happens, your brain may not fully process it at the time. Instead, the memory can remain stored in a way that continues to trigger emotional or physical reactions in the present.
EMDR helps your system process those experiences so they begin to feel like something that happened in the past — rather than something you’re still bracing for now.
With EMDR therapy, many people begin to:
Feel calmer and more grounded day-to-day
Experience fewer triggers in relationships, work, or daily life
Respond to stress with more flexibility instead of reactivity
Develop a greater sense of safety in their body
Feel more confident, connected, and like themselves again
LGBTQ-Affirming EMDR Therapy in Denver
In our work together, we’ll integrate EMDR with IFS-informed (parts work) therapy to help you understand and heal the deeper patterns shaping your experience.
Many of my clients are navigating trauma alongside identity, relationships, and life transitions. I offer LGBTQ-affirming therapy and create space to explore how past experiences, attachment patterns, and systems of oppression may be impacting your nervous system today.
My goal is to help you move out of survival mode and into a life that feels more grounded, connected, and sustainable.
What to Expect From EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy is a structured but flexible process.
We begin by:
building tools to help you feel safe and grounded
getting to know your patterns and nervous system responses
identifying experiences that may still be impacting you
As we move into processing, your brain begins to integrate those experiences in a new way.
Some people notice relief quickly. For others, healing unfolds more gradually over time. Both are normal.
Throughout the process, we move at a pace that feels manageable for you.
FAQs
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When trauma happens to us, it can affect the way our brains process things. Trauma often does not get a “time stamp” in our mind and this can lead to flashbacks and nightmares as the brain is unable to tell the difference between “then and there” and “here and now.” EMDR (or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a way of bringing online our body’s innate ability to process information so we can reprocess traumatic memories into normal memories without charge. We can live in the moment with more peace and freedom.
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People often describe the results of EMDR therapy as feeling like a memory is far away or that it happened but cannot hurt them any more. I’ve seen clients who were in a traumatic car accident and stopped driving be able to buy a car again and drive to work everyday. Having said that, it’s also important to know that not everyone experiences healing the same way and If EMDR does not seem to be working, we get creative and make adjustments to tailor it to you and your situation, incorporating IFS-informed therapy.
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I recommend weekly sessions while doing EMDR processing. This allows for consistent progress that does not feel too drawn out, but also gives you time to integrate our work between sessions.
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During EMDR, I typically meet for the regular 50-min therapy hour, but if we find we want more time to move through more material per session, we can address extending sessions as availability allows. We can explore what works best for you.
Start EMDR Therapy in Denver
If you’re considering EMDR therapy, I invite you to reach out through my contact form.
I review each inquiry personally and will follow up within 2–3 business days with next steps. This may include current availability, options for working together in the near future, or referrals if that would be helpful.
Trauma can make life feel overwhelming and keep you stuck in patterns that no longer serve you. Healing is possible.
EMDR is one of the most effective tools I use to help clients experience meaningful, lasting change — sometimes more quickly than they expected.
If this approach resonates with you, I’d be glad to help you take the next step.