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. Learn more about what EMDR feels like from a client’s perspective here.
FAQs
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain process traumatic or distressing experiences so they no longer feel as emotionally or physically intense. Many people notice that triggers decrease and they feel more grounded in daily life.
For a more detailed explanation of EMDR therapy, see the section above.
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People often describe the results of EMDR therapy as feeling like a memory is more distant — like it happened, but no longer has the same ability to hurt them.
Over time, experiences that once felt overwhelming can begin to feel more manageable, less intense, and more clearly in the past.
For example, I’ve worked with clients who were in traumatic car accidents and had stopped driving entirely. After processing those experiences, they were able to return to driving — even feeling confident enough to commute to work again.
At the same time, it’s important to know that healing does not look the same for everyone. Some people notice changes quickly, while for others it unfolds more gradually.
If EMDR does not seem to be working right away, we adjust. We can slow down, build more resources, or integrate IFS-informed (parts work) approaches to better support your system.
My goal is always to tailor the work to you — so that therapy feels effective, manageable, and aligned with what you need.
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I typically recommend weekly EMDR therapy sessions, especially during active processing. Meeting weekly allows for steady progress without the work feeling too drawn out, while also giving you time between sessions to integrate what we’ve done.
In some cases, we may adjust the frequency depending on your needs, schedule, and how your nervous system is responding to the work. The goal is to find a pace that supports meaningful progress while still feeling manageable.
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EMDR therapy sessions are typically 50 minutes, which is the standard therapy hour.
In some cases, we may choose to extend sessions to allow more time for processing, depending on your needs and availability. We can explore together what session length feels most supportive and effective for you.
For clients who prefer a more focused or accelerated approach, longer EMDR sessions or intensives can sometimes be scheduled on an individual basis.
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.