EMDR THERAPIST IN VIRGINIA

Heal Trauma Without Getting Overwhelmed

Your Past Doesn’t Define You

EMDR helps people who struggle with overwhelming emotions, poor self-esteem, and painful relationships process trauma safely — without getting stuck in the past. As an EMDR and Trauma specialist in Virginia, I help you

Some Days, It Feels Like Your Emotions Have a Mind of Their Own.

One moment, you’re fine; the next, you’re drowning in sadness, anger, or shame, with no clear reason why. Though a part of you knows you are doing your best, you second guess yourself and beat yourself up.

You try to keep it together, but the smallest thing — a misunderstood text, a shift in someone’s tone, feeling ignored — can send you spiraling.

When that happens, it’s like a switch flips inside you. Maybe you lash out. Maybe you shut down. Maybe you retreat into yourself so no one sees how messy it feels inside. It’s hard to believe that anyone could truly care about you if they really knew you.

If this sounds familiar, know this: You are not broken. You are not too much. You are carrying the weight of experiences that taught you to survive this way. But survival is not the same as living—and healing is possible.

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Reclaim Your Life with EMDR

Imagine waking up and feeling at ease in your own skin—not bracing for the next emotional storm, not questioning your worth with every decision. Instead of drowning in shame or anger, you feel in control of your emotions, able to pause, breathe, and respond with clarity.

What once felt like a battle inside you now feels manageable. You don’t have to shut down or lash out just to get through the day. The small things don’t send you spiraling anymore. They’re just moments, not proof that something is wrong with you.

You no longer have to choose between protecting yourself and letting people in—you can do both.

Relationships feel lighter, safer, real. You trust yourself enough to set boundaries without guilt, to say what you need without fear, to let love in without constantly waiting for it to disappear.

And that voice in your head? The one that tells you that you’re not enough? It’s no longer in charge. In its place is something softer, kinder—a quiet confidence reminding you that you are worthy, you are whole, and you are free to live on your own terms.

This is what healing looks like. And with EMDR, it’s possible.

How EMDR Helps Relationships, Self-Esteem, and Emotions

Unprocessed trauma influences how you feel about yourself, manage your emotions, and connect with others in the present. The wounds of the past can show up in the present as painful cycles that make relationships feel overwhelming, emotions feel unmanageable, and self-doubt feel impossible to escape.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps break these cycles by allowing you to release the past and step into a future where you feel emotionally secure, confident, and capable of meaningful connection.

Heal old wounds so you can stop reacting from them.

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting the past—it means releasing its hold on you. With EMDR, you can move forward feeling more confident, emotionally steady, and open to real connection.

Hello. I’m Micah Fleitman, LPC.

Shame and fear were a prison.

I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin. My emotions felt overwhelming, and I didn’t know how to let people care for me. I questioned my worth and tried to hold it all together, but I never felt good enough.

Healing began when I stopped fighting my feelings and started listening to them.

I learned that even the parts of me I wanted to ignore were trying to help me. And they needed my help too. As I began to trust myself, I was able to let others in — fully, safely, and without shame.

Now I help others do the same. You’re not broken. You’re carrying pain that deserves care. Healing is possible — and you don’t have to do it alone.

I’ve devoted my career to helping people heal trauma and dissociation.

My credentials include:

I offer better results than traditional EMDR by integrating several evidence-based trauma therapies to provide holistic care.

EMDR Therapy in Virginia

What an EMDR Session Looks Like

Walking into therapy—especially trauma therapy—can feel overwhelming. You might worry about what will happen, how it will feel, or whether you’ll have to relive painful memories.

EMDR is different. It’s designed to help you heal without getting stuck in the pain of the past. In each session, I’ll guide you through the process at a pace that feels safe and manageable.

You’re always in control. The goal isn’t to force memories to the surface—it’s to help your brain process them in a way that finally brings relief.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Create Safety Before Trauma Work Begins

Before you even begin processing difficult experiences, I’ll work with you to build inner resources—practices that help you stay grounded and regulated. You’ll learn how to:

Feel emotionally safe and supported before diving into deeper work.
Use visualization techniques to create a sense of calm and control.
Pause at any time if things feel overwhelming.

EMDR isn’t about pushing too hard or too fast. It’s about helping you move forward in a way that feels right for you.

Step 1: Create Safety Before Trauma Work Begins

Before you even begin processing difficult experiences, I’ll work with you to build inner resources—practices that help you stay grounded and regulated. You’ll learn how to:

Feel emotionally safe and supported before diving into deeper work.
Use visualization techniques to create a sense of calm and control.
Pause at any time if things feel overwhelming.

EMDR isn’t about pushing too hard or too fast. It’s about helping you move forward in a way that feels right for you.

Step 2: Process Trauma Without Reliving It

During the main part of EMDR, I’ll guide you through bilateral stimulation—a technique that involves rhythmic eye movements, tapping, or sounds that help your brain process old wounds in a new way.

Here’s what happens:

You’ll bring up a memory, thought, or feeling related to past trauma—but you won’t stay stuck in it.
While engaging in bilateral stimulation, your brain will begin untangling the emotional intensity of that experience.
Instead of feeling trapped in the past, the memory starts to feel more distant, more neutral, and less overwhelming.

You don’t have to relive every detail to heal. EMDR helps your brain process trauma in a way that naturally reduces its emotional charge, so it no longer controls you.

Step 2: Process Trauma Without Reliving It

Here’s what happens:

You’ll bring up a memory, thought, or feeling related to past trauma—but you won’t stay stuck in it.
While engaging in bilateral stimulation, your brain will begin untangling the emotional intensity of that experience.
Instead of feeling trapped in the past, the memory starts to feel more distant, more neutral, and less overwhelming.

You don’t have to relive every detail to heal. EMDR helps your brain process trauma in a way that naturally reduces its emotional charge, so it no longer controls you.

Step 3: Strengthen New Positive Beliefs

After processing distressing experiences, EMDR helps replace old, painful self-beliefs with new, healthier ones.

For example:

🚫 “I am not enough.” →
✅ “I am worthy of love and respect.”

🚫 “I can’t trust anyone.” →
✅ “I can choose safe, supportive relationships.”

🚫 “I will always be stuck in this pain.” →
✅ “I have the strength to heal.”

These new beliefs become stronger each session, making it easier to live with confidence, trust yourself, and form relationships without fear.

Step 3: Strengthen New Positive Beliefs

After processing distressing experiences, EMDR helps replace old, painful self-beliefs with new, healthier ones.

For example:

🚫 “I am not enough.” →
✅ “I am worthy of love and respect.”

🚫 “I can’t trust anyone.” →
✅ “I can choose safe, supportive relationships.”

🚫 “I will always be stuck in this pain.” →
✅ “I have the strength to heal.”

These new beliefs become stronger each session, making it easier to live with confidence, trust yourself, and form relationships without fear.

Heal at Your Own Pace

EMDR isn’t a quick fix, but it is a proven way to find relief and reclaim your life. Over time, distressing memories lose their intensity, emotions feel easier to manage, and self-doubt gives way to self-trust.

If you’re ready to step out of survival mode and into a life where you feel emotionally steady, confident, and free from the weight of the past, EMDR can help.

Healing is possible. And you deserve it.

A deeper look at how EMDR can help you:

When the past no longer controls you:

Emotions stop feeling like a battle.

You’ll still have them—but they’ll feel manageable, giving you the power to stay grounded and in control, even in difficult moments.

Self-doubt fades and self-trust grows.

Instead of questioning everything you do, you’ll begin to move through life with a stronger sense of who you are and what you deserve.

Relationships feel secure and open.

You can trust yourself to judge who is safe and who isn’t, without fear standing in the way.

Regain Control: Feel Comfortable With Your Emotions

Sometimes, emotions hit so hard it’s like they are the crisis, making it impossible to think clearly or respond calmly.

You might:

Feel emotions too intensely, like small frustrations suddenly feel unbearable.
Shut down or numb out, pushing emotions away because they’re too painful.
React before you realize what’s happening, like snapping at someone or isolating yourself.

These patterns aren’t character flaws—they’re survival responses. Trauma conditions the brain to stay on high alert, making emotional reactions stronger and harder to control.

How EMDR Helps

Desensitize emotional triggers, so you can respond instead of react.
Process past emotional wounds so your brain no longer treats every stressor like a crisis.
Create space between feeling and action, allowing you to choose how you want to respond.

Rebuild Self-Esteem: Learn to Trust Yourself Again

Trauma teaches us that we’re not enough, not lovable, or not worthy of good things. Even if we logically know that’s not true, those thoughts linger in the background, shaping how we see ourselves and what we believe we deserve.

You might:

Constantly second-guess yourself, questioning your choices or abilities.
Feel like you have to prove yourself, always striving for perfection or people-pleasing.
Struggle with self-criticism, replaying mistakes or assuming the worst about yourself.

How EMDR Helps

EMDR doesn’t just help process painful memories—it also replaces negative beliefs with positive, self-affirming truths.

Clears out the shame and self-blame that keeps you stuck in doubt.
Reinforces healthier self-beliefs, like “I am enough” and “I am worthy of love.”
Rebuilds trust in yourself, so you can make decisions with confidence.

Heal Relationships: Experience Closeness Without Fear

If you’ve been hurt in the past it can be hard to feel safe in relationships. Maybe you crave closeness but also fear it. Maybe you trust too easily and get hurt, or hold people at arm’s length even when you don’t want to.

You might:

Struggle with trust, constantly waiting for people to leave or betray you.
Fear abandonment, leading to chronic worrying, over-thinking, or people-pleasing.
Push people away, even when you deeply want connection.

How EMDR Helps

Identifies where relationship patterns come from, so you can break free from them.
Releases the fear of rejection and abandonment, helping you feel safer in connection.
Strengthens your ability to set healthy boundaries, so relationships feel balanced and fulfilling.

Integrating EMDR with Other Trauma Therapies

A Holistic Approach to Healing

Trauma doesn’t just live in your mind. It lives in your body, your emotions, your relationships, and your sense of self. That’s why true healing needs to reach all of you—not just the parts that are easy to talk about.

By integrating EMDR with other powerful trauma therapies, we can gently care for the physical, emotional, and relational wounds you carry—helping you feel stronger, safer, and more connected to yourself and others.

Internal Family Systems: Caring for Every Part of You

IFS helps you connect with the parts of you that carry pain, while EMDR helps release the memories they hold—so you feel more whole and less stuck inside.

Somatic Therapy: Helping Your Body Feel Safe Again

Somatic Therapy helps you listen to your body’s signals, and EMDR clears the memories that keep you feeling frozen or on edge—so you can finally relax.

Trauma-Focused CBT: Changing How You See Yourself

TF-CBT shifts painful beliefs like “I’m not good enough,” while EMDR heals the wounds underneath—rebuilding self-trust from the inside out.

Psychodynamic Therapy: Healing Old Relationship Wounds

Psychodynamic Therapy helps you understand old relationship patterns, while EMDR helps heal the memories driving them—freeing you to connect more safely.

Clinical Hypnosis: Calming the Deeper Layers of Pain

Hypnosis gently reaches buried trauma, and EMDR processes it safely—helping you calm the fear and pain held deep inside.

You Deserve a Healing Approach That Cares for All of You

When we bring these approaches together, healing becomes more than just getting by. It becomes coming home to yourself—with calm, confidence, and the ability to trust yourself and others again.

Try These At-Home Exercises

Choosing the Right Practice for You

If you’re looking to feel closer and safer in relationships, try the Safe Connection Visualization below. If you’re working on feeling more independent and setting boundaries, try the Empowered Self-Belief Exercise.

The Safe Connection Visualization (For Feeling Closer in Relationships)

This guided exercise helps you develop a sense of emotional safety and connection:

Find a Quiet Space: Sit or lie down in a calm environment and close your eyes.
Imagine a Safe Presence: Picture a loved one, mentor, or even a pet offering warmth and support.
Engage Your Senses: Notice the sights, sounds, and feelings of this safe connection.
Use Gentle Bilateral Stimulation: Try tapping your shoulders back and forth or moving your eyes from side to side while focusing on the connection.
Reflect on the Experience: How does your body feel? Notice any relaxation or warmth, and hold onto that feeling.

The Empowered Self-Belief Exercise (For Feeling More Independent in Relationships)

This self-regulation technique helps strengthen confidence and self-trust:

Identify a Limiting Belief: Notice a negative thought about yourself in relationships (e.g., “I can’t trust myself”).
Find a Memory That Contradicts It: Recall a time you made a healthy choice or stood up for yourself.
Use Bilateral Stimulation: While focusing on that memory, gently tap your knees back and forth or shift your eyes from side to side.
Reinforce a Positive Belief: Replace the old thought with a new statement like “I am capable of making choices that support me.”
Carry It Forward: Repeat this exercise regularly to reinforce emotional security and self-trust.

Practicing these exercises consistently can help retrain your brain to feel safer in relationships while developing greater emotional confidence, knowing that: